- Schooner Barge
- 136ft 14m Lengths
- 60ffw 20m depths
- Lake Erie
- N42°46’15” W79°14’34”
The schooner CB Benson, measuring 90 feet from the forefoot to the aft, with a length of 136 feet, had its home port in Port Colborne. It The vessel’s history is marked by various incidents and changes in ownership. It was launched in June 1873 and began its sailing career in the Atlantic Ocean from 1874 to 1877. In May 1874, the ship ran aground and suffered damage in Point Colborne, necessitating dry docking in St. Catharines. It was then chartered by E.R. Williams & Co. of Montreal, Quebec, for the direct transportation of corn from Toledo to Ireland.
The CB Benson encountered several mishaps over the years. In July 1878, it went ashore on North Harbor Reef in Lake Erie. Ownership of the vessel changed hands, with S.H. Keeler and others from Toledo becoming the new owners in 1879. The ship faced further challenges, including damage from ice in Buffalo in March 1881 and a collision with the schooner David Dows in Buffalo, resulting in slight damage in May 1882. The vessel ran aground in Maumee Bay, Lake Erie, in November 1884.
In 1885, Albert Hitchcock acquired a 1/2 interest in the CB Benson from Keeler. The schooner underwent a rebuild in April 1887. However, troubles persisted, and the ship ran aground again, this time in Buffalo Creek on September 22, 1891. On September 14, 1892, it was torn from its mooring and blown ashore in the Blackwell Canal. The vessel grounded once more in Buffalo, New York, on August 28, 1893.
Unfortunately, the final chapter in the CB Benson’s history was tragic. The schooner foundered in eighty feet of water in Gravelly Bay, Ontario, Lake Erie, on October 15, 1893, with all hands lost, amounting to seven lives. The vessel, loaded with coal, was en route from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Detroit, Michigan, when it met its unfortunate end.
News of the sinking reached the public through the Buffalo Evening News on October 18, 1893. The article confirmed that the sunken vessel in Gravelly Bay was indeed the CB Benson, which had departed from Buffalo bound for Toledo. Captain D.W. Carter of Port Colborne provided details, stating that the ship’s foremast was gone, and the remaining topmasts were painted black. Tugs had visited the wreck, and another tug with a diver was dispatched for further investigation.
The loss of life in this tragedy was a somber reminder of the perilous nature of maritime navigation. The CB Benson’s captain, Captain Duff, was a well-known and respected figure in the maritime community, and his loss was deeply felt by many.
