Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI), 13 Dec., 1872

Below will be found an exhibit of the disasters which occurred on the lakes during the first five months of the navigation season of 1872, so far as we have been able to glean them. The list for the remainder of the season will be published in subsequent issues. The total number, as given by us, is 863, but there were besides some of a trivial character, of which no account was received. In the aggregate, however, the number of disasters of all kinds will not exceed 1,000, being some 200 less than during either of the preceding seasons. The season up to August was unusually mild, but since then was very severe on the shipping. The record places the number of vessels going ashore at 209; total losses, 80; vessels foundered, 21:

MARCH
Tug M. I. Mills, burned at Malden, Ont., reconstructed.
Schr North Star, ashore near Racine, got off and repaired.
Schr Len Higby, ashore at Oak Creek, Lake Michigan, a total loss.
Schr Horton, ashore at Michigan City, got off.
Schr Two Brothers, ashore near Kenosha, got off.
Prop East Saginaw, ashore on west shore of Lake Michigan, no damage.
Schr Two Charlies, ashore near Waukegan, got off.
Schr Speed, got on piles at Kenosha and sunk, got up and repaired.
Scow Christie, cargo of wood, ashore on White Fish Point, Lake Michigan, got off.
Prop Manistee, grounded at the entrance of Grand Haven, and before getting off jettisoned several thousand dollars' value of freight

APRIL
Schr Liberty, ashore at Milwaukee and total loss.
Prop Annie Laura, ashore on Colchester Reef, pulled off by steamer Rice.
Barge S Burchard, cargo lumber, sprung a leak and sunk at Bay City, raised and repaired.
Schr Jas. Couch, lost her jibboom by fouling with a bridge at Chicago.
Scow June, cargo lumber, ashore at Sandusky peninsula, got off.
Schr Game Cock, lost davits and taffrail pounding against the pier at Bailey's Harbor.
Steam barge McKerrall, collided with the scow Mary Ann at Bear Creek, the former damaged.
Prop J. L. Hurd, machinery disabled, towed into Cleveland.
Schr Kate Lyons, sails and outfit damaged in a gale on Lake Michigan.
Scow Colt, ashore and full of water two miles north of Milwakee, got off.
Schr William Jones, waterlogged and ashore at Evanston, Lake Michigan, got off.
Schr Sardinia, lost deck load of lumber on Lake Michigan.
Scow Alaska, lost deck load of wood on Lake Michigan.
Schr Union, lost anchor and damaged centerboard by striking in Manitowoc Bay.
Schr Napoleon and stmr City of Toledo collided at Milwaukie, damage slight.
Tug Lady Franklin, ashore on Gull Point, Lake Ontario, threw over scrap-iron and coal, thence released.
Schr Three Friends, ashore at Doolittle pier, Lake Ontario, lightered off.
Schr Guiding Star, ashore at Morgan's Point, Lake Erie, threw over coal and got off.
Tug Morey, broke her wheel in the ice at Oswego.
Tug Monitor, took fire at Chicago and damaged severely.
Scow Nettie, lost spars and ashore at Middle Bass, Lake Erie, got off.
Prop Messenger, struck the bar at Manistee, lost rudder and shoe.
Schr Jennie Graham, capsized off Lakeport, Lake Huron, and drowned three of her crew, got up and repaired.
Schr Jane McLeod, ashore at East Sister, Lake Erie and scuttled, no cargo, got off and repaired.
Schr Eva N. Coon, waterlogged, cargo wood, vessel and cargo total loss.
Schr S. H. Kimball and prop Groh collided at Cleveland. Latter lost smoke-stack and steam chest.
Schr P. Hayden, ashore at White Hall, Lake Michigan, and total loss.
Bark Alice, while towing in Detroit River, struck a rock and sank near Copper dock, Springwells, got up and repaired.

MAY
Prop Empire State, cargo grain and flour, grounded and detained several hours at Milwaukee, lightered and proceeded on.
Bark C. J. Wells, schrs C. Hinckley, P. Scoville, lost jibbooms and otherwise damaged at Buffalo during high tide.
Barge Ocean, cargo lumber, sunk by ice near Buffalo and raised two months subsequently and repaired.
Schr Russell Dart, sunk by ice while entering Port Colborne, 5,000 bushels of grain damaged, vessel repaired.
Schrs H. Fitzburgh and W. Sanderson collided near Colborne, former lost jibboom and bowsprit, latter her small boat.
Schr Persia got ashore near Gull Island, cargo corn, got off, damaged reported slight.
