E.J. VICKERY

Canal Boat

In a harrowing incident on Lake Ontario, the canal boat E.J. Vickery met a tragic fate. The events unfolded on the evening of August 2, 1874. The tug C.P. Morey, accompanied by two other canal boats carrying a cargo of ashes from the Bay of Quinte, was making its way towards the port of Oswego. Around seven o’clock that evening, approximately eight to ten miles north by west of Oswego, the Vickery broke adrift from the tug due to the heavy seas that were pounding the lake.

The challenging conditions made it unsafe for the tug to retrieve the Vickery without risking the other boats. The decision was made to bring the two remaining boats into port and then return for the stranded vessel. Once the two boats were safely docked, the Morey set out to rescue the Vickery.

As the Morey ventured back into the open water, those on board caught sight of the Vickery’s light. However, to their dismay, the light suddenly disappeared before they could reach the boat. The crew of the Morey sounded their whistle and flashed lights in an attempt to locate the missing vessel, but all efforts were in vain.

Undeterred, Captain Pappa of the Morey steered the tug further, convinced that the Vickery had sunk nearby. After traveling approximately half a mile, during a momentary calm in the waves, cries were heard from the water. The crew of the Morey swiftly rescued Captain Benjamin Peterson, the owner of the Vickery, along with a young boy and the steersman. They were found floating on hatch covers and the deck of the bow stable, their only means of support.

Captain Peterson recounted that the Vickery had succumbed to the powerful waves, filling with water and sinking suddenly just fifteen minutes before the Morey’s return. The timely rescue of the Vickery’s crew was nothing short of miraculous. Given the fierce winds and treacherous conditions of the previous night, their fragile makeshift flotation devices would not have endured much longer, putting their lives in grave danger.

The Vickery, valued at approximately $1,200 and owned by Captain Peterson, was uninsured for lake navigation. The ashes being transported on the boat belonged to V.H. Burch and were also uninsured. Additionally, concerns were raised about the strength and reliability of the line that connected the Vickery to the tow.

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