History #
The schooner Brothers was built before 1845 and was a wooden-hulled vessel with one deck. It was a schooner with two masts and had a tonnage of approximately 10-20, according to the old measurement system.
Tragically, on February 14, 1845, the Brothers capsized in Lake Ontario, approximately 25 miles below Niagara County, New York. The incident occurred during a storm with heavy ice. It is presumed that all nine crew members and passengers aboard the schooner were lost.
News reports from the time indicated that the Brothers had left Niagara for Toronto with around 12 people on board. The weather was extremely tempestuous, with the steam packet TRANSIT refusing to venture out due to the conditions. Despite the hazardous conditions, the captain of the Brothers decided to proceed, but the vessel was last seen struggling in a field of ice.
Subsequently, the wreck of the Brothers was discovered on the American shore, approximately 25 miles from Niagara. The schooner was found on its beam ends, with the foremast gone. However, there were no survivors found on board. It is believed that all individuals on the schooner perished in the incident.
The loss of the Brothers and the tragic fate of its crew and passengers serve as a reminder of the dangers faced by vessels navigating Lake Ontario during the 19th century. Storms and ice presented significant hazards, and this incident resulted in the loss of lives and a devastating loss for the families and communities connected to the schooner.
After the war of 1812-1815 John & Charles Mclntosh owned a schooner called the BROTHERS, John died in 1853 and Charles wno was Captain of the steamer COBOURO died. of cholera in 1834. — addition — John was Captain of the’Brothers’ in 1832
from the TOWN OF YORK
by Edith G.Firth
footnote pp.133