Schr Bob Wilson, cargo barley, ashore at North Point, Lake Ontario, got off.
Schr William John, no cargo, ashore at same place, got off.
Schr Miami Belle, cargo salt, ashore on Raisin Reef, near Monroe, lightered off.
Schr Mary Shaw, knocked a hole in her bottom and sunk in Grand River, cargo lumber, got up.
Stmr Reynolds struck a rock at Pine River, Lake Huron, damaging her hull and making a hole in her side.
Steam barge Monitor, cargo salt, ashore at Round Island, Mackinaw, got off by wrecker Leviathan.
Schr Josephine, ashore at Point au Pelee, got off, damage $1,000.
Barge Walton, cargo lumber, collided with prop Hurd at Willow Island; damages not severe to either.
Tug Bismarck broke her wheel in the ice near Buffalo.
Scow Forest Maid, sunk by collision with prop Granite State in the south passage; vessel a total loss.
Schr Clara Parker, cargo coal, ashore on Rose's Reef, Lake Erie; a portion of cargo jettisoned and got off.
Barge Somerset, cargo lumber, waterlogged and total loss, head of Lake Erie.
Prop Chicago, cargo flour, sunk by ice two miles below Point Abino, nearly all of cargo damaged, prop raised and got in Buffalo.
Tug Compound, exploded her boiler at Buffalo and damaged severely, subsequently repaired.
Schr Wm. Young, on Dummy Reef, near Buffalo, sunk by ice and damaged severely, raised and repaired.
Prop Merchant, struck Bar Point and sunk, cargo merchandize, damaged more or less, steamer raised and repaired.
Schr Tempest, no cargo, ashore at Point au Pelee, got off.
Schr Newsboy, lost forefoot by grounding near Malden.
Prop City of Boston and brig Sea Gull collided in Welland Canal.
Schr Truman Moss, got foul of a bridge and lost mainmast at Chicago.
Schrs Petrel and Lavinia collide off Muskegon, former lost bowsprit, jibboom and headgear, latter damaged in hull and outfit.
Prop City of Traverse, ashore on Peach Island, lightered off.
Schr Bahama, cargo corn, broke rudder in Lake Erie and returned to Detroit.
Schr Marquette, cargo coal, sprung a leak in Lake Huron, towed into Cheboygan by prop Annie Young.
Schr Fearless, run on her anchor at Racine and sunk, repaired.
Prop Messenger and schr Levi Grant collide at Sheboygan, damage to former estimated at $500.
Prop St. Louis, broke her machinery on Lake Erie and repaired at Cleveland.
Schr Ethan Allen, damaged 1,615 bu. corn by heavy weather on Lake Huron.
Prop Michigan, damaged by ice and started a leak in Lake Erie.
Prop Philadelphia, damaged her rudder at Buffalo, repaired.
Prop Atlantic, ashore at Elk Island, lightered off.
Schrs James Platt and Mont Blanc, lost jibbooms during a squall at Windsor while upward bound.
Schr Centurion, damaged 500 bu. wheat going ashore near Brockville, got off and towed to Ogdensburg.
Schr harvest Home, cargo railroad iron, sprung a leak in Lake Erie and arrived at Detroit.
Tugs Miller, O. B. Greene and Mary McLane, collided at Oswego, all damaged more or less.
Brig Powhattan, schrs Czar and Evaline, while in a tow on St. Clair River, grounded and collided. Czar lost boat; Evaline damaged $100.
Schr Hero in ballast sprung a leak and ran back to Chicago.
Schr M. M. Carrington, cargo lumber, ashore at Belle Isle, lightered off.
Tug Niagara exploded steam pipe at Detroit, one man fatally scalded.
Schr Onward, sprung a leak on Lake Erie, repaired at Detroit.
Schr Star of the North, cargo railroad ties, capsized near Point au Pelee and submerged several days. Raised and converted in to a barge.
Prop Ontonagon, ashore at Bois Blanc, Straits, jettisoned 72 tons pig iron and got off.
Schr Netta Weaver, lost mainsail and main boom in gale on Lake Erie.
Steam barge Dubuque, ashore at Fighting Island, lightered off.
Prop Colorado, ashore at Sturgeon Point, Lake Erie, cargo merchandise not damaged, steamer injuries slight.
Tug Kitty Hoyt, broke her shaft, lost her wheel and unshipped her rudder near Stone Island, Saginaw Bay.
