The schooner E. Hall, constructed in 1864 at Port Dover, Ontario, met its final fate on August 15, 1879. The vessel, with a capacity of 170 tons, was owned by Captain David O’Hagan and was carrying a cargo of coal from Big Sodus to Gananoque. Unfortunately, while sailing about fifteen miles off Fair Haven in Lake Ontario, the E. Hall foundered during a storm.
Despite efforts to pump out the water, the leak on the schooner proved to be overwhelming, and the vessel slowly sank out of sight. Fortunately, the crew managed to escape unharmed. The E. Hall, an older schooner of limited value, belonged nominally to Captain O’Hagan, while H.B. Rathbun & Co. held a mortgage of $1,500 on the vessel. Additionally, they owned the cargo of coal aboard the schooner. The E. Hall was insured for $1,500.
This unfortunate incident was reported in the Daily British Whig of Kingston on August 18, 1879. The vessel’s sinking marked the end of its career, leaving only memories of its time as a Canadian schooner built in Port Dover, Ontario in 1864.
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes Website
- Daily British Whig, Kingston August 18, 1879
- Herman Runge List
