ADVENTURE was a steam barge built by John Davenna in Kingston in 1887. It had a registered tonnage of 156 tons and measured 102 feet and 8/10ths in length, 23 feet and 3/10ths in breadth, and 6 feet and 9/10ths in depth. The vessel had a round stern, a carvel-built hull, and a single deck. It was equipped with an engine room measuring 29 feet and 9/10ths and weighing 48 tons. John Devana was the owner and master of the ADVENTURE.
On October 13, 1885, a mishap occurred during a journey from Kingston to Montreal. The tug TRAVELLER, captained by J. Sullivan, was towing the barges BEAUPORT and ADVENTURE when the tow lines broke near Cardinal. The BEAUPORT ended up stranded in Gallop Rapids, while the ADVENTURE suffered more severe damage, sinking in the river near Sparrowhawk Point. The captain of the ADVENTURE, named Pregent, his wife, who served as the cook on board, and the crew of three Frenchmen were unsure of their safety at the time of the incident. Unfortunately, the vessel sank quickly.
Fortunately, the crew of the ADVENTURE managed to board the BEAUPORT before their own barge sank. Captain Edmond and his crew of four, along with a cook and three children, skillfully handled the BEAUPORT, and they all made it to safety. The ADVENTURE, which had undergone repairs the previous year at a cost of $2,500, was valued at $6,000.
Efforts were made to locate the wreck of the ADVENTURE. M.J. Calvin, the Marine Inspector of the Continental Insurance Co. of New York, was dispatched to Cardinal to determine the precise location of the sunken barge. The vessel remained undisturbed in the Gallop Rapids for the remainder of the year.
In the end, the ADVENTURE was declared a total loss. The Cleveland Leader reported it as a loss with a value of $7,000. The Department of Marine and Fisheries also recorded the sinking, stating that the ADVENTURE, with a registered tonnage of 129 tons, struck a rock in the Gallops Rapids, resulting in its sinking on October 13, 1885. The hull was valued at $6,000, and the cargo on board, consisting of wheat, had an insured value of $7,420.
The ADVENTURE’s final records indicate that it was a steam barge originally built in 1873 at Dog Lake, Ontario, by Joseph Keeler. It had an official Canadian number of 88575 and underwent rebuilding as a barge in 1884. Sadly, its wreck in the St. Lawrence River in October 1885 marked the end of its seafaring days. The ADVENTURE had a tonnage of 160 tons and measured 103 feet in length, 23 feet in breadth, and 7 feet in depth.
Regenerate response
