1850 — June 17, Steamer G.P. Griffith fire, Lake Erie, off Chagrin River mouth, OH–250-300

–250-325 Swayze, David D. “Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter G.”
— 300 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 246.
— <300 Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland in Relation to Steamboat Disasters, 1850, p. 5 -- 300 Insurance Engineering. “Marine Disasters.” Vol. 8, July-Dec, 1904, p. 81. -- 300 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 98. --256-296 Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (New Rev. Ed.). 1969, p. 198. -- 295 Based on Thompson (number onboard) and Committee of Citizens (survivors). -- 295 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours.1977, p. 681. --250-295 Swayze. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700…, 1992, p. 102. -- 286 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 244. -- 286 Remarkable Ohio, The Griffith Disaster (historical marker). Ohio History Connection. -- 275 Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland in Relation to Steamboat Disasters, 1850, p. 4 -- ~ 275 Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland in Relation to Steamboat Disasters, 1850, p. 9 -- ~ 260 Van Eyck. 1924, p. 292. -- 250 Buffalo Commercial Advertiser. “Marine Disasters.” January 10, 1851. -- 250 Case Western Reserve U. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. “Maritime Disasters.” Narrative Information Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland: “The Boat was first discovered to be on fire at half past 3 o’clock, A.M. of the 17th, about 15 miles below Cleveland, and while she was about 1½ mile from shore. The fire hose…had only to be unreeled, and immediately a stream of water was directed into the freight hold, which was completely filled with flame, but it was of no avail. In five minutes, the Boat was headed towards shore, and in ten minutes afterwards, she struck in 9 feet of water, about 50 rods from the beach. She was instantly enveloped in flame, and the passengers [“it is supposed, over 300”], who had principally huddled forward and at the gang ways, with one shriek of despair, went overboard, sinking even where they struck, and in their death struggle grappling each other so that groups of from 3 to 8 bodies were recovered firmly locked together… The Captain, with his wife, two daughters and sister-in-law – all perished together – only 31 escaped – among whom were the Engineer and first and second Mates. “This is the more astonishing, as the Lake was perfectly calm, the water not chilly, and the distance to wading depth not more than 40 rods. “Not a boat was launched, nor even a door wrenched from its hinges and thrown overboard…. “In twenty minutes from the first alarm, the tragedy was over, and about 275, out of a little over 300 passengers and crew, had perished. 223 bodies have been recovered, of which 106 were buried in trenches in the bank of the Lake overlooking the scene of their death… “…the fire originated in the fire hold in consequence of defect in the water jacket.” …. (Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland…, 1850, pp. 3-5) “Resolved…we have no hesitancy in declaring it as our opinion that the Griffith was not constructed with sufficient securities against danger from fire, and was not furnished with suitable means for enabling passengers to escape from the flames. And further, it is our opinion that the inspection, provided by the law of Congress, has been inefficiently executed, and that the law itself is radically defective. “Resolved, As the deliberate judgment of this meeting, that every steamboat should be prohibited by law from carrying passengers, until it has been thoroughly inspected by a competent Inspector, appointed under the authority of the Executive, and whose compensation should be made entirely independent of steamboat proprietors: and whenever practicable, such inspections should begin with the construction of the boat. And that new and additional safeguards around the boilers and pipes – an approved apparatus for extinguishing fire – and a full complement of planks and life preservers should be regarded as equally indispensable with the usual seaworthiness of the hull or the good order and condition of the engine.” (Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland…, 1850, pp. 6-7) Ohio Historical Society: “Following the completion of the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo, New York, Lake Erie became an important link in an all-water route for immigrants traveling from the eastern seaboard into the Midwest. The 600-ton lake steamer G.P. Griffith, launched in 1847, was one of dozens built to capitalize on this booming trade. On June 17, 1850, the Griffith, outbound with more than 300 passengers on a three-day voyage from Buffalo to Toledo…” “Many of the German, English, Irish, and Scandinavian settlers were laden with money sewn into their clothing, and few reached shore. Contemporary accounts listed 286 lost. Most were buried in a mass grave on the beach, since reclaimed by Lake Erie. The Griffith incident remains one of the worst maritime disasters on the Great Lakes.” (Ohio Historical Society, “The Griffith Disaster.” Remarkable Ohio,) Swayze: “G.P. Griffith Type at loss : sidewheel steamer, wood, passenger & package freight Build info : 1847, D. Stebbins, Maumee, OH Specs : 193x28x11, 587 t. Date of loss : 1850, Jun 17 Place of loss : off mouth of Chagrin R., 20 mi E of Cleveland Lake : Erie Type of loss : fire Loss of life : 250 to 325 Carrying : immigrants, luggage “Detail: She was bound Buffalo for Toledo when fire was discovered in her hold during the night when passengers were asleep. The ship was run for shore in an effort to save them, but speed only fanned the flames. She finally stranded in 7.5 feet of water, about 40 rods from shore. The breeze then blew the fire to the bow, where the passengers were huddled, forcing them all into the water at once. Many were drowned by the struggling of their fellows, while a number of the immigrants were weighted down and sank from the weight of moneybelts filled with gold. One of worst disasters in Great Lakes history - only about 30 to 40 survived out of more than 300 [356 given at the time as the total aboard]. One source says she was ignited from a cargo of matches and/or turpentine that she was carrying illegally. Master: Capt. Chas. C. Roby(d).” (Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks “G”) Sources Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972. Case Western Reserve University. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. “Maritime Disasters.” Accessed 7-2-2009 at: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=MD Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland in Relation to Steamboat Disasters on the Western Lakes. Proceedings of a Meeting and Report of a Committee of the Citizens of Cleveland in Relation to Steamboat Disasters on the Western Lakes. Cleveland, OH: Steam Press of Harris, Fairbanks & Co., 1850. Accessed at: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;idno=aec2818.0001.001;seq=1;page=root;view=image;size=s;frm=frameset Insurance Engineering. “Marine Disasters,” Vol. 8, No. 1., July 1904, pp. 81-82. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=6bAPAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages. Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (New Revised and Enlarged Edition). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1969. Remarkable Ohio. The Griffith Disaster. (Road marker.) Ohio History Connection. Accessed 7-9-2020 at: https://remarkableohio.org/index.php?/category/837 Simonds, W. E. (Editor). The American Date Book. Kama Publishing Co., 1902, 211 pages. Google digital preview accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JuiSjvd5owAC Swayze, David D. Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter G. Accessed 9-10-2009 at: http://greatlakeshistory.homestead.com/files/g.htm Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lake. Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publications, Inc., 1992. Thompson, Mark L. Graveyard of the Lakes. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2004. Van Eyck, William O. “The Story of the Propeller Phoenix,” Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 7, No. 3, March 1924. Accessed at: http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/wmh&CISOPTR=3813&CISOSHOW=3705