Other Names #
- M. BALLAD
The M. Ballard, also known as Mary Ballard, was a wooden two-masted schooner. It was built in 1855 by Stevens & Presley in Cleveland, Ohio. The vessel measured 116 feet in length, 25 feet in width, and had a depth of 11 feet. Its displacement was recorded at 288 tons.
Tragically, on November 30, 1866, the M. Ballard encountered a violent storm off Galloo Island in Lake Ontario, leading to its loss. The schooner was carrying a cargo of wheat at the time. Reports indicate that it wrecked on Galloo Island Reef and subsequently sank, resulting in a complete loss of the ship. Unfortunately, all crew members on board, estimated to be between 9 and 11 individuals, perished in the incident. The sinking occurred in deep water, approximately 1¼ mile northwest of the island’s lighthouse.
Captain Hugh Coyne of Cleveland, who was also the owner of the M. Ballard, went down with the ship. He was the skipper of the vessel. The schooner hailed from Detroit and had undergone significant repairs in 1864.
News of the schooner’s loss reached Oswego, and various newspapers reported on the incident. According to The Daily Milwaukee News of Wisconsin on December 7, 1866, Captain Hugh Coyne received a dispatch informing him about the loss of the M. Ballard and the unfortunate fate of all crew members. The vessel wrecked near Galloo Islands, close to the foot of Lake Ontario. Captain John Coyne, the owner’s brother, was in command of the ship. While the names of two crew members, Joseph Payment and E. W. Guynon, were mentioned in the report, the identities of the others remained unknown.
According to accounts from the Oswego Advertiser & Times, the keeper of the Galloo Island lighthouse and two other individuals witnessed the schooner approaching St. Lawrence, likely en route to Ogdensburg. The vessel struck a shoal near the island around 9 o’clock in the morning. Despite efforts to free the schooner, it remained stuck, and the strong winds and rough seas prevented any rescue attempts by boat. By 1 p.m., the M. Ballard sank out of sight, leaving no hope for the survival of the crew. Some crew members’ bodies were seen floating on the hatches, but the treacherous conditions prevented their rescue. Eventually, three bodies were recovered and brought to Oswego by the schooner E.B. Gannett.
In the following weeks, attempts were made to recover the bodies of the remaining crew members, but they proved unsuccessful. The Detroit Post reported that Captain Hugh Coyne, who had returned from the search, was unable to locate his brother’s body or those of any other crew members. Only three bodies were found on the morning after the storm. The crew members’ names and residences remained unknown, further adding to the tragedy.
The loss of the M. Ballard, a vessel valued at $12,500 and insured for $10,000, was a devastating event. Captain John Coyne, renowned for his skillful navigation, went down with the ship, leaving a significant impact on the maritime community.
