The Wexford: Elusive Shipwreck of the Great Storm, 1913
...the standard by which other shipwreck accounts will be judged. Carroll has demonstrated his love of history and the Great Lakes... and has shown high respect for the sailors lost...-Don Bamford, Marine Historian & Author...something for everyone, appealing to history buffs, boaters and sailors, and anyone who enjoys a well-told story.--Carolyn Parks-Mintz, Journalist, Goderich Signal-Star"The Wexford ... has something for everyone, appealing to history buffs, boaters and sailors, and anyone who enjoys a well-told story."(Carolyn Parks-MintzSignal-Star)Paul Carroll leaves no stone unturned the book serves as an ideal primer for the Great Storm itself.(The Waterloo Region Record)The steamerWexford, with her flared bow, tall masts, and her open, canvas-sided hurricane deck, charmed spectators as she carried cargo across the Great Lakes. The romance and adventure of her British and French history in the South American trade followed her. Under newly appointed 24-year-old captain Bruce Cameron, her fateful final voyage was punctuated with opportunities to be saved from destruction , but his persistence in trying to make port at Goderich led to tragedy - a victim of the storm of 1913. Over a period of 87 years, she eluded many efforts to locate her remains, but was finally discovered in 2000 by a sailor using a fish-finding device. Since then, she has been visited by thousands, but sadly plundered. Our story traces her history from her British origins in 1883, through the transition to become a "Laker," the eventful storm, the search, and her ultimate discovery in southern Lake Huron, and the controversy over how she should be protected.It is an interesting and well documented story of the ship's disappearance."(Skip GillhamThorold Niagara News)"The Wexford (the book) is both an exciting story of shipwreck exploration and a timely examination of issues surrounding maritime and underwater cultural heritage. It clearly shows Paul Carrolls passion for maritime history and would make an excellent addition to the libraries of shipwreck enthusiasts."(Ontario History magazine)