Iron Rail (Scow), aground, 17 May 1881

Sandusky. -- The scow IRON RAIL, a Canadian craft, is ashore on the northeast end of Middle Bass Island. She left Point au Pelee on Tuesday last with wood for Mr. Henry Beebe, proprietor of the Bebee House at Put-in-Bay, and during that night encountered a gale, which drove her ashore. Her deck load was washed off, and she is full of water.
      Cleveland Herald
      Friday, May 20, 1881


The scow IRON RAIL, mentioned in these dispatches yesterday as being ashore at Middle Bass Island is still hard on. An effort will be made tomorrow to release her by means of an anchor and windlass, but we doubt very much if she can be gotten off without assistance of a tug. Captain Varner, formerly harbor master at Cleveland, is in command of the IRON RAIL.
      Cleveland Herald
      Saturday, May 21, 1881


The crew of the scow IRON RAIL made an effort today to list her over by means of a line from her mastheads, so that the hole in her bottom could be repaired, but when they got her over about far enough, both masts snapped off like pipe stems, and she went back to her former position. She is an old craft and is about gone up. The effort to release her will probably now be abandoned.
      Cleveland Herald
      Wednesday, May 25, 1881


An Amherstburg correspondent of the Detroit Post and Tribune says: The schooner IRON RAIL is hard aground on the Middle Bass Island, lake Erie. On Wednesday, Captain J. Lafromboise, of the steamer CITY OF DRESDEN, obtained permission from the American authorities to go to her release. He went over on Wednesday night but was unable to get her off, as she is half full of water. The IRON RAIL is light, and is likely to go to pieces unless speedily released.
      Cleveland Herald
      Saturday, June 4, 1881