Daily News (Kingston, ON), 20 Nov 1879

p.3 The Gale - The gale which set in yesterday continued to blow with considerable violence until this morning. We have only heard of one case of damage. The schooners B.W. Folger and Annie M. Foster lay to last night and dropped anchor off the Shoal Tower. Owing to the gale the Folger dragged her anchor, and fouling the Foster, carried away the latter's headgear. The damage will be easily repaired. The schooner Sweepstakes, at anchor in the harbour, rode out the gale in safety. The tug Chieftain, with her tow of two barges, ran into Henderson Harbour yesterday. The tow was en route to Oswego when caught in the gale.

Short Notes - The Port Hope Times says the Norseman trade for the season has exceeded the most sanguine expectations of her owner, Mr. Gildersleeve. A pleasing feature of the last trip was the elegant reception accorded to the captain and crew at Charlotte, prior to their departure for Canadian waters.

Damaged Corn - from Arabia sold to Capt. Gaskin.

THE MARINE DISASTER

The Names of the Drowned - The Losses

Oswego, Nov. 20th - The names of the persons lost by the recent lake disaster are as follows, all from the dredge Gordon: Richard Arnold, Rochester; Patrick Egar, Grand Rapids, Mich.; William Logan, Morrisburg, Ontario; Samuel Logan, Morrisburg, Ontario; George Palmer and wife, Vergennes. Three men on the scows were thought to be lost until a despatch was received announcing that they were safe at Walcot, thirty miles west of here. The losses on property are: tug Thayer, $2,000; tug Becker, $2,000; dredge Gordon, $15,000; two derricks, $6,000. Ten scows, aggregate value $9,600, are on the beach and may be saved. No insurance. Opinion is divided as to whether Manager Arnold or the captain of the tug Seymour is to blame.

A Watertown Despatch reporter found John Wood, one of those who were saved from drowning in the recent wreck of the fleet off Oswego. He had come from "Big Sody," as he called it, and was on his way to Ogdensburg where he resides. Mr. Wood was engineer of the tug Thayer, a very small craft, which was the first that went down. He, Captain Hickler, and a man who was called Pat, were saved by boarding the Dredge No. 1. He stated that had it not been for the constant presence of the tug Hickler he, with thirteen others, would have been lost. He says that the Hickler and its crew stuck to them like death to a defunct African. From 7 o'clock Monday night until 10 o'clock Tuesday forenoon, they expected the last minute would be their last. At one in the afternoon the tug landed them about two miles from Sodus Point and when they touched the shore they did not know whether it was Canadian or American soil. Mr. Wood says he has been boating for the past twenty years and he never experienced such a storm in his life. He blames the crew of the tug Seymour very severely and says that cowardice was shown by them at every turn. He also stated that the tow itself was altogether too large and that if those in command had followed the advice of experienced men at Cape Vincent, before starting out, the disaster would never have occurred. Mr. Wood supposed his son was among those drowned until the reporter informed him that a telegram received stated that his son with two others had been found at Walcott where they arrived in safety. He requested the reporter to write it down as he was going home and "the old woman," referring to his wife, would want to know the news. He said good night, jumped on the train, and by this time has told the "old woman" about it.

Watertown, Nov. 20th - There were no weather signals at Cape Vincent when the tug Seymour left that port on Monday afternoon with the tow. Cautionary signals were hoisted about the time the storm commenced.

Oswego, Nov. 20th - A blinding snow storm, with a stiff wind, which commenced last night, continues. Fears are entertained for the safety of vessels.

MORE MARINE DISASTERS

Schooner Foundered - Effects of the Gale

Oakville, Nov. 20th - .....Upon enquiry in town it is learned that the lost boat is supposed to be the scow Pinta, of Oakville, which left here about 8 o'clock this morning bound for Toronto with stone. The crew consisted of Bus Howell, Alex. Mason, James Quinn and Joseph Quinn, all of this place. The boat was loaded very low, and would sink immediately.....

Later - The scow Pinta foundered in about thirty feet of water. Her topmasts are above the water. The sea is so high at Port Dalhousie that a tug cannot go out to the rescue of the crew, who are drifting in a small boat.....

Port Huron, Mich., Nov. 20th - steambarge Whiting, schooners Hutcheson, Bahama ashore; three of steambarge Salina's tow have gone ashore.

Port Colborne, Nov. 20th - schooner Samaria, from Toledo for Oswego, with 17,680 bushels of corn ashore on reef west of harbour.

The Sailor's Union having recently advanced the rate of wages, owners and captains of vessels are much dissatisfied and are discussing the practicability of organizing some system of towing that would be more expeditious and nearly as cheap as the present one.