British Whig (Kingston, ON), 28 Apr 1897

p.1

STEAMER ROSEDALE IN PORT.

She Was Badly Damaged By Running On A Shoal.

The big iron steamer Rosedale was caught in the snow squall on Monday night and driven ashore at Rock Island light, near Alexandria Bay, while bound up from Prescott, light. The vessel was seriously damaged, her wheel being broken and the bottom badly injured. The Donnelly Wrecking & Salvage Co. was wired for assistance, and the vessel was floated and came straight to Kingston.

An effort was made to obtain the use of the government dry dock here for the Rosedale, but it had been engaged for the Bannockburn, which will go in as soon as the Paul Smith comes out, and the Rosedale may have to go to Buffalo, N.Y., for repairs. She is owned by Crangle & Hagarty, of Toronto.

The Rosedale is now lying off the wharf at the government dry-dock. A Whig reporter boarded her today and interviewed Capt. Ewart, who stated that on his way up he met the M.T. Co.'s barges, which were going in the opposite direction. The proper lights were not displayed on them, and in endeavoring to avoid them the Rosedale was crowded to one side of the channel and went ashore.

Capt. Ewart estimates that the damage sustained by the vessel will be anywhere between $6,000 and $10,000. She carried a spare wheel, which is being placed in position today. As soon as this work has been completed the vessel will proceed to Buffalo for repairs.

p.2

NEWS FROM THE WHARVES.

This morning workmen began making repairs to the M.T. Co.'s long wharf, foot of Queen street.

The schooner Acacia is loading lumber at the K. & P. long wharf for Oswego. She will return with coal.

The cargo of the sunken barge Kinghorn is a total loss. Efforts will be made to raise her and to get the others off the shoals.

There were 2,040 bushels of damaged corn in the schooner Celtic. It was purchased by Richardson & Sons at seventeen and one-half cents a bushel and was stored in a vacant warehouse at the foot of Princess street.

The work of unloading the steamer Bannockburn was completed at ten o'clock last night, and the grain that composed her cargo will be surveyed today by John Donnelly, jr., and Capt. W.R. Taylor. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 bushels of grain in her forward compartment will be found to have been damaged.

The steamer Forbes, of Chicago, was out in the squall that proved so disastrous to the M.T. company's vessels, and she, too, suffered severely. About 4,000 bushels of her cargo of grain were damaged. The vessel put into port at Buffalo, and a survey of the damaged part of her cargo will be held today. In all probability a Kingston official will perform this task.

The hull of the vessel was badly injured by the collision with the rocky bottom on which she grounded, and the necessary repairs will cost several thousand dollars. The loss to the company, on account of the delay, caused by the accident, is placed at $3,000. The total loss through wrecking of the company's barges near Alexandria Bay will, it is estimated, be very heavy, but no exact figures can be given.

The steamer Thompson, the tug Active, a barge and a floating elevator left this port last evening, with the Donnelly wrecking and salvage company's steam pumps, diving-dress, and a diver, in charge of John Donnelly, jr., for the scene of the wreck of the M.T. Co.'s barge Acadia, at Alexandria Bay. It is expected that more than one-half of the cargo carried by the barge will be damaged. It is insured in the Western company.

The Bannockburn is leaking badly, and the steam pumps were worked all last night, and are still going full force. The vessel will be placed in the government dry-dock as soon as the Paul Smith, which now occupies the dock, has undergone repairs and inspection. The damaged portion of her cargo will be sold today. Except through the delay caused by the wait for the repairs, no loss will be sustained on account of the Bannockburn's disaster as she is heavily insured.

p.5 Thousand Island Park, April 26th - ....The famous Pintech gas buoys were placed in position last week on the river by Capt. G.R. Hinckley, of Cape Vincent. They will burn continually until the close of navigation....

p.6

THEY SURVEYED THE CARGO.

Capt. C.H. Sinclair, of Chicago, arrived in the city this afternoon to examine the hull of the steamer Bannockburn to determine the extent of the damage sustained by the vessel going aground Tuesday morning. Capt. Sinclair's work was done in the interests of Macdonald & Co., Chicago, marine insurance agents, who have the insurance on the hull of the Bannockburn.

The steamer Germanic discharged her cargo of corn at Prescott this morning, when it was found that 5,000 bushels had been heated in transit from Chicago.

Capt. T. Donnelly inspected the Wolfe Island ferry steamer Paul Smith in the government dry dock this morning. The result was perfectly satisfactory, and the vessel was taken out of the dry dock this afternoon, the Bannockburn going in immediately afterwards.

Capt. W.R. Taylor and John Donnelly, jr., surveyed the steamer Bannockburn this forenoon and exonerated her commander, Capt. Irwin, from all blame for the accident that happened to her yesterday morning. They stated in giving their decision that the accident was entirely due to one of the dangers of navigation.

It was found that 4,540 bushels of her cargo were damaged by the water. The grain is insured through a Chicago syndicate, the British and foreign marine insurance company, being the principal concern interested. There was no insurance on the M.T. Co.'s barges that went down or ran aground on Tuesday morning.

The schooner Fleetwing is at the "spile" dock, taking on a cargo of lumber for Oswego, N.Y., from where she will bring a load of coal for Swift & Co.

The painters are busily at work on the steamer North King. Her name was painted on the paddle boxes today and the work was excellently done.

Is The Ketcham Lost?

Port Colborne, April 28th - A piece of wood bearing the name of J.B. Ketcham was picked up by a person walking along the shore Tuesday afternoon, east of the harbor, which is causing much talk among marine men here, who wonder if the steamer has met with some mishap. The steamer J.B. Ketcham II left here Saturday evening, light, for Ashtabula, and was out in the dense fog of Sunday. It is feared she has come into collision with some boat in the fog.

An Elevator For Portsmouth.

A movement is on foot in Portsmouth to secure the erection of a grain elevator in that village. The street railway company has offered a bonus of $1,000, and president Breck says he is willing it should give $2,000, while the council of the village will, it is said, give a bonus of $8,000 to any person or company that will take in hand and carry out the project. It is said that a Brockville citizen, a Mr. Allen, will give a free site, and in the opinion of a prominent citizen of Kingston, the village is likely to have an elevator before the city will be able to boast of such an establishment.