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scheduled for the 29 May 1909. On the evening of the 28 May, a chartered Pullman car was included in the consist of the regular night train to Detroit and the occupants were: Mrs. R. O. MacKay, who was to officiate at the launching. Mrs. Hewson, Mr. & Mrs. Jas. Gow, A. B. MacKay, W. G. Walton, John Milne, J. P. Steedman, A. Hope, J. F. Kavanagh, L. W. Bull, Geo. Spencer, F. A. Magee, and two men from Toronto, C. H. F. Plummer and A. Angstrom. The next day, under perfect weather conditions, a highly successful launch took place, as the STADACONA took the plunge into the river. She measured 479.0 x 56.0 x 31.0; 6,014 Gross and 4,654 Net. She was Hull No. 66 and her official number was US206419. Her triple expansion engine 22 1/2/36/61x42 was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works and she had two Scotch boilers 14'2" x 12'0" supplied by the Marine Boiler Works at Toledo. The owners of the STADACONA were the Stadacona Steamship Co., Michigan City, Indiana, until 1920, when she was purchased by the Pioneer Steamship Co., Cleveland and renamed W. H. McGEAN. These owners sold her in 1962 to the Ford Motor Co. and she became the ROBERT S. McNAMARA. She was delivered to Shipbreakers in Santander, Spain, on the 11 January 1974. As for the rest of the steamers in the Inland Navigation Co. Ltd. fleet, all were taken over in 1910 by James Playfair, of Midland who added them to his own vessels and incorporated the Inland Lines Ltd which became a part of Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., in 1913. 77 The final disposition of each of the former MacKay vessels is as follows: STRATHCONA #110354 - sunk by torpedo, 3 April 1917 DONNACONA #110363 - lost at sea 17 October 1915 WAHCONDAH #102577 - believed to have been broken up in Mexico, 1969. NEEPAWAH #102579 - sunk by enemy action 22 April 1917 GLENELLAH #112205 - broken up at Hamilton 1961 WINONA #122851 - total loss by stranding, 7 Sept. 1956, Philippines. DUNDEE #112208 - sunk by torpedo, 2 Feb. 1917 DUNELM #123950 - lost at sea October 1915 ROSEDALE #95265 - lost by collision, N. Atlantic, 8 Apr. 1919 STADACONA #206419 - broken up in Spain 1974. · The partnership of R. O. & A. B. MacKay existed until the senior member retired in 1911, and during this time they maintained an office on the 7th floor of the Bank of Hamilton Building. Robert Osborne MacKay had very little time left in which to enjoy retirement. He passed away on the 25 January 1913 and we quote from the lengthy obituary carried by the Hamilton Spectator on 27 January: "Deceased was known throughout Canada as a shrewd business-man and being of a genial disposition, he made many friends among those with whom he came into contact. He was married three times, his first wife being Miss Turner, of Durham, England; his second, Miss White a sister of Dr. James White of this city and his third wife, who survives him, Miss Bull, of Brampton, In addition, he leaves two brothers Aeneas D., of London. England and Adam B. of Hamilton, and one sister, Mrs. Turner, of London, England. He was a Presbyterian by religion, and a staunch Conservative in politics. " A news item of local interest appeared in the papers on the 16 March 1914, stating that Adam B. MacKay and his buddy Jas. N. Gow were being charged with immorality. It seems that the authorities regarded their selection of young nocturnal play-mates was -53-