Barks Vanderbilt, Hans Crocker, schrs City of the Straits and Perry Hannah, all in one tow, grounded at the mouth of the Detroit River and delayed two or three days. All damaged more or less.
Prop Burlington, grounded and delayed at Charity Islands two or three days and lightered off.
Schr S. Robinson, cargo corn, sunk by prop Manistee in Lake Michigan and total loss - crew saved; Manistee's stem twisted and pilot house damaged, and rail forward carried away.
Schr Josephine collided with a tow near Saginaw River and damaged considerable in outfit; tug Ransom lost smoke-stack.
Steam barge East Saginaw, ashore on Pancake Shoals, broke her wheel and lost her shoe, got off and reached Chicago.

JUNE
Tugs Mystic and Odd Fellow collided in Sandusky Bay, both damaged slightly, the latter sunk.
Tug Frank Geele, damaged $200 by fire at Sheboygan.
Bark American Giant, cargo staves, sprung a leak off Port Stanley, Lake Erie, lost 25,000 staves. She reached Buffalo in a waterlogged condition in tow of prop Mendota.
Tug L. H. Boole, burst steam pipe near Pentwater and went ashore, with schr North Star in tow at the time; both got off.
Schr Louise Wrecker, fouled with a bridge at Chicago and lost jibboom.
Scow Queen of the Lakes, cargo brick, sunk in Buffalo Creek.
Prop Miami, N. T. Co., struck a rock and sunk in Goose Bay, on the St. Lawrence River, cargo four and grain damaged.
Prop Union ashore on Strawberry Reef, Green Bay, lightered off.
Bark Col. Ellsworth, cargo grain, ashore near Point Abino, cargo all damaged, vessel got off and taken to Buffalo.
Schr M. Fillmore, ashore on Hog Island Reef, Straits, jettisoned 5,000 bushels corn and got off.
Prop Cuyahoga, ashore at Beaver Island, lightered and got off.
Stmr Marine City, ashore near Bark Shanty, Lake Huron, lightered off.
Schr Imperial, lost jibboom and bowsprit by collision with an unknown vessel near Death's Door.
Tug Hunter, damaged and sunk by collision at Muskegon, got up.
Prop Georgian, damaged by fire at Port Colborne, no cargo.
Tug Bob Anderson, broke both cylinder-heads on River St. Clair, repaired.
Steam barge Crow, ashore at Grosse Isle, got off after several days delay.
Schr Portland, cargo corn, ashore on Colchester Reef, pulled off.
Prop J. L. Hurd, grounded in River St. Clair and dredged afloat after much delay.
Schr L. Van Valkenburg, lost most of her sails in a gale on Lake Huron.
Schr Gem of the Lakes, cargo brick, run into and sunk at Cleveland, raised.
Schr Mountain Maid, cargo coal, sprung a leak on Lake Erie, arrives at Detroit.
Barge Saginaw, cargo lumber, struck an obstruction and sunk in Welland canal, got up.
Tug Mystic, while towing, broke crank-pin and towed to Detroit.
Prop Union, second disaster, ashore on Laughing Whitefish Reef, Lake Superior, and with her the schooner Cascade, which she had in tow. Lightered off.
Schr Philo Scoville, cargo coal, ashore on Rose's Reef, badly damaged; lightered off.
Prop Bismarck, struck an obstruction and broke her wheel at Racine.
Barge C. Tyson, grounded and started a leak, damaging 2,000 bu. corn.
Stmr Kingston, burned off Grenadier Island, Lake Ontario, loss $75,000 and one life.
Schr Forwarder, lost her mainsail in a squall on Lake Erie.
Schr Imperial, lost bowsprit and jibboom by collision near Death's Door.
Schr Azov, lost her mainboom by collision with tug Miller at Chicago.
Scow Hunter carried away foretopmast of schooner Glenbayler at Manitowoc.
Schr Evergreen, ashore at Saugatuck, pulled off by prop J. Chaffee.
Schr Mary, struck a snag and sprung a leak near Oconto, repaired.
Schr C. H. Johnson, cargo of ore, struck in Neebish Rapids, lightered off.
Bark City of Painesville, ashore at Eleven Foot Shoals, near Escanaba, got off.
Stmr Clara, run foul of by schr Victor, Detroit River, damaging cabin and hull $200.
Schr A. H. Moss, ashore on Stoney Island reef, pulled off.
Barge Mary Barter, sprung a leak by striking an obstruction at Saginaw.
Tug Ransom, struck a rock and sunk in Niagara River, raised.
