1854 — Oct 8, sidewheeler E.K. Collins burns, Lake Erie, near mouth of Detroit Riv., MI-23

Blanchard note on location: The E. K. Collins (built at Newport, MI) had just left Detroit heading south for Lake Erie when the fire was discovered. At this point, Amherstburg, Canada, across the river from Michigan, was the closest point to beach the vessel, which was accomplished.

— 23 American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1856. 1855, p. 367.
— 23 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 242.
–~23 Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive, Report News (October 2006).
— 23 Hall, John W. Marine Disasters on the Western Lakes… 1872, p. 10.
— 23 Lloyd 1856, Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters, p. 243.
— 23 McNeil. Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “E. K. Collins (Steamboat), burnt, 8 Oct 1854.”
— 23 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 683.
— 23 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 99.
— 23 Swayze, David. Great Lakes Shipwrecks “C.”
— 23 U.S. Steamboat Inspect. Svc. Report… Supervising Inspectors… Oct 14, 1855. 1856, 438.
— 20 Disturnell. The Great Lakes, 1863, p. 131.

Narrative Information

American Almanac: “Oct. 8. – The steamer E.K. Collins, from Sault Ste. Marie for Cleveland, takes fire on the lake, and is burned. Twenty-three persons are lost, by fire or drowning.” (American Almanac 1856. 1855, p. 367.)

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive: “On 8 October 1854, E K Collins (wooden passenger/package freight side-wheeler, 256 foot, 1095 gross tons, built in 1853 at Newport, Michigan) caught fire and beached near the mouth of the Detroit River where she burned to the waterline. About 23 lives were lost. About 43 persons were rescued in small boats and by the steamers Fintry and Globe. There was some speculation that arson was the cause. The hull was recovered in 1857 and rebuilt as the barge Ark.” (Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive, Report News (October).)

Lloyd: “Between ten and eleven o’clock, on the night of October 9, 1854, the steamboat E. K. Collins was burned to the water’s edge on Lake Erie, nearly opposite the light house below Mauldin. At the time the fire broke out, she was on her way from Sault St. Marie to Cleveland. Before she could be run on shore, she was completely enveloped in flames. Twenty-three of the passengers and crew were either drowned or burned to death.

“The fire broke out on the boiler deck, and spread so rapidly that the passengers and crew…had no means of escape. As soon as the boat had reached shallow water she became unmanageable, and while the head was embedded in the sand the stern projected over the deep water, and all who happened to be abaft the machinery were reduced to the necessity of throwing them¬selves overboard, or remaining in the boat with the certainty of perish¬ing in the flames. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the pro¬peller Finertz, scarcely any would have been saved. The current set strongly from the shore, so that several men who attempted to save themselves by swimming were carried back and drowned. The Cap¬tain of the Finertz, seeing the light, hastened to the wreck, and had all his boats ready for service by the time of his arrival. Nearly all who were saved owe their preservation to the prompt assistance rendered by this vessel….” (Lloyd, Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. 1856, pp. 243-244.)

U.S. SIS: “The steamer E.K. Collins was destroyed by fire on Detroit river, near Amherstburgh, on the night of the 8th October, 1854, by which casualty it is supposed that twenty-three lives were lost. The fire was discovered about one hour after the boat had left the dock at Detroit.

“An investigation was made into the cause of this distressing accident, and the examining board came to the conclusion that the boat was well and thoroughly fitted according to law, and that no blame could attach to either officers or owners of the ill-fated vessel. No satisfactory information as to the immediate cause of the fire could be obtained, and its origin was, and is still unknown, and, in all probability, will ever remain a mystery.

“The circumstances attending the accident were set forth by witnesses, as follows:

“The fire was first discovered by Mr. Bust, the engineer of the steamer. He states that he was within ten feet of the point where it first broke out, and that, to the best of his belief, the watchman was at his post or on his beat, near where he (Mr. Bust) stood. He also states that the alarm was immediately given by the watchman and himself, and that the fire, when first discovered, was proceeding from over the starboard boiler, on the main deck.

“At that time a slight explosion was both heard and felt; the pumps and fire-engine were directly manned, but they were of little service, as the fire spread with such rapidity, and its heat was so intense, that the men were driven from the brakes.

“The steamer was immediately headed for the Canada shore, and after running about eighty rods was grounded just below Amherstburgh. At this time all communication between the forward and after parts of the vessel was entirely cut off by the fire.

“After the steamer struck, most of the persons on board left the vessel and attempted to save themselves by making for the shore, which was but a short distance off. Nearly all those saved were saved by the life-preservers, with which the steamer was provided.

“This unfortunate vessel was nearly new, and was a superior vessel of her class in every respect, and was fitted in compliance with the law, in a manner not inferior to any steamer on the northern lakes.

“Immediately after the accident, rumors were industriously circulated that this steamer was on fire before she left Detroit, and that, as she passed the docks at Amherstburgh, she was hailed by persons on shore, who saw the flames; but a careful and thorough tracing of these rumors satisfied the inspectors that they were entirely false and without foundation.” (U.S. Steamboat Inspect. Svc. Report… Supervising Inspectors… Oct 14, 1855. 1856, 438.)

Sources

American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1856 (Vol. 27) (Sanger, George P.). Boston: Crosby, Nichols, and Company, 1855. Google digitized. Accessed 9-4-2017: http://books.google.com/books?id=rnUFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=related:LCCN05001604#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Disturnell, John. The Great Lakes or Inland Seas of America. New York: Charles Scribner, 1863. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=KVpnQB_7T2oC

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News Archive. Report News (October 2006). “Today in Great Lakes History.” Accessed at: http://www.boatnerd.com/news/archive/10-06.htm

Hall, John W. Marine Disasters on the Western Lakes During the Navigation of 1871… Detroit: Free Press Book and Job Printing Establishment, 1872. Accessed 10-24-2021 at:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Marine_Disasters_on_the_Western_Lakes_Du/7rc5AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hall+marine+disasters+of+the+western+lake&pg=PP9&printsec=frontcover

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. Cincinnati, Ohio: James T. Lloyd & Co., 1856. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JlYqAAAAYAAJ

McNeil, William R. Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “E. K. Collins (Steamboat), burnt, 8 Oct 1854.” Accessed 10-25-2021 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/details.asp?ID=39584

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.

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. Great Lakes Shipwrecks “C”. Accessed 9-4-2017 at: http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/c.htm

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (October 14, 1855). In: Treasury Department. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances for the Year Ending June 30, 1855. Washington: Beverly Tucker, 1856. Digitized by Google; accessed 10-24-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=OCYSAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false