C80877 ROBERT GASKIN

• Lake Barge
• 132ft Lengths
• 60ffw 20m
• Brockville, St. Lawrence River
• N44 35 358 W75 40 625

On November 9, 1889, another misfortune befell the wrecking schooner R. Gaskin in Brockville. The schooner, which had sunk beside the steamer Armstrong, was being raised when the hose supplying air from the compressor to the lifting pontoon burst. Despite attempts by two tugs to move her into shallow water, the Gaskin settled back down. The efforts to raise the Armstrong had been plagued by a series of misfortunes.

However, on November 24, 1889, there was some progress reported. The barge Gaskin had been raised and towed to Brockville, while work on the steamer Armstrong was continuing as quickly as possible.

In a previous incident on September 18, 1889, the wrecking schooner Gaskin, which was being used in the salvage operation of the sunken steamer Armstrong, encountered a major setback. As additional pontoons were being sunk to aid in bringing up the wrecked steamer, one of the pontoons suddenly came to the surface with great force, striking and wrecking the Gaskin. The schooner suffered significant damage, and the force of the impact caused her to sink rapidly. The crew on board had little time to escape and had to jump onto the nearby tug McArthur.

The loss of the Gaskin was a substantial one for Mr. Leslie, who was overseeing the salvage operation, as all the wrecking equipment, pumps, and diving gear were on board and went down with the schooner. The crew members also lost their belongings in the sinking. It is believed that the Gaskin likely settled down on or next to the Armstrong due to the manner in which it sank.

At the time of reporting, it was uncertain whether any attempts would be made to raise the Gaskin itself, but there were plans to recover the valuable salvage equipment and machinery from the sunken vessel. The Gaskin had a history dating back to 1863 when it was built in Kingston, Ontario, and owned by S. Fraser. Over the years, it had undergone repairs, refitting, and changes in ownership. In 1886, it was rebuilt as a barge. However, the incidents in 1889 led to its sinking and subsequent abandonment in the St. Lawrence River near Brockville, Ontario.

3D Model by Christian Remillard

Photo Gallery 2022cc Matthew Charlesworth #

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Photo Gallery 2010cc Tom Rutledge #

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