The schr American Eagle and schr Toledo collided and both damaged at Milwaukee.
Brig Pilgrim, schrs Bridgewater and Fashion damaged by collision at Chicago.
Bark Bismarck, lost her bowsprit by collision with a tug at Point au Pelee.
Steamer Dove, damaged by fire while lying at Malden dock.
Schr Jamaica, cargo wheat, capsized on Lake Huron, off Rock Falls, one life lost, vessel got up, cargo total loss.
Schr L. Van Valkenburg, lost all her cargo in same locality.
Schr W. G. Grant, cargo coal, sprung a leak on Lake Michigan.
Bark J. S. Austin, damaged slightly by collision with schr Imperial at Death's Door.
Same vessel struck by lightning in the Straits, damaging top-masts.
Schr T. Baker, lost anchor, jib and jibboom and chain on Lake Huron.
Prop Truesdell, broke her piston, cylinder head and crank at Escanaba.

JULY
Schr Japan, cargo lumber, ashore on Spider Island, got off.
Tug Benton, damaged by fire on Saginaw River.
Scow Hanson, sunk by prop Toledo at Port Huron, got up.
Prop Grace Dormer, burned at Beaver Island, total loss and one life.
Schr Whirlwind and prop Glover collide at Milwaukee while in tow, damaged $800.
Tug Champion, damaged by fire while overhauling engines at Detroit.
Prop City of Concord, took fire from spontaneous combustion, bound up, damaging goods and boat slightly.
Prop barge Orontes, broke her shaft on Saginaw Bay, and was towed to Detroit.
Schr C. G. Breed, cargo coal, ashore on Fox Reef Point, pulled and lightered off.
Stmr John Sherman, ashore at Bois Blanc, Detroit River, damage slight.
Stmr Evening Star, broke her piston head and laid up for repairs.
Iron steamer Java, struck stone pier at Cleveland and cut a hole in her bows.
Schr D. L. Couch, cargo coal, sprung a leak and sunk on Lake Erie, a total loss.
Schr Wanderer, cargo coal, ashore on Stoney Island, lightered off, damages $1,000.
Scow Trio, damaged in outfit by collision with scow E. M. Stanton at Chicago.
Prop City of Montreal, damaged in machinery on Lake Erie, towed to Detroit.
Schr Plugger, lost her jibboom by fouling with a Chicago bridge.
Tug H. N. Martin, damaged machinery by wheel getting foul of a line at Cleveland.
Scow Seabird, dismasted in Detroit River by fouling with a tow of vessels.
Prop barge H. Howard disabled in machinery on Lake Huron, repaired.
Schr Ellington, cargo staves, ashore near Fairport, lightered off.
Tug Danforth, burned to water's edge at Duluth, damaged, $4,000.
Stmr Ajax, burned to water's edge at Bay City, damaged $3,500.
Bark Malta, ashore and started a leak on Peach Island, got off.
Prop St. Lawrence, broke her piston on Lake Ontario, returned to Kingston.
Prop B. F. Wade, ashore at Waukegon, released by aid of four tugs.
Schr Herald, cargo lumber, waterlogged off Racine, towed inside.
Stmr Manitoba, ashore on Michipicoten Island., Lake Superior, got off and repaired.
Tug Kate Moffatt, disabled in machinery while towing vessels.
Prop Benton, broke her wheel by striking a snag in Saginaw River.
Scow Snow Bird, lost bowsprit and outfit damaged by collision at Port Huron.
Schr C. G. Breed, on a reef north of Milwaukee, got off, damage slight.
Bark Sardinia, collided with barge Iron City at Buffalo, damaging latter $100.
Brig mechanic, lost rail and stanchions by fouling with a bridge at Milwaukee.
Scow Ino, carried away her fore-mast head off Ashtabula.
Same vessel was run foul of by schr J. Simms at Detroit, damaging outfit.
Schr Anglo Saxon, ashore at Hammond's Bay, jettisoned 50 tons railroad iron and got off, damages $500.
Prop Chas. Reitz, broke her wheel on Lake Huron, and returned to Detroit.
Scow brig Butcher Boy, lost her big anchor in Detroit River.
Bark Jessie Drummond, lost jibboom and outfit at the St. Clair Flats.
Tug Tempest lost a scow loaded with machinery on Lake Superior, loss $2,500.
Bark H. Bissell, struck a rock in Niagara and damaged $500.
Prop Lake Michigan, ashore at Gananoque, Lake Ontario, lightered and pulled off.