1856 – Apr 16, steamers collide, Northerner sinks, Lake Huron, off Port Huron, MI–12 or 1

–12 Mansfield. History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 677.
–12 Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (Revised). 1969, p. 71.
–12 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory of…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 172.
–12 Thompson, Mark L. Graveyard of the Lakes. Wayne State University Press, 2004, p. 156.
— 1 Lake Carriers’ Assoc. “Sketch of Captain George Perry McKay.” Annual Report, 1911. p120.
— 1 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 240.
— 1 Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Northerner (Steamboat), sunk by collision, 21 Apr 1856.”

Narrative Information

Lake Carriers’ Association: “This trip of the Northerner [Spring 1856] ended disastrously, however. While about opposite what is now Fort Gratiot light in perfectly clear weather she was run into by the Forest City and sunk with her deck almost awash. Everyone escaped except the second engineer who was asleep in his berth on the main deck. They cut through the spar deck to get him and found him lying in his bunk with three feet of blue water over him. He had doubtless been drowned in his sleep.” (Lake Carriers’ Association: “Sketch of Captain George Perry McKay,” pp. 113-124; Annual Report, 1911.

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Northerner. 514 [tons] collided [with steamer ]. 4 21 1856. Off Gratiot Light, Mich. 1 [lives lost].”

Mansfield: “Steamer Northerner sunk by steamer Forest Queen in Lake Huron with 12 lives; $23,000.” (Mansfield. History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 677.)

Swayze: “Northerner. Sidewheel passenger and package freight steamer of 514 t. Lake Huron: Reportedly laden with a cargo of whiskey, the steamer Northerner sank on April 16, 1856. On that day she collided with the steamer Forest Queen off Port Huron, Michigan. The vessel broke in half and sank, but not before all but 12 of her 142 passengers and crew were rescued.” (Shipwreck!…Directory of…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 172.)

Thompson: “In the spring of 1856…the passenger and freight steamer Northerner…collided with the steamer Forest Queen just above Huron.. The Northerner came in second best in the collision, and she sank to the bottom. There were about 142 passengers and crewmembers aboard at the time, but all except 12 managed to get off safely.” (Thompson, Mark L. Graveyard of the Lakes. Wayne State University Press, 2004, p. 156.)

Newspaper

April 28: “Detroit, April 28 – The steamer Northerner was sunk last night [27th] by a collision with the propeller Forest Queen, 5 miles above Fr. Gratiot. One life lost, an engineer, name not ascertained….She lies in 5 fathoms of water.” (Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, WV. “Steamer Sunk.” 4-29-1856, p. 3.)

April 30: “On the night of the 27th inst., the Str. Forest City came in collision with the Str. Northerner, on Lake Huron, sinking the latter immediately, but no persons was known to be lost.”
(Daily Free Democrat, Milwaukee, WI. “Collision – Steamer Northerner Sunk.” 4-30-1856, p. 2.)

April 30: “The Steamer Northerner was sunk on Lake Huron on the 25th in consequence of a collision with the Forest City. One persons only missing.” (Madison Daily State Journal, WI. “The News,” 4-30-1856, p. 2.)

Jan 31, 1857. “Stmrs. Northerner, and Forest Queen collided on Lake Huron, the former sunk, lost 12 lives. Property loss, hull $20,000. Cargo $3,000.” (Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, NY. “1856 Casualty List.” 1-31-1857; reproduced in Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Northerner…”)

Sources

Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, NY. “1856 Casualty List.” 1-31-1857; reproduced in Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Northerner…”

Daily Free Democrat, Milwaukee, WI. “Collision – Steamer Northerner Sunk.” 4-30-1856, p. 2. Accessed 12-20-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-free-democrat-apr-30-1856-p-2/

Lytle, William M., compiler, from Official Merchant Marine Documents of the United States and Other Sources; Holdcamper, Forrest H. (Editor, and Introduction by). Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. “The Lytle List.” Mystic, CT: Steamship Historical Society of America (Publication No. 6), 1952. Accessed 8-16-2020 at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018039084&view=1up&seq=8&size=125

Madison Daily State Journal, WI. “The News,” 4-30-1856, p. 2. Accessed 12-20-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-daily-state-journal-apr-30-1856-p-2/

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.html — Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Northerner (Steamboat), sunk by collision, 21 Apr 1856.” Accessed 12-20-2020 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/40151/data?n=7

Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (New Revised and Enlarged Edition). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1969.

Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publications, Inc., 1992.

Thompson, Mark L. Graveyard of the Lakes. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2004.

Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, WV. “Steamer Sunk.” 4-29-1856, p. 3, col. 3. Accessed 12-20-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wheeling-daily-intelligencer-apr-29-1856-p-3/