How EUROPE came to Collingwood: Schooner Days MXXVI (1026)

by C. H. J. Snider

BEFORE us is an ancient marine protest, sworn before George Moberly, justice of the peace, in Collingwood almost a century ago. It depicts the tribulations of the brigantine or topsail schooner Europe, "of the port of Toronto, Canada West" on a lake passage about this time of year in 1855. The Europe, built at Fairport, Ohio, in, 1844, was of 110 ft. length, 25 ft. 5 in. beam and 9 ft. 3 1/2 in. depth of hold—they were particular to the last half inch in customs measurements—and she registered 234 tons American and 176 Canadian. She had just changed ownership, on Aug. 31, 1855, and brought Collingwood its first cargo of coal, from Cleveland.

Hugh McTavish was her Canadian master and Alex Currie her mate, both Collingwood men. These deponents thus described before the magistrate their stormy passage from Chicago laden With beef in barrels for Collingwood:

"Left Chicago Nov. 6th. At the time of our departure the wind was blowing from the southwest, a light wind and fair. It continued thus and moderate until we passed the Straits of Mackinaw on Saturday.

TOUGH WEEKEND

"On Saturday night, the 10th, at about midnight the wind hauled round to the northeast and blew very fresh, and continued to blow fresh until Sunday at noon, when the wind hauled round to the southeast, and blew very heavily until Monday at noon. During this time we were forced to keep the vessel hove to, from Sunday noon till Monday noon." Twenty-four hours, diving up and down on bursting billows, making no progress, in fact being forced backward.

"The wind then hauled round to the northwest and blew a regular gale, being-dead aft, with no shelter to run for we had to run before it Monday afternoon.

"The sea at that time was getting up very quickly, having a long sweep of the lake behind us. The sea Shortly became so heavy that it carried away our gangways, part of the bulwarks and some of the stanchions, causing us to lose and damage part of our deckload of beef in barrels.

SEAS INTO THE SAILS

"About the same time, the sea making breaches over the schooner, we carried away the topping lift, mainboom and main sheet; also the triatic stay (between the masts), topmast backstay and jibstay, and foreboom topping lift. The sea was washing into the foot of the mainsail at the time the mainboom topping lift parted." With booms slashing about uncontrolled by lift or sheet, and the other damage to her rigging, her masts were in imminent danger. However ...

"It blew thus until Tuesday, when we ran under the Isle of Coves (modern Cove Island at the entrance to Georgian Bay) into smooth water, where we were enabled to put the rigging in such order as to run to our destination, the port of Collingwood, where we arrived without further loss or disaster on Wednesday morning, the 14th day of November, at about half past ten of the clock.

"And further these deponents say not."

The photograph above showing the Europe at Collingwood was secured by the late Capt. James McCannel. It must be one of the earliest taken in the harbor and is so faded that the only thing definite in it is the old red elevator and the name of the Lady Elgin. Staff artist Vic Childs made a great job of bringing it to life.

Schooner EUROPE at Collingwood, about 1855—a very ancient photograph, certainly over 91 years old, for the steamer LADY ELGIN, shown with the bridge-like arches which strengthened her, was lost in Lake Michigan Sept. 8, 1860, with 300 passengers.