OTTOCA

According to the Buffalo Daily Republic on October 26, 1860, the scow named Ottoca encountered an unfortunate incident. The scow struck the wreck of the propeller Mount Vernon near Point au Pelee and subsequently sank in five fathoms of water. This information was received through a telegraph from Detroit.

The Buffalo Daily Republic on October 29, 1860, provided further details regarding the wreck of the Mount Vernon. The Detroit Advertiser reported that the hull of the exploded propeller Mount Vernon was located at S. 3/4 W., three-fourths of a mile from the “Dummy” or mainland, near Point au Pelee Light. A buoy was placed to mark the wreck’s position. The crew member at the wheel of the scow Ottoca confirmed this information, but due to the other men being below deck, he did not pay proper heed to the buoy for some reason.

Additional historical information about the scow Ottoca indicates that it was enrolled in Buffalo, New York, on July 8, 1854. In October of the same year, new arches were installed by Bidwell & Banta to replace the previous ones, which had suffered storm-related stress. The scow operated on the Buffalo-Huron-Sandusky-Toledo Line. In May 1855, it became part of the People’s Line. On October 12, 1855, a collision occurred between the Ottoca and the brig Greyhound near Fox Island in Lake Michigan. In December 1856, the scow experienced machinery damage during a gale in Lake Erie but was subsequently repaired in Buffalo. The Western Transportation Co. operated the scow in 1857. In 1860, it ran on the Buffalo-Cleveland-Chicago Line and the North Shore Line. Unfortunately, on October 9, 1860, the scow Ottoca suffered a boiler explosion.