The schooner Laura, built in 1873 in Walkerville, Ontario, had a noteworthy history on Lake Ontario. With an official number of 17234, this three-masted, wood scow schooner had a length of 140 feet, a beam of 23 feet, and a depth of 12 feet. It boasted a gross tonnage of 348.
On August 13, 1893, tragedy struck the Laura. It was 15 to 25 miles off Charlotte, New York, in Lake Ontario, when it encountered a severe storm that proved to be its downfall. While carrying a cargo of coal from Oswego, New York, to Toronto, Ontario, the vessel foundered in the midst of a powerful northeast gale. Sinking into the depths of 600 feet of water, the Laura met its untimely end.
Fortunately, all nine members of the crew managed to escape the sinking ship by utilizing the vessel’s yawl, a small boat often carried on board larger ships for emergency situations. Despite the loss of the schooner, there were no recorded fatalities among the crew. The master of the Laura during this ill-fated voyage was Captain Markeson.
At the time of its sinking, the Laura was under the ownership of J. & T. Mathews, based in Toronto. The vessel’s final cargo consisted of coal, which tragically never reached its intended destination. The sinking of the Laura serves as a testament to the fierce and unpredictable nature of Lake Ontario’s storms, reminding us of the challenges faced by sailors and the risks associated with maritime endeavors.
