Updated 29 April 2020 Location 35 Miles Northwest of Oswego New York, Located by the US Geological Survey who conducted a submersible dive on the wreck at a depth of 631 Feet and filmed the discovery.
On November 30, 1875, concerns grew over the fate of the schooner J.G. Jenkins, which had departed from the Welland Canal on its way to Oswego with a cargo of wheat from Milwaukee. The vessel had not been heard from since its departure, and it was feared that it had foundered in a recent gale, resulting in the loss of all crew members on board. Meanwhile, the schooner Blanche, carrying wheat from Wellington Square to Oswego, had run aground at Pultneyville, New York.
The Toronto Daily Globe provided information about the crew members on board the Jenkins. The crew included Captain John Brown, first mate Samuel McDonald, second mate John Smith, seamen William Bosner, Hugh Doran, Charles Chetney, Archie McCullom, cook Jennie Williams, and passengers John Stewart and James Oats. It was noted that Chetney and McCollum were relatively new to the crew, with Chetney hailing from the French settlement above Sheldon’s Point and McCullom being a recent arrival from overseas.
Unfortunately, it was later confirmed in the Oswego Palladium on December 6, 1875, that the J.G. Jenkins had indeed foundered in a gale about three miles from Oswego. Tragically, all crew members on board had lost their lives. Some debris from the vessel, including one of the cabin doors, had washed ashore. The Jenkins was insured for $8,000, and its cargo was insured for $26,000.
In subsequent years, there were indications that other vessels had encountered potential wreckage from the Jenkins. A letter from Captain Peter Cronley of the schooner John T. Mott, dated August 21, 1876, mentioned that his vessel’s centerboard struck an object resembling a mast of a vessel near Ford’s Shoals. The crew believed it could be the wreck of the ill-fated Jenkins. Another incident involving the schooner Ella Murton, reported on August 28, 1876, described a similar encounter with an obstruction thought to be the wreckage of the Jenkins.
The vessel’s demise was further documented in the MVUS (Merchant Vessels of the United States), which listed the Isaac G. Jenkins as having foundered in 1876. The schooner had a history of being based in Oswego, New York, and its official number was 100078.
The tragic loss of the J.G. Jenkins serves as a reminder of the perils faced by sailors and vessels during severe weather conditions on Lake Ontario in the late 19th century.
Additional history
J.G. Jenkins foundered in a gale on Lake Ontario. The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 30, 1875, near Oswego, New York. The vessel was carrying wheat from Milwaukee to Oswego. Tragically, all nine individuals on board, including the captain, crew members, and a woman cook, were lost.
There were subsequent reports and speculations about vessels encountering obstructions and suggesting that the wreck of the Jenkins might have been the cause. These reports mention incidents involving other ships striking objects or encountering obstacles in the vicinity of where the Jenkins was believed to have foundered.
The information you provided includes details about the crew members, the insurance coverage of the vessel and its cargo, as well as references to other ships potentially encountering the wreck or its remnants in subsequent years.
It’s important to note that the information provided is based on historical records and newspaper excerpts from 1875 to 1878. For more comprehensive and accurate information about the incident and the fate of the Jenkins, further research into historical archives and maritime records from that time period would be necessary.
