Great Storms of The North American Great Lakes - Early Steam On The Lakes (1835)

Early Steam On The Lakes (1835)

On November 11, 1835, a southwest wind swept across the lakes, taking numerous vessels. This was still early in the life of commercial shipping on the Lakes, so most of the losses were on the lower lakes where settlements were greatest.

Buffalo was a major port on Lake Erie and felt the force of the storm as water from the lake forced ships onto the piers and shoreline of the city. The creek rose 20 feet as the wind and the harbor front were swept away.

Ship Port of origin Lake Location Lives lost
Free Trader Fort Burwell, Canada Lake Erie Off Dunkirk, New York all hands but one
Comet Madison Lake Erie near Fairport all hands
North America Lake Erie beached at Erie, Pennsylvania n/a
Sandusky Buffalo, New York Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Henry Clay Buffalo Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Sheldon Thompson Buffalo Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Two Brothers (sch) Buffalo Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Tecumseh (sch) Buffalo Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Col. Benton (sch) Buffalo Lake Erie beached at Buffalo n/a
Godolphin (sch) Lake Erie beached at Fairport n/a
Lagrange (sch) Buffalo Lake Erie capsized at Point Pelee all hands but two (clinging to mast)
Robert Bruce Kingston, Ontario Lake Ontario near Henderson Point all hands
Medora Oswego, New York Lake Ontario all hands
Chance (sch) Lake Michigan 7 lost
Bridget (sch) Lake Michigan near St. Joseph, Michigan 16 lost
Sloan (sch) Lake Michigan 6 lost
Delaware (sch) Lake Michigan

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