The Calvin Snell, also known as C. Snell or Calvin Suello, was a wooden schooner without an official number. It was built by Joel Norton in Richmond, Ohio, with dimensions of 122 feet in length, 26 feet in width, and 10 feet in depth. The vessel had a tonnage of 278.
On May 28, 1858, the Calvin Snell suffered a hull failure and was lost approximately 25 miles from Presqu’ile, Ontario, in Lake Ontario. It was carrying 70 tons of stone, listed as ballast in the records. The ship was bound for Welland Canal from Kingston, Ontario, when it encountered a leak and eventually sank. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties as the crew managed to escape using the small boat.
Due to the loss of the vessel, its documents were surrendered in 1858. The Calvin Snell, registered out of Fairport, was owned by Solomon Snell from Painesville.
Newspaper sources provide additional information about the incident. The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser on January 15, 1859, reported that the Schooner Calvin Snell, carrying a cargo of seventy tons of stone, had sprung a leak and sunk off Presqu’Isle in Lake Ontario. The estimated property loss was $12,000.
According to the Buffalo Daily Courier on Thursday, May 28, 1858, the Calvin Snell had recently been ashore at Presqu’Isle before proceeding to Kingston. After discharging its cargo of wheat, the vessel was loaded with ballast and began its journey west on Lake Ontario. However, during a heavy blow, the ship suddenly experienced a leak and sank in deep water. Fortunately, the crew managed to escape using the boats, as reported by the Cleveland Herald.
These accounts provide a detailed overview of the Calvin Snell, its sinking due to a hull failure, and the events leading up to the incident in Lake Ontario in 1858.
