Title: Sinking in the Depths: The Tragic Collision of the Bark Clayton
In a fateful encounter on June 5, 1868, the bark CLAYTON met its tragic demise in the waters of Lake Huron, off the shores of Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. The bark, a wooden three-masted vessel, had been constructed in 1854 by John Oades in CLAYTON, New York. With a length of 136 feet and weighing 208 tons, the CLAYTON was a sizable vessel that sailed the Great Lakes.
On that ill-fated morning, a dense fog enveloped the lake, obscuring visibility and creating treacherous conditions for navigation. The CLAYTON was underway, bound northward with a south wind blowing. Suddenly, the lookout on board the vessel spotted another large bark sailing nearby, its course taking it directly towards the CLAYTON. Despite sounding their fog horns and taking every precaution, the two vessels collided amidships.
The impact proved catastrophic, and within a mere two minutes, the CLAYON succumbed to the depths of Lake Huron. The vessel sank in approximately 50 fathoms of water, leaving behind a trail of tragedy. Miraculously, no lives were reported lost in this collision, and the crew members of the CLAYTON were able to escape their sinking vessel. Their rescue was facilitated by the bark Erastus Corning, the vessel responsible for the collision. The Erastus Corning itself suffered damage, with its jibboom and headgear being carried away in the collision.
Efforts were launched in the aftermath to salvage the sunken bark CLAYTON. An expedition was initiated from the port to locate and recover the vessel. However, despite these efforts, the expedition proved unsuccessful in locating the wreck. The search yielded only fragments of the vessel, such as its mainboom and sections of the mainsail, floating aimlessly on the water’s surface.
As a result of these failed attempts, the fate of the bark CLAYTON was sealed. It became clear that the vessel would remain submerged in the depths of Lake Huron, beyond recovery. The story of the CLAYTON’s sinking serves as a stark reminder of the perilous nature of maritime navigation, particularly in conditions of poor visibility. The collision and subsequent sinking of the bark CLAYTON stand as a somber chapter in the annals of Great Lakes maritime history.
