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Ancestry Magazine
1/1/2003 - Archive
| January/February 2003 |
Vol. 21 No. 1 |
Ship Wrecks on the Great Lakes
I started from East Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, on the 6th day of December, 1825, with my pack on my back, bound for the territory of Michigan, with one hundred and fourteen dollars in bank bills in my pocket. I bent my course towards ‘the west’ by way of Buffalo, where I arrived on the 8th at evening. Here I found a young man by the name of Gates, who persuaded me to take passage on board of a small schooner named Good Intent, which was to start for Detroit the next morning at nine o’clock. I went on board and asked the amount of fare, but did not yet pay for my passage. I soon began to feel that I was not in the right place; it seemed as though I was compelled by some power unknown to me to leave that vessel. When the captain came on board and gave the order to "shove off," my pack went onto my back, I ran across the deck, feeling as if I was propelled by the power of a hundred men, and leaped for terra firma.
I crossed the river at Black Rock and put up at a tavern near the battle ground, in Chippewa. There was a terrible storm that night; the wind blew a perfect gale. The next morning the Good Intent was found in Buffalo, but not a live man on board. Thanks to heaven and my good legs, I was safe in Canada.1
–A. B. Markham
The five lakes that comprise the Great Lakes border eight states and two Canadian provinces, with a total coastline of 10,900 miles. As far as routes go, once the Erie Canal opened in 1825, a person could travel from New York to Wisconsin Territory without touching land. This new route to the West saved thousands of people many days of hard, treacherous travel. But the new route came with a price–the unpredictability of the Great Lakes.
The Good Intent was not the first recorded ship to go down in the Great Lakes, but it was an apparent victim of the same volatile weather patterns that have ultimately claimed the lives of thousands of sailors and passengers. (Particularly in November, shipping and transit on the lakes is disastrous due to the drop in air temperatures that result in legendary gales.) How do you go about finding information on the loss of the Good Intent–or any other ship for that matter? And if your ancestors had an adventure or mishap on the Great Lakes, how would you research the facts?
Search Online
In these days of increasingly faster Internet access, the place to start your records survey is your favorite search engine. If you know a ship’s name, type the name in quotes to get an exact match or try making the search even more specific (e.g.,"Schooner Good Intent"). The search for the Good Intent was narrow enough to bring up an article from The Republican Advocate Batavia of Genessee County, New York, printed 16 December 1825:
On Friday morning last, the schooner Good Intent came ashore in Buffalo Bay, below the Lighthouse, in a severe gale of wind; &, we regret to add, was totally lost with all hands and the entire cargo. She left this port on Thursday evening, with the Captain & three hands on board, (but no passengers,) laden with 140 barrels of salt ... The gale struck her off Dunkirk, while she was in company with several other vessels ... On Friday morning she was discovered aground near the shore ... Towards noon the gale so far abated that boats reached the wreck, but not a soul was left alive. The bodies of Capt. Talbot, Peter Dilts, and J. Lowe have been found and interred.2
In this case, the transcribed article confirms the story told by A. B. Markham, but you may not be so lucky. Perhaps you don’t know the name of the ship or the date of the mishap. If that’s the case, try to learn more about shipwrecks in the area by visiting one of the following websites:
Cyndi's List: Ships and Passenger Lists
Cyndi's List: Ships, Passenger & Crew Lists
Cyndi's List: Shipwrecks
Downward Bound
Great Lakes Shipwreck File
Great Lakes Passenger Lists
Researching Shipwrecks
Search the National Archives
If you have some information about the shipwreck, it may be time to visit the National Archives or one of its Regional Facilities. Six government agencies have been charged with keeping information about shipping disasters over the course of the past two centuries:
The Bureau of Lighthouses and its predecessors. An act of 7 August 1789 authorized the states to transfer lighthouses and sites to the Federal Government; the bureau was abolished in 1939 and the functions were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
The Revenue Cutter Service (RCS) and its predecessors. An act of 4 August 1790 authorized the revenue cutters to enforce customs laws as well as to suppress smuggling and to assist ships. The RCS merged with the Life Saving Service in 1915 to form the USCG.
The Life Saving Service (LSS). Established in 1871 to create life saving stations with surfboats and line-throwing devices to assist stranded sailors. The LSS merged with the RCS in 1915 to form the USCG.
The United States Coast Guard. Established in 1915 and by 1939 had acquired the functions of the three services listed above. Records for these four government agencies are all part of Record Group (RG) 26, USCG.
Customhouses and Collection Districts. An act of 31 July 1789 established the Customs Service. One of its responsibilities was to file wreck reports in their areas. These records are part of RG 36, U.S. Customs Service.
The Steamboat Inspection Service. An act of 30 August 1852 authorized the inspection of steam vessels and the appointment of inspectors. This service’s records fall under RG 41, Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation.
