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The MARY WARD, a 129-foot wooden steamer, was built in 1865 in Montreal. Originally, it operated between Montreal and Chicago, transporting goods and passengers across the Great Lakes. In 1872, a group from Owen Sound purchased the vessel and put it into service on the Georgian Bay to Lake Superior route.
On November 22, 1872, the MARY WARD departed from Sarnia with a cargo of passengers, acid, salt, and kerosene, heading for Collingwood, its new winter port. However, due to adverse weather conditions, the ship was delayed. On November 24, 1872, the MARY WARD left Tobermory en route to Owen Sound to pick up additional passengers who were planning to travel to Collingwood.
Tragically, a catastrophe occurred that remained shrouded in mystery for over a century. There are several theories surrounding the cause of the incident. Some suggest that the Captain may have mistaken the lights at the Craigleith tavern for the entrance to Collingwood harbor. Others propose that the Captain lacked familiarity with the waters in that particular area. Another theory suggests that a bank of fog, caused by warm air passing over the cooler waters of Georgian Bay, may have obscured the ship’s navigation.
Regardless of the cause, that night the ship veered off course and struck Miligan’s Reef, grounding itself on the rocks approximately 2 kilometers from the shore. The incident resulted in a significant loss as the vessel became stranded and unable to continue its journey.
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