History #
The B.F. BRUCE was a propeller (steamship) that was built in Buffalo in 1852 as a tugboat and later converted into a small passenger steamer. It had a tonnage of 168 tons and measured approximately 110 feet in length, 21 feet in width, and 8 feet in depth. The vessel was owned by various individuals and companies, including Messrs. Trowbridge, Chapman & Rand of Detroit and Casey & Whipple. Its home port was Detroit.
On August 11, 1862, while the B.F. BRUCE was carrying a cargo of staves from Detroit to Buffalo, it caught fire about 8 miles off Port Stanley, Lake Erie. The captain attempted to run the vessel ashore, but the fire quickly spread, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident. The burning ship eventually drifted ashore near Port Stanley and was completely destroyed.
The exact cause of the fire is not specified in the available information, but there is a mention of the possibility of arson. The B.F. BRUCE was fully insured at the time of the accident.
