Other Names #
- JS BROOKS
- WILLIAM (1860) as Repurposed
The J.W. BROOKS was a wooden propeller ship built in 1851 by William Gooding in Detroit. It had dimensions of 136 feet in length, 25 feet in beam, and 10 feet in depth, with a tonnage of 322 tons.
On November 4, 1856, the J.W. BROOKS foundered in a storm while en route from Lake Erie to Ogdensburg, New York. The vessel sank approximately 8 miles northeast of False Ducks light (also mentioned as Black River Bay, near Sacket’s Harbor, NY) in Lake Ontario. It was reported that 19 or 20 lives were lost in the incident.
Most of the cargo, which included provisions and copper ingots, was salvaged the following year. Ten days after the sinking, the steamer WELLINGTON discovered the J.W. BROOKS lying in 50 feet of water, with the stern resting on the bottom and 8 feet of the bow visible above the water. An attempt to tow the wreck by the steamer TRAVELLER resulted in the ship sinking again. According to one report, the J.W. BROOKS’ safe contained $1 million.
The vessel was partially raised, some cargo was recovered, and it was dragged submerged to Garden Island, Ontario, in July 1857.
Prior to its final sinking, the J.W. BROOKS had a history of incidents. It experienced a partial explosion of its boiler off Ashtabula in July 1855, resulting in the scalding death of one crew member and two crew members drowning after jumping overboard in panic. Additionally, it had sunk in May 1855 on the Canadian shore.
In another incident, the J.W. BROOKS ran ashore near Long Point, Lake Ontario, in a fog on May 26, 1855. The vessel was loaded with flour and other cargo destined for Ogdensburg. It was partially damaged by water, but assistance was sent, and it was likely refloated.
On another occasion, the J.W. BROOKS ran aground near Oswego but was successfully lightened and refloated. The property loss in that incident amounted to $200.
