The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-03-03


Matters Connected with the Lake
Fleet.
Capt H. ". Hall, marine reporter at
Detroit has just made up a complete report
Of The Navigation Of 1869 on the west
ern lakes, shoTing the disasters, with the
loss OF property, vessels bought and sold,
new vessels, their tonnage, etc. The work
i. interesting to all In his Introductory
Capt. Hall says:
There are upon the wsstern lakes, l2t
side wheel steamers; I40 propelers 247
tugs; l.5 barks; 50 hrigs; 9V4 schooners,
and 223 scn,g>; total OF /, 500 The total
r.,uatiuu of property lest by the disasters
/, of 1869 amount to $l,4Si, 800, whish con-
stitute the total losses, and not including
the repairs Of damages su,talned by yes
sels throughout the season. The statements
were very slightly from the exact date aud
figures, but in no case does II wander frcm
the records as is given out through the
press. SO far as We have been enabled to
CLEAN them. The name Of the FIST steam-
boat built on this side OF the Atlantic, and
within the precincts Of the United States,
was the 'Clerment, built BY Robert Fulton,
near HurIgate, y. Y, 1877; she had fat
bottom; 40 feet long; drew 22 inches Of
water, and made about SIX knots an hour
The first steamer built on the western
lakes, as is pretty generally known, was the
ak in tho Water, which made her first
voyage in 1918, and was built at lower
Black Rock, y Y. The first vessel was
called the Griffin. and was built at Erie,
on Lake Erie, 1919, ~ and the frst on
Lake Ontario was the 'Jemma,' buils at
Hanford' Landing, and was commanded
by Capt. John Fellows, who navigated the
lake upward OF so yoals, and died at For
Erie, opposite But4lo, i'll 1886. The era
of lake commerce properly dates back to
lSl6, shortly after the war of Is ,, previous
to which period there We're but few vessels
aioat, aud but little done in that line !"
OF the season Of 1869, the author says
! The season just closed has been far
more disastrous to the lake shipping than
any previous record, and exceeding those
OF any other by $50. During the season,
there were variously employed on the
whole chain OF lakes, l2l side wheel steam
| ers, l4U prOpei!ers, 241 tugs, l75 barks, 50
! brlgs, 9U4 scho0ners, and 223 scows-mak
Ing a grand total Of craft on the western
waters OF 1860. OF this number, l3S had
! passed cat of existence at the close of the
season, with an aggregate loss of tonnage
| amounung to SO, 920 tons. There were
commissioned during the season, e. new
vessels, with an aggregate tonnage amount
! ing to 10 293 tons-thus showing de-
crease tor the year of II ,627 tons. The
number of vessel sales which took place
amounted TO somewhere near, 325, so far
as the records show"
Or the deaths which occurred on the
lakes during the season, of 1866, the follow
/ Ing mention is made:
Tie statement of the fatalities attend
ing marine disasters on the western lakes
and connecting waters during the past sea
sou, together with a memoranda of the
deaths OF prominent mariners and Others
I during the same period show the total
nuneer to be 2i9, decrease from 1868 of
81. Of these enumerated, it would appear
that no les. til IN nine were killed by a fall
from the masthe ad, hile engaged IN almost
every Instance in coming up, with the tri-
ante stay and stripped the vessel to a
gauutling. This is caused by easing up
the parts of a lanyard, without any
: Ill. I'll. acLi- .. a. hand Two hundred
and four instances took place Of drowning
/ iHc.uuluS Lne enllie crews OF nV3 different
vessels. Twelve seamcn were killed acci
! dentaly while ashore, aud Il died from
natural causes. Beyond doubt, many of
those recorded as drowned might easily
have been rescued b. the proper app iances
| at hand-that Of life -preseryer-w which
should be carried on board Of every vessel.
, But few have them, however. 1t is pain>
tul to notice in the list the numerous 'un,
knowns who have met with watery graves;
but, OF their origin, nothing is known. II
should be the plain duty OF every master of
vessel TO record the name Of every sailor
shipped on board the vessel Several, it
will be seen, have died Of exposure; while
two seamen, who unfortunately left their
ship one night to go on a lark at lower
lake port, get pat In the lock up and were
burned to death by the destruction o! the
institution during he night.