ZADOCK PRATT

The Buffalo Daily Republic, on November 12, 1855, announced the completion of a new three-masted schooner named Zadock Pratt. The vessel was built by Messrs. Smith & Spencer for Messrs. Peck & Smith of Buffalo, New York. The Zadock Pratt had impressive dimensions, measuring 133 feet in length, 26 feet 10 inches in breadth of the beam, 10 feet 11 inches in depth of hold, and had a registration of 420 tons. Captain Henry Ellsworth was appointed as her commander, a testament to his qualification and suitability for the vessel. The article praised the Zadock Pratt as one of the finest vessels produced by the builders that season, expressing hopes for her success.

However, unfortunate news appeared in the Buffalo Morning Express on March 11, 1861. In a casualty list from 1860, it was reported that the schooner Zadock Pratt, loaded with wheat, struck the wreck of the propeller Mount Vernon in Point Au Pelee Channel, leading to her sinking and subsequent total loss.

Further details were provided in the Buffalo Daily Republic on November 22, 1860. The Zadock Pratt had collided with the wreck of an unidentified propeller in deep water near Point Pelee. The schooner was carrying a cargo of wheat and was bound down at the time of the incident. The vessel, cargo, and freight list were insured for $25,000 at offices in Buffalo.

Historical information about the Zadock Pratt reveals that it was built in Buffalo in 1855 by Smith & Spencer. The schooner, with three masts, measured 133 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and 10 feet in depth. Its tonnage was recorded as 370 based on the old measurement system. Tragically, on November 20, 1860, the Zadock Pratt was wrecked in Lake Erie. The vessel sank in a collision with the wreck of the propeller Mount Vernon in the dark. Fortunately, the crew managed to escape in their small boat and were rescued by the schooner S.J. Holley.