On This Day: July 20

On This Day: July 20

1875 The scow DIXIE burned during the night while lying at Kenyon’s dock in East China Township on the St. Clair River. 1877 At the end of June 1877, the ferry MYRTLE began running between Port Huron and Sarnia. However, on this date, The Port Huron Times...
On This Day: July 19

On This Day: July 19

1831 The wooden schooner HENRY CLAY was carrying 800 barrels of salt and passengers from Oswego, New York, to the Welland Canal on her maiden voyage when she capsized in a squall and sank about 10 miles off Port Dalhousie, Ontario, on Lake Ontario. About 11 persons...
On This Day: July 18

On This Day: July 18

1858 ANDROMEDA (two-mast wooden schooner, 112 feet, 568 tons, built in 1848 at Madison Dock, Ohio) was carrying 800 barrels of salt from Oswego to Chicago. She sprang a leak suddenly and foundered 20 miles from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The crew escaped in her boat, many...
On This Day: July 17

On This Day: July 17

1856 TINTO (wooden propeller, 135 feet, built in 1855–1856 at Sorel, Quebec) caught fire and burned to a total loss only 2 miles from shore. She was between Snake Island and Nine Mile Point on Lake Ontario. 18 lives were lost. The survivors jumped into the water and...
On This Day: July 16

On This Day: July 16

1861 CATARACT (wooden propeller, 15 feet, 352 tons, built in 1852 at Buffalo) caught fire 5 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania. She became an inferno astern in just a few minutes, and this prevented her boats from being launched. Four died. Some were saved by clinging to...