The schooner International was built in 1854 in Huron, Ohio. Constructed with wood, it had a single deck and two masts. The vessel measured 139 feet in length, 25 feet 10 inches in beam, and had a depth of 11 feet 7 inches. It had a tonnage of 389 (old style) and a capacity of 17,500 bushels.
Tragically, the International met its final fate on November 5, 1865, near Salmon Point, Ontario, in Lake Ontario. While bound from Chicago, Illinois, to Kingston, Ontario, carrying 18,000 bushels of corn, the schooner drove ashore during a storm. Three out of the nine crew members lost their lives in the wreck.
The history of the International includes various ownership changes. It was enrolled in Buffalo, New York, in 1854 and later owned by Charles W. Howard of Conneaut, Ohio, in May 1858. In November 1859, the schooner collided with the schooner Jessie in the flats, and on May 28, 1862, it collided with the propeller Illinois on Lake Erie. By 1863, the vessel was owned by R. Prindiville of Chicago, and ownership subsequently transferred to Mark McGinne.
The wreck of the International was reported in the Toronto Globe and the Buffalo Daily Courier on November 8 and 10, 1865, respectively. The vessel came ashore on Salmon Point Reef, losing its masts and crew. It ultimately broke apart on November 6. Three individuals, including a woman cook, drowned in the incident, while the captain and five others were saved.
The loss of the International was also documented in Willis Metcalf’s book “Canvas & Steam on Quinte Waters,” where it mentioned the schooner foundering near Salmon or Wicked Point and three crew members losing their lives.
The Register of the Ships on the Lakes & River St. Lawrence for 1864 provides additional details about the International, indicating that it was a 589-ton American schooner built by Cherry in Huron in 1854. It was owned by Mark McGinne and registered at the port of Chicago, classified as B and valued at $7,000.
