The C. Reeve was a schooner built in 1853 by F.N. & B.B. Jones in Buffalo. It had a wooden hull, two masts, and measured approximately 119 feet in length, 26 feet in width, and 10 feet in depth. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 280 tons.
On November 22, 1862, the C. Reeve met with a collision off Oak Orchard, New York, in Lake Ontario. The collision occurred during a snowstorm when the schooner Exchange collided with the C. Reeve. The C. Reeve, which was carrying a cargo of corn and bound for Oswego, NY from Chicago, sank within a few minutes of the collision. Fortunately, there was no loss of life as the crew managed to save themselves by boarding the Exchange before the C. Reeve went down in deep water.
The C. Reeve was owned by W.H. Goodnow of Detroit, and the master at the time of the collision was either Captain Donahue or Donyhugh. The property loss from the incident was estimated at $8,000 for the hull and $6,000 for the cargo of corn.
The wreck of the C. Reeve was located in 2009 near Oak Orchard. It is worth noting that there is some discrepancy in the location of the collision, with some sources mentioning Devil’s Nose as the location.
In July 1858, the C. Reeve had made a voyage to Liverpool, carrying black walnut lumber, and returned in October with a cargo of crockery.
The collision between the C. Reeve and the Exchange was a tragic event that occurred during a snowstorm on Lake Ontario. The C. Reeve sank quickly, but fortunately, all crew members were able to escape and were rescued by the Exchange. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by vessels navigating the Great Lakes during this time period.
