In the year 1849, a vessel named the HENRY CLAY was crafted at the shipyards of Ruggles & Shupe in Milan, Ohio. A propeller made from wood, designed as a package freighter, it bore the potential for prosperity and the promise of safe passage across the waters of Lake Erie.
A Stormy End
With dimensions of 134 feet in length, 23 feet in width, and 11 feet in depth, the HENRY CLAY was a substantial vessel with a tonnage of 316. As it set sail on its ill-fated voyage, carrying baled wool and passengers, it faced a cruel twist of fate. On October 25 or 27, 1851, near the tip of Long Point on Lake Erie, the vessel encountered a storm of unforgiving magnitude.
A Desperate Battle
The storm unleashed its wrath upon the HENRY CLAY, causing its cargo to shift within the vessel. As the vessel heeled over in the violent gales, the cargo’s weight proved too much to bear. The HENRY CLAY struggled valiantly, but the shifting cargo led to its ultimate doom. The vessel broke apart and sank beneath the turbulent waves, taking with it the lives of 16 to 19 individuals. One newspaper source even suggested that 30 souls were lost, among them 29 crew members and a woman passenger.
The Survivor’s Tale
Amid the chaos and destruction, a single survivor emerged from the wreckage. David Keefe, a deck hand aboard the vessel, recounted the harrowing events that transpired that night. He described how the vessel broached to in the storm, how Captain George Callard and a female passenger were lashed to the rigging, and how the crew clung desperately to any available foothold. As the vessel rolled and pitched, its deck and cabins detached and floated away, leaving those lashed to the rigging at the mercy of the stormy sea.
A Glimpse of Hope and Tragic Loss
Despite the heroism displayed by Captain Callard, who struggled to save the female passenger, and the crew’s efforts to survive, the forces of nature proved overwhelming. Only David Keefe managed to catch a rope thrown by a passing vessel, the brig JOHN MARTIN, and was towed to safety. The others were lost to the raging waters, leaving a tale of tragedy and heartache in their wake.
Enduring Legacy
The loss of the propeller HENRY CLAY stands as a somber reminder of the dangers that sailors and vessels faced on the unpredictable waters of Lake Erie. The vessel’s cargo of baled wool and passengers, its determined crew, and the valiant efforts of Captain Callard all met a tragic end at the hands of the storm. The HENRY CLAY became a symbol of the fragility of human endeavor when confronted with the overwhelming power of nature’s fury.
