The sinking of the schooner Babineau & Gaudry near Alexandria Bay marked a significant maritime disaster and exposed the fraudulent activities of its owner, William Patterson. Built in 1866 in Three Rivers and registered in Quebec, the Babineau & Gaudry was a 150-ton vessel with a tamarack frame and ceiling, valued at $3,000. Despite its relatively small size, it was ocean-built and originally hailed from Europe.
In the fall of the previous year, Patterson had engaged in deceitful practices by securing cargoes of coal under false pretenses, selling them in unauthorized locations, and evading his creditors. His actions caught up with him when the schooner sank at Alexandria Bay, drawing him back into American territory and into the hands of the law.
After the Babineau & Gaudry was driven ashore on Amherst Island by a gale, it was eventually freed and repaired, only to meet its final misfortune near Alexandria Bay. Patterson’s return to American soil led to his arrest on charges brought by creditor H.W. Greene, who had provided canvas sails worth over $400 the previous year. Patterson was detained in Watertown, New York, as a foreign debtor, and plans were made to bring him to Oswego for examination.
Efforts were made to tow the Babineau & Gaudry to Kingston for repairs, but the lack of a completed dry dock complicated the process. The schooner was ultimately grounded again while en route to Detroit with a cargo of wood and was seized by Deputy Marshal Taylor to settle an unpaid tow bill of $30.
The Babineau & Gaudry had been intended to enter the British coastal trade for the winter after loading coal oil in Hamilton for Cork, Ireland. However, its troubled history and the fraudulent activities of its owner marred its legacy and underscored the perils of deceitful conduct in the maritime industry.
The sinking of the Babineau & Gaudry not only resulted in the loss of the vessel but also brought an end to William Patterson’s fraudulent schemes, leaving a lasting mark on maritime records.
References and Links:
- Oswego Palladium, September 30, 1876.
- Oswego Palladium, October 21, 1876.
- Cleveland Herald, October 6, 1876.
- Board of Lake Underwriters, Lake Vessel Register, 1877.
- List of Vessels on the Registry Books of the Dominion of Canada, December 31, 1886.
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Daniel Gildea’s St. Lawrence Shipwreck File
- Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
