JOHN MARSHALL

In October 1844, a severe gale affected Lake Ontario, resulting in various incidents involving steamers and ships:

The steamer ONEIDA, under the command of Captain Childs, attempted to reach the harbor but was unable to do so due to the strong winds. The ship was forced to retreat to Sackets Harbor. The ONEIDA eventually returned to the harbor with no major damage reported.
The steamer St. LAWRENCE, captained by Captain Van Cleve, encountered dangerous conditions during its journey down the lake. Despite the challenges, it managed to reach the harbor safely around 11 o’clock on a Saturday.
The steamer JOHN MARSHALL, carrying emigrants from Kingston to a port, was driven ashore near Stoney Point. Fortunately, no lives were lost in this incident.
The steamer LADY OF THE LAKE, previously reported as being ashore at Ogdensburgh, managed to get back afloat and arrived at a different port with minimal damage.
Unfortunately, the steamer JOHN MARSHALL, which went ashore near Stoney Point, ended up being wrecked and considered a total loss.
The schooner PACIFIC, hailing from Oswego, suffered damage while at Huron in Lake Erie. It was lost along with its cargo of 250 barrels of salt.
Another schooner named HANNAH, also from Oswego, was wrecked on the Canadian shore of the Detroit River near Malden. A portion of its cargo was saved, and the vessel’s rigging was salvaged.
While there were other incidents and losses, the propellers on Lake Ontario managed to escape without any significant accidents or losses during the gale.

These events illustrate the impact of the severe gale on maritime traffic and vessels during that time in Lake Ontario and its surrounding areas

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