HALIFAX

Table of Contents

Photo Gallery CC Ben Ioset 2023
External Links

Brigantine
Mexico Bay
Lake Ontario
N43 31.941 W76 13.867

The brigantine HALIFAX, built in 1851 in St. Catharines, Ontario, met a tragic fate. On December 5, 1854, the HALIFAX, owned by J.L. Ranney, found itself aground at Port Ontario on Lake Ontario. The vessel, carrying a cargo of 2,800 barrels of flour from Toronto, had previously anchored off Little Sandy Creek to seek shelter from a gale. It managed to ride out the storm until Tuesday night when it went ashore, losing its deck load in the process. Although the crew survived, some of them suffered severe frostbite.

News of the HALIFAX’s predicament spread quickly. Reports indicated that the vessel would likely be a total wreck, resulting in a property loss of $10,000. The loss was reported in the Buffalo Democracy on February 28, 1855, which listed the HALIFAX as a casualty. Earlier, on December 9, 1854, the democracy in Buffalo had already mentioned the HALIFAX being ashore at Port Ontario and expected to be completely wrecked.

The HALIFAX was a wooden brigantine with one deck and two masts. It had a tonnage of 200 (old style) and was primarily involved in transporting goods, such as flour. However, its final voyage ended tragically when it encountered a storm that proved too powerful to overcome. The HALIFAX’s anchors slipped in the gale, causing it to go ashore and eventually break apart.

The exact location of the HALIFAX’s final resting place was Mexico Bay, NY, on Lake Ontario. The vessel was unable to withstand the forces of nature, succumbing to the storm and becoming a permanent fixture on the lake’s floor.