Owned by Everleigh and others, the NELLIE WILDER set out on her maiden voyage, but her journey was marked by unfortunate incidents. On June 4, 1874, while still under the same ownership, the vessel ran aground at Southeast Bend in the St. Clair River. The ship found herself trapped on the exposed rock, but through determined efforts, she was eventually released from her precarious position.
However, the ship’s ill-fated encounters with treacherous waters continued. In October 1880, the NELLIE WILDER met her tragic end on Galoo Island in Lake Ontario. Laden with a cargo of wheat bound for Ogdensburg, New York, the vessel found herself at the mercy of heavy winds and unforgiving waves. The exposed rock proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, and despite the crew’s efforts to rescue the ship, she succumbed to the elements.
The fate of the Nellie Wilder was sealed as reports indicated that she had become a total wreck. Her stern and one side had vanished, and her hull had been pierced by unyielding rocks, leading to her eventual breakup. The cargo of 20,000 bushels of wheat, shipped by Williams & Co. of Toledo to Ogdensburg, faced a similar fate. The vessel’s loss was compounded by the absence of insurance, a harsh blow to her owners, particularly B. Overleigh of Sacketts Harbor.
Sources
-
Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library Website
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes Website
- Great Lakes Ships Website
- Kingston Whig-Standard October 13, 1880
- Kingston Whig-Standard October 15, 1880
- Cleveland Herald Thursday, June 6, 1878
- British Whig (Kingston, ON), 7 May 1879
