The CAPE HORN was a schooner that was built in 1857 by William Barker in Huron, Ohio. It had a length of 121.4 feet, a beam of 25.4 feet, and a depth of 9.7 feet. The schooner had a gross tonnage of 214 tons.
On May 9, 1873, the CAPE HORN was involved in a collision near Long Point on Lake Erie. The schooner was upbound in fog when it collided with the iron propeller JAVA. As a result of the collision, the CAPE HORN capsized and quickly filled with water. Most of the crew managed to scramble aboard the propeller, except for the captain and the female cook. The captain made efforts to save the cook, but unfortunately, she drowned. The CAPE HORN was reported as a total loss in a court case in 1877 regarding the collision, but it was recovered in 1873 and remained in use until the 20th century.
The owner and master of the CAPE HORN was Benjamin Eyster. The vessel was owned in Chicago and had a value of $7,000. It was later sold to the underwriters for $3,500 in its sunken condition. The schooner had various owners throughout its history, including A.W. Meeker, Darling & Bell, and B. Eyster.
In terms of its registration, the CAPE HORN was initially enrolled in Sandusky, Ohio, from 1857 to 1864. It was then enrolled in Detroit, Michigan, in 1864, and later in Chicago, Illinois, from 1865 to 1866. The schooner underwent large repairs in 1871 and was rebuilt in Buffalo, New York, in July 1873 after the collision. It continued to be used for several more years under different owners before being abandoned in 1910.