Before embarking on a visit to the National Archives to find records about a particular shipwreck, be sure to visit the Archives’ website to determine where the records you need are located. The Archives has many localized records stored at its regional facilities, and this is particularly true of the record groups listed above. The online guide to records is searchable online. If the records you seek are located at one of the regional repositories, that region’s location follows the record information (e.g., "Station wreck reports for lifesaving stations located at Bailey’s Harbor, WI, 1896-1919 (in Chicago); Barnegat, NJ, 1906-15 (in New York)," etc.). In the case of the Good Intent shipwreck, no records were found at NARA’s Northeast Region facility in New York City, probably because of the early time frame.
In order to demonstrate the types of records that might be found for a particular shipwreck, an example will be used of the collision between the propellor Empire State and the three-masted schooner Dunderburg, which occurred near Point aux Barques Reef in Lake Huron (near Saginaw Bay).
Late on the evening of 13 August 1868, the Dunderburg was traveling from Chicago to Buffalo and the Empire State was en route to Chicago when the two vessels collided. The Dunderburg sank almost immediately. One of the passengers onboard the Dunderburg, Emily Wilcox, wife of ship co-owner Orville Wilcox, drowned as a result of the collision.3
On 18 August 1868, the Secretary of the Treasury, Hugh McCullock, directed Supervising Inspector Alfred Guthrie of the 8th Supervising District of the Steamboat Inspection Service in Chicago to investigate the mishap and compile a report of his findings. The local board of inspectors in Detroit convened on 3 September and interviewed the officers of both ships. The findings indicated that the second mate of the Empire State was fully at fault in the collision as he "had charge of the propellor for several hours previous and up to within one minute of the collision." The inspectors determined that Longley’s actions were a result of negligence and unskillfulness and they revoked his pilot license. According to the report submitted by Guthrie to the Treasury Secretary on 1 October 1868, Longley was subsequently arrested, imprisoned, and charged with manslaughter for the death of Mrs. Wilcox. However, the Detroit courts released him because there was no law applicable as "the life was not lost on the vessel of which he was in charge." Guthrie felt so strongly that Longley should be held accountable that he included with his report a drawing of the positions of the ships before and after the collision.4
Because manslaughter is not a federal offense, no criminal proceedings pertaining to this case were found in the Admiralty case files, Records of the District Courts of the United States (RG 21). However, the Dunderberg had been carrying 14,510 bushels of corn worth $16,000 and the cargo was a total loss to the owners of the ship, who had the foresight to insure the cargo. The claim by Merchant’s Insurance Company of Chicago against the owners of the propeller Empire State is part of the Admiralty case files at the National Archives Regional Facility in Chicago.5
Search Newspapers
To round out the story of the collision between the Empire State and the Dunderberg, it was necessary to search contemporary local news accounts. Because this collision happened north of Detroit and the Federal and local proceedings were conducted in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press was checked. Researchers should exercise caution when finding accounts in contemporary newspapers because sometimes newspapers report the story inaccurately. Try first to locate original records such as those described above and then look to newspapers to verify the information and add details not found elsewhere.
The Dunderberg tragedy was first reported in the Detroit Free Press on 15 August 1868. It was this article that attracted the attention of the Secretary of the Treasury and instigated the federal investigation. The article reports the incident from the viewpoint of one of the six passengers and names those passengers, including Detroiter Mrs. O. Wilcox "whose body had not yet been recovered." On 18 August, the Free Press ran a second article about the collision, discussing the imprisonment of John Longley, the suit by the owners of the Dunderberg against the Empire State, and a third case against the first mate of the Empire State for resisting the U.S. Marshal sent to detain the ship when it left unexpectedly from the dry dock in Detroit. Ten days later, on 28 August, the Free Press ran another article about the outcome of the criminal case against John Longley. The judge’s decision to discharge the defendant is explained, based on the applicable legislation.6
If you are a descendant of Emily Wilcox, there is plenty of information available about the circumstances surrounding her death–if you look in the right places. Many shipwrecks do not spawn this much information, and some of the wreck reports available at the National Archives don’t even contain names of the victims. But you won’t know until you look.
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS, CGL, is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing and a frequent contributor to Ancestry Magazine.
Endnotes
1. A. B. Markham, "Early History of the Township of Plymouth," Pioneer Collections: Report of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan, Vol. 2 (Detroit: Wm. Graham’s Presses, 1880), 549-550.
2. Linda Schmidt, transcriber, "Melancholy Wreck," The Republican Advocate Batavia (16 December 1825), viewed 4 October 2002.
3. Death entry for Emily Wilcox, Genealogical Death Indexing System, viewed 7 October 2002.
4. Secretary of the Treasury, Collision of the Empire State & Dunderberg, August 18, 1868; Records Relating to Casualties, Violations of Law, and Changes in the Character of Vessels, 1877—1911; Headquarters Records of the Steamboat Inspection Service; Records of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, Record Group 41; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. The investigation is briefly mentioned in the Office of Local Inspectors of Steamboats’ annual report to Guthrie from Detroit, dated 1 October 1868. No new information is presented there.
5. The Merchants Insurance Company of Chicago vs. Propeller Empire State, Case #1163; U.S. District Court, Detroit General Case Files, 1846—1944; Records of the District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives and Records Administration–Great Lakes Region (Chicago).
