Lake Sailor of 58 Years, Retires From Service

Oswego, March 16. - Capt. Dan Hourigan of this city, for 58 years a sailor and master of vessels on the Great Lakes and for the past 32 years master of the finest steamships on Lake Ontario, brought out and operated by the George Hall Company of Ogdensburg, has retired from the active duties of sailing and is now spending his time with is family and friends in this city.

Captain Hourigan was born in Oswego 76 years ago and at the age of 11, after an apprenticeship on a ferry boat on the St. Lawrence river, began his career on the old "windjammers" of the day that plied the great inland waterways. Both he and his brother, the late Matt Hourigan, followed the lakes as a career. He was known in every port and was the commodore of the Hall fleet until his retirement. He was the first master of the schooner Ada Medora, a small vessel, and then went into the steamer Alvin J. Turner, followed by the Sophia J. Luff, one of the old Oswego fleet, in which many a man afterwards served his apprenticeship before the mast. The Walter H. Oades and Trinidad came in order, and in 1873 Captain Hourigan went on the Henry W. Sage, one the finest fore-and-aft schooners on fresh water.

Commanded Many Boats

When the Leadville was built for M.J. Cummings, Captain Hourigan was assigned to sail her, and he then went into the Mystic Star, one of the famous boats of the Cummings fleet. Thirty-two years ago, when the George Hall Company decided to go in for modern lake steamers and purchased the steamer Arctic, Captain Hourigan because of his ripe experience and fine ability as a sailor was called to the command. Later he went into the Hecla, the second of the Hall steamers.

The John C. Howard then came out new, one of the finest boats of her day on the lakes, and Captain Dan was placed in command. He followed after in the John Rugee, and then was placed in command of the Adrian Iselin, the last of the Hall fleet to be built. Last fall the Iselin was taken over by the United States government and was sent to salt water, where she is now in commission. She was one of the finest steamers ever built for the trade on Lake Ontario, completely fitted and equipped.

First to Run St. Lawrence

Captain Hourigan was the first master of steamers to be permitted to run the St. Lawrence river at night by the insurance companies and it is his proud boast that he never met, in all the years on the lakes, with a serious accident or lost a ship or man. In 1892, when the Spanish caravels, Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina, were sent by way of the lakes to the World's Fair at Chicago, Captain Hourigan was assigned the duty of towing them from Ogdensburg with the steamer Hecla.

The caravels were in command of Captain Conchez, afterwards commander of one of the Spanish ships sunk by the American fleet at Santiago. All along the route, in every port at which they stopped, they were accorded receptions and received many honors.

The record of Captain Hourigan is a most remarkable one among marine men of the lakes. The schooner Leadville, which he brought out in 1879, was the last of the canal schooners built at this port. When she reached the Welland canal she was found to be a few inches too wide for the locks and it was necessary to take her wales off to permit of her passage. When the steamer Howard came out Captain Hourigan was her first master. She has been on the Pacific coast for several years and is now in the Melville Dollar Line.

Never Lost Boat or Man

More than half a century of sailing without a serious incident or having lost a man or boat is something to look back to with pride and his services were greatly appreciated by boat owners. Of pleasant personality, he has always been a favorite with his acquaintances and has friends in almost every port of the lakes from Ogdensburg to Duluth.

During his earlier years he took an interest in politic and from 1882 to 1884 represented the First Ward on the Board of Supervisors of the county, serving on many important committees. He is an honorary member of the Ship Masters' Association of the Great Lakes, Oswego Council 227, Knights of Columbus, and Branch No. 140 of the C.M.B.A. and Oswego Lodge 271, B.P.O.E. His health is excellent and his friends hope that he may live for many years to come.