History #
The schooner, registered at St. Catharines, Ontario, in April 1874, had a series of ownership changes over the years. In 1878, it came under the ownership of John O’Neil, also from St. Catharines. By 1882, the vessel underwent a remeasurement, resulting in new tonnage measurements of 374 gross tons and 327 net tons.
In June 1883, the schooner ran aground on Snake Island in Lake Ontario. Despite this incident, the ship continued its operations and, in 1887, was towed by the steamer SIR S.L. TILLEY in the grain trade between Duluth and Montreal. However, in 1888, the schooner was involved in a collision with the steamer ESCANABA in St. Mary’s River. Fortunately, it was repaired and able to resume its activities.
By 1898, the vessel changed hands once again and was owned by Carson & McKay, based in St. Catharines. However, tragedy struck on September 12, 1900, when the schooner was wrecked in Lake Ontario. It was driven ashore and subsequently broke up during a severe storm. At the time of the incident, the ship was bound for Oswego, New York, from Hamilton, Ontario.
The ship, originally built at Port Dalhousie, Ontario, was a three-masted schooner with a wooden hull and a single deck. Its dimensions were recorded as 138 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and 12.2 feet in depth. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 347 and a net tonnage of 328.
The final location of the wreck was east of Fair Haven, New York, in Lake Ontario. The circumstances surrounding the wreck indicate the challenges and dangers faced by ships navigating the Great Lakes, especially during inclement weather conditions.
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