6. "Another Lake Disaster: Steamer Empire State Collides with Schooner Dunderberg on Lake Huron," Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, 15 August 1868, page 1, column 4; "The Late Collision: Libel of the Propeller Empire State and Arrest of Some of Her Officers," Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, 18 August 1868, page 1, column 3; "The Dunderburg and Empire State Manslaughter Case–The Decision of Commissioner Wilkins," Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, 28 August 1868, page 1, column 2.
Although the seas were rough, the visibility was good on 10 March 1942, when the Gulf Oil tanker Gulftrade was passing just two or three miles off Barnegat Light, New Jersey. At approximately 12:40 a.m., she was hit midship by a German torpedo. Seven survivors who remained on the stern half and nine survivors in a lifeboat were taken aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Larch and Antietam. Sixteen men were missing.1
The Master, Torger Olsen, and W.M. Meloney, the radio operator, had their picture taken when they arrived at Staten Island after their rescue.2 Samuel A. Davis was not among the survivors. His file states he was born 25 June 1892 in the British West Indies and contains a picture, a description, and the name and address of his widow. 3
To round out the story, Captain Vogel of the German submarine, U588, states that he surfaced on 10 March and made for the coast, "sighted on course 340o large tanker of Canadolite type fully loaded; Sequential fire, Tubes 2 and 3, No detonation; Continued shadowing; Tube 1 fired, midship hit, tanker exploded and broke in two fore and aft sections separated." His "Attack Report for Surface Vessels and Submarines" gives the target as the Gulftrade (USA) Tanker.4
When Federal agencies are involved, a paper trail is created. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., as well as the Regional Archives throughout the country will have information in varying amounts, in a variety of record groups. Websites for the U.S. Coast Guard5 as well as websites for present-day scuba divers6 may contain pictures and links to other sites. Local newspapers, both where the event occurred and where the people lived, may give different details. The Beaumont, Texas, newspapers had pictures as well as the names of the survivors and names of men who lost their lives.7
–Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CGRS, CGL
Endnotes
1. Entry for the Gulftrade; 10th Fleet, ASW Analysis and Stat Section, Series XIII, Report and Analysis of U.S. and Allied Merchant Shipping Losses, 1941-1945; Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Record Group 38; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
2. "Safely Ashore After Torpedoing," New York Times (1857-Current file), New York, New York, 11 March 1942, page 6, columns 2 & 3
3. File for Sam Davis; A-1 Entry 426, Merchant Marine Deceased and War Casualty Seaman’s Records; Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, Record Group 26; National Archives, Washington, DC.
4. U-588 War Diary, Sixth U-Boat Flotilla, The German Naval High Command, Fleet Command; Records Relating to U-Boat Warfare, 1939-1945; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T1022, roll 3393); National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized, 1675-1983, Record Group 242; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. Homer E. Schott, CGRS, translator (2408 Wittington Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22308-4776). [Punctuation added].
5. U.S. Coast Guard History, viewed 7 September 2002.
6. New Jersey Scuba Diver, viewed 7 September 2002.
7. "Torpedoed Tanker Gulftrade and Portion of Her Crew," Beaumont Journal, Beaumont, Texas, 11 March 1942, page 1 columns 2-5.
The 24th of July, 1915 started off as a beautiful day in Chicago. Anticipating a wonderful cruise on Lake Michigan and a picnic in Michigan City, Indiana, men, women, and children associated with the Western Electric Company boarded the Eastland excursion steam vessel for a company outing. Preparing for a 7:30 a.m. departure, many danced as the orchestra played on the promenade deck. When the capacity of 2,500 passengers was reached at 7:10 a.m., boarding was discontinued.
Docked near Clark Street, the Eastland hadn’t even left the boarding pier when disaster struck. After several attempts to straighten the listing ship, at 7:28 a.m. the ship rolled over into the Chicago River, trapping hundreds of passengers below deck. Despite the heroic efforts of Chicago police and volunteers who formed a human chain in an effort to save people, the lives of 812 passengers were lost that day, including twenty-two entire families.
Legend has it that the crowds of passengers rushing to the port side to wave to friends caused the ship to roll over. Others contend that the crew emptied the ballast tanks to get more passengers onboard and in doing so, unbalanced a ship that was not seaworthy in the first place. Ironically, some studies suggest that the extra weight of lifeboats, made mandatory after the sinking of the Titanic three years before, contributed to the tragedy. For years, scientists, scholars, and courts have struggled to determine the cause of America’s worst maritime disaster.
Lawsuits over the Eastland disaster dragged on in courts for twenty years, thus creating reams of documents. Court exhibits include passenger lists, eye-witness accounts, ship’s drawings, and a number of amazing photographs. Federal indictments were filed against the operators of the Eastland, but they were ultimately found innocent, and in 1935, the United States Court of Appeals upheld the United States District Court’s decision that the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company was not liable for the deaths.
Details of the Eastland disaster can be found in federal records and in records of the Lifesaving Service at the National Archives—Great Lakes Region in Chicago.
–Loretto Dennis Szucs
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