Banshee (Propeller), sunk, 1 Aug 1861

BANSHEE Propeller, cargo flour and etc.,sank near South Bay Point, Lake Ontario. Total loss, one man drowned.
      Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
      Jan. 22, 1862 Casualty List, 1861

      . . . . .

      Loss of Propeller BANSHEE.
The Propeller BANSHEE with a cargo of grain went down at Timber Island, in South Bay, in the gale of Wednesday night. She was owned by Mr. Rose of St. Thomas, and had on board 6000 bushels wheat, 250 bbls. flour and 300 kegs butter. The machinery breaking, the vessel became unmanageable and got into the
trough of the sea, when she went down; but only one life was lost, a passenger named John Nagle, a printer. The others were saved, ten getting safely to shore in the small boat, and seven by holding onto floating timber.
      The purser, Mr Scott, saved the books and cash under his care. The Propeller is a complete wreck, all her upper works having been washed off before she was abandoned by the crew. The vessel lies in 18 feet water, in a good position to be raised.
      Several telegrams reached Kingston yesterday afternoon from parties, who, on hearing of the wreck, had mistaken the propeller for the steamer of that name, and who, having friends on board, were solicitous for their safety. The steamer BANSHEE, we are glad to state, went down the river at her usual hour yesterday morning, having bravely withstood and passed through the worst of the storm between Cobourg and Kingston.
      Weekly British Whig (Kingston)
      Friday, August 30,1861

      . . . . .
     
      LOSS OF THE BANSHEE.
The steamer RANGER, passed the propeller BANSHEE sunk in 18 feet of water between the Duck's and Timber Island, one person was drowned, a passenger belonging in Montreal. The crew are all safe on the Island, these are all the particulars yet known.
      It was too rough for the RANGER to get the crew off the Island, this is reported by the purser of the Ranger.
      The BANSHEE plied as a freight boat between Montreal and Port Stanley, she left the latter port in the bedinning of the present week, with a general cargo, and passed through the Welland Canal on her way down a couple of days ago.
      The vessel was owned by Captain Howard of the steamer MAGNET & Mr. Chas. Rose, of St. Thomas and is said to be insured.
      Toronto Globe
      Friday, August 23, 1861
     
      . . . . .
     
      SEVENTEEN LIVES SAVED WHEN PROPELLER BANSHEE FOUNDERS.
      Residents on the shore of Babylon to the cliffs of Cape Versey, Marysburg Township, probably fared better than usual during the winter 1861-62, because they were able to salvage from waters surrounding the Sweatman Island, some of the cargo of the Propeller BANSHEE, which went to the bottom of Lake Ontario in the vicinity of Timber IsLnd one mile off the Point Traverse mainland.
      A bad storm was sweeping across the lake that day, Wednssday, August 21st, 1301, when the ship's machinery broke down. Floundering about helplessly in the troughs of the heavy seas, the ship soon broke up and sank, being a complete wreck.
      Ten persons were saved when they hurriedly clambered into a small boat and seven persons floated in on a piece of wreckage, Mr. John Nagle, a printer was drowned.
      The cargo of the banshee comprised of some 3,000 busheIs of wheat, 250 barrels of flour and 300 kegs of butter, She was owned. by a Mr. Robe of St. Thomas, Ontario.
      On Sunday, October 15th, 1967, Mr. Dennis Kent and members of the Quinte Aqua Divers, Belleville, found the wreck of the propeller BANSHEE, which was lost one mile off Pt, Traverse,
      The remains of the wooden ship is in some 24 feet of water on the Timber Island Bar.

      Over the winter months the location was lost; but on July 30th after nearly two months of searching by.Quinte Aqua Divers, It was re-found and pinpointed. The BANSHEE is currently being explored by the Quinte Aqua Divers,

      A page from the Q. A. D.'s Newsletter, 1969