1867 WISCONSIN Steamship Disaster: a Virtual Cemetery

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1867 WISCONSIN Steamship Disaster

The "WISCONSIN" was a propeller steamship (built in 1852) that was owned and operated by the Northern Transportation Co. On the afternoon of May 20, 1867 the WISCONSIN set out from Ogdensburg, New York on the St. Lawrence River headed for Toledo, Ohio; touching at points in between to load/unload passengers and cargo. The ship was under the command of Captain Simeon Townsend (1830-1913).About 10:30 pm the WISCONSIN pulled into Cape Vincent for a scheduled stop to load/unload passengers and cargo. Cape Vincent is located near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River where it meets Lake Ontario. At about 11:00 pm the WISCONSIN pulled out of Cape Vincent and headed out of the St Lawrence River into the open waters of Lake Ontario. The ship had approximately 100 passengers and crew aboard including five new passengers who had just boarded at Cape Vincent. A couple miles out from Cape Vincent the ship was discovered to be on fire near the boiler room / smokestack area. Captain Townsend was at the watch when the fire was discovered and ordered efforts to try and extinguish the fire. He also ordered full steam and steered the ship towards Grenadier Island which was the nearest land (back in the direction of Cape Vincent). His plan was to intentionally ground the ship on Grenadier Island if the fire could not be gotten under control. He also ordered the life boats to be gotten ready and lowered to about a foot above the water in case they were unable to make Grenadier Island in time; at which time the ship would be stopped and everyone would get into the lifeboats. As the ship was nearing Grenadier Island a panic broke out and a number of passengers (and a few members of the crew) jumped into a life boat hanging off the side of the ship. To make matters worse someone cut the line that was suspending the front of the lifeboat above the water. The front end of the lifeboat fell and plunged into the water like a spoon while the ship was still moving at full steam (about 10 mph). The forward speed of the ship caused the front end of the lifeboat to plunge down into the water and capsize, thereby dumping everybody that was in the lifeboat into the water on the side of the ship. To make matters worse the propeller was still operating at full speed which caused the people in the water to be sucked under the ship where they were drowned and/or pulled into the propeller. This all occurred with a few hundred feet (about 20 seconds) from the shore of Grenadier Island. With exception for one woman (Mrs. Gallagher), everybody who went into the water was drowned and/or killed by the propeller (about 24 people). Everybody who stayed on the ship (about 75 passengers and crew) made it off safely to shore when the ship grounded on Grenadier Island.Captain Simeon Townsend (1830-1913) was an experienced sailor who started out as a deckhand at the age of 16 and worked his way up the rank of Captain at the beginning of the 1867 Great Lakes shipping season. The ill fated voyage of the WISCONSIN was the opening run of the 1867 season for the WISCONSIN after winter maintenance and refurbishment. It was also the first voyage for Simeon Townsend as a Captain.

The "WISCONSIN" was a propeller steamship (built in 1852) that was owned and operated by the Northern Transportation Co.  On the afternoon of May 20, 1867 the WISCONSIN set out from Ogdensburg, New York on the St. Lawrence River headed for Toledo, Ohio; touching at points in between to load/unload passengers and cargo. The ship was under the command of Captain Simeon Townsend (1830-1913).About 10:30 pm the WISCONSIN pulled into Cape Vincent for a scheduled stop to load/unload passengers and cargo.  Cape Vincent is located near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River where it meets Lake Ontario.  At about 11:00 pm the WISCONSIN pulled out of Cape Vincent and headed out of the St Lawrence River into the open waters of Lake Ontario.  The ship had approximately 100 passengers and crew aboard including five new passengers who had just boarded at Cape Vincent. A couple miles out from Cape Vincent the ship was discovered to be on fire near the boiler room / smokestack area.  Captain Townsend was at the watch when the fire was discovered and ordered efforts to try and extinguish the fire.  He also ordered full steam and steered the ship towards Grenadier Island which was the nearest land (back in the direction of Cape Vincent). His plan was to intentionally ground the ship on Grenadier Island if the fire could not be gotten under control.  He also ordered the life boats to be gotten ready and lowered to about a foot above the water in case they were unable to make Grenadier Island in time; at which time the ship would be stopped and everyone would get into the lifeboats. As the ship was nearing Grenadier Island a panic broke out and a number of passengers (and a few members of the crew) jumped into a life boat hanging off the side of the ship.  To make matters worse someone cut the line that was suspending the front of the lifeboat above the water.  The front end of the lifeboat fell and plunged into the water like a spoon while the ship was still moving at full steam (about 10 mph).  The forward speed of the ship caused the front end of the lifeboat to plunge down into the water and capsize, thereby dumping everybody that was in the lifeboat into the water on the side of the ship.  To make matters worse the propeller was still operating at full speed which caused the people in the water to be sucked under the ship where they were drowned and/or pulled into the propeller.  This all occurred with a few hundred feet (about 20 seconds) from the shore of Grenadier Island.  With exception for one woman (Mrs. Gallagher), everybody who went into the water was drowned and/or killed by the propeller (about 24 people).  Everybody who stayed on the ship (about 75 passengers and crew) made it off safely to shore when the ship grounded on Grenadier Island.Captain Simeon Townsend (1830-1913) was an experienced sailor who started out as a deckhand at the age of 16 and worked his way up the rank of Captain at the beginning of the 1867 Great Lakes shipping season.  The ill fated voyage of the WISCONSIN was the opening run of the 1867 season for the WISCONSIN after winter maintenance and refurbishment.  It was also the first voyage for Simeon Townsend as a Captain.