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Telescope 83 The SENECA EDITOR'S NOTE: Institute Member, William A. McDonald has a private archive of information which rivals the holdings of many professional institutions. TELESCOPE welcomes the opportunity to bring some of the "gems" of his collection to it's readers. In submitting this excerpt from an old newspaper account, Mr. McDonald adds the following pertinent information: "The account of the boiler explosion on board the SENECA was sent to me together with some other items pertaining to steamboating in the 1850's at Ontonagon, Michigan by the Honorable Charles Williams, Judge of Probate and Juvenile Court at Ontonagon. The steam propeller SENECA, US 22559, 105 tons register, was built at Geneva, N. Y. in 1853. First enrollment was recorded at Buffalo, N. Y. in 1857. About that time the vessel went to Ontonagon and was employed in carrying passengers and freight up river to the location of several copper mines that were heavy producers there in the 1850's and 60's. In 1872 I find notation that the SENECA was sold to aliens, which undoubtedly means to Canadians. I have been unable to find any further reference to her later career. It might also be pertinent to offer an explanation of the phrase "best of Wyandotte". The reference here is to the product of the Eureka Iron and Steel Company, located at Wyandotte, Michigan. This plant was organized in 1853 by Captain Eber Brock vVard, who was one of Michigan's most prominent capitalists in those days. Captain Ward was a shipbuilder and ship owner and was engaged in many other industrial enterprises. At his Wyandotte mill he installed a Bessemer Converter, and in 1864, made the first Bess" emer Steel manufactured in America. This was the steel that had been used to repair the boiler of the SENECA". --W.A.McD. ANOTHER BOILER EXPLOSION from Lake Superior Miner - October 15, 1864 Another terrible boiler explosion, attended with probably fatal consequences, occurred this morning, about 8 o'clock, on board the propeller SENECA, lying at the foot of Orleans Street. The boat has been at dock under-going repairs to her boiler for the past two months, and this was the first attempt to get up steam, preparatory to moving down to one of the lower docks to load for Ontonagon. When about 30 lbs. had been generated, one of the lower flues, which had not been braced, was blown out with terrific violence. The Captain and fireman were in the hold at the time the accident occurred. The former was sitting upon a small block near the entrance to the furnace, the fireman was engaged in tightening up one of the hand holes a short distance from him. A dense volume of steam poured from the aperture blown open, and struck the Captain full in the face. In an instant the hold was filled with steam, and the deepest concern