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The CITY OF CONCORD - Part II (continued) Late in August of that same year, on the 26th, the CONCORD became disabled when the towline from her consort became entangled in the steamer's wheel. Both vessels were entering the St. Clair River when the problem arose. Unable to maneuver, the steamer became unmanageable as did her consort, the ARGONAUT. The tug HAND was able to get the steamer in tow but her consort ran aground at the lighhouse. The CITY OF CONCORD was taken to Port Huron where the line was cut out of her wheel. In the meantime, the ARGONAUT was released and both vessels continued on their way. Little more than a month later, fate caught up with the CITY OF CONCORD. On Saturday morning, September 29, the steamer, under the command of Captain Charles McEcheran, cleared Cleveland loaded with coal and bound for St. Clair, Michigan. When she cleared she had the barges MONTPELIER and DONALDSON in tow, similarly loaded and destined for the same port. In addition, a third barge, the NEGUANEE was to be picked up at Lorain, to complete the tow. This was accomplished and all four vessels were underway by 4:00 Saturday evening. The CONCORD and her consorts had not been underway for more than a few hours when a gale caught them west of Huron, Ohio. The steambarge and her consorts made little headway against the gale. At about 8:30 the CONCORD sprung a leak. Although the pumps were immediately started they were unable to keep up with the influx of water. The barges were cast off, but this did little to alleviate the problem. Soon the water reached the boilers and all hopes of saving the steamer were abandoned. Captain McEcheran ordered the yawl boat lowered and the crew to abandon the sinking craft. The yawl was cleared from the steamer, but two of the crew, John Weiser, a watchman and Frank Peters, a fireman refused to leave the vessel, preferring to take their chances aboard the steamer. A third member of the crew, Roy Wakefield, a youth, apparently had originally considered staying with the boat rather than taking his chances in the yawl. However, as the yawl was pulling away from the listing steamer, he changed his mind and leaped from the steamer to the yawl. Unfortunately he missed it and was not seen again by the men in the yawl. At about the same time that Wakefield made his jump for safety, the CITY OF CONCORD took her final plunge. Although clear of the sinking CITY OF CONCORD, the nine members of the crew in the yawl were far from safe. The tremendous > seas tossed the boat around like a top. They ~@ rowed toward the nearest of the barges, the MONPELIER, but as they approached they were warned off by the barge's crew, informing them that they too were in imminent danger of foundering. Obviously not wanting to have to escape another sinking, the yaw! was headed before the wind for shore. It was successfully landed some two miles east of Cedar Point. The first reports of the loss stated that three of the crew were drowned, but Roy Wakefield who literally missed the boat, was fortunately able to catch another in the form of the barge DONALDSON. He, along with the barge, arrived safely at Huron. As for Peters and Weiser, they were lost when the steamer went down. The other two barges in the tow of the CITY OF CONCORD, the MONTPELIER survived and eventually reached her destination. The NEGUANEE, was driven ashore and became a total loss, very near the place where the CONCORD's crew came ashore. All of the NEGUANEE's crew safely made it ashore. With the sinking of the CITY OF CONCORD, another of a fast disappearing breed of vessel left the lake scene. It would only be a matter of 10 years or so and the wooden steamers would nearly all be gone. w Presentation to Bob MacDonald by Wayne Garrett - April 25, 1987