1883 — Dec 12-13, schooner Mary Ann Hulbert sinks, Lake Superior storm ~St Ignace Isl., Ont.-20

–20 Albion New Era, IN. “Lost in Lake Superior…Schooner…Twenty Souls…” 12-27-1883, 8.
–20 Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, MI. “Hulbert, Mary Ann (1856, Schooner).”
–20 Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Twenty Men Drowned…Schooner Mary Ann Hulbert…” 12-17-1883, 7.
–20 Defiance County Express, Defiance, OH. “Later News.” 12-20-1883, p. 4, col. 3.
–20 Dixon Sun, Dixon, IL. “Later News.” 12-19-1883, p. 2, col. 3.
–20 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory of…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 112.
–20 Wolff. Lake Superior Shipwrecks…Maritime Accidents and Disasters. 1990, p. 38.

Blanchard on date of loss: From a reading of newspaper accounts found below, we are persuaded that the loss happened over the night of Dec 12-13. Whether it was before midnight of Dec 12, or the early morning hours of Dec 13 we are unable to tell. This is somewhat mystifying in that the tug Kincardine, which was towing the Mary Ann Hulbert, survived. Presumably someone on board would have reported the date and time of loss. However, we have failed to discover such reporting, even though we included Canadian papers (limited though our access is) in our search. To give an idea of the various dates-of-loss we have recorded (seven), we highlight them in yellow below.

Blanchard on State of loss: While the Hulbert went down in Canadian waters, we show this as a Michigan loss in that the boat was last enrolled at Detroit, MI, and the Owner, Captain Martin, O’Malley lived in Ontonagon MI, on Lake Superior, according to Wolff.

Narrative Information

Alpena County Public Library, MI:
“Year of Build: 1856
….
Built at: Sandusky, OH
….
Builder Name: Daniel Dibble
Number of Masts: 2
….
“Final Location: Off St. Ignace Island, Lake Superior
“Date: 14 Sep 1883
“How: Foundered
“Final Cargo: Railway camp supplies.
“Notes: Tow line from steamer Kincardine cut when Hulbert filled with water in
storm; sank quickly, all 20 passengers & crew lost.
“History: 1856 Enrolled Mackinac, MI.
….
1860 Owned Hulbert & Kirkland, Mackinac.
1862 Enrolled Detroit, MI
….
1883, Sep 14 Owned Captain Martin O’Malley, Chicago; foundered near
Thunder Bay, ONT.”

(Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, MI. “Hulbert, Mary Ann (1856, Schooner).”

Swayze: “Mary Ann Hulbert. Schooner-barge of 82 t [tons](one source says 62)

Lake Superior: The schooner-barge Mary Ann Hulbert was fighting a heavy storm with her tow steamer Kincardine (qv), when she was overwhelmed and foundered off St. Ignace Island [Ontario], about 40 miles northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Both vessels were in ballast (without cargo) at the time. Reports say that 20 people were lost when she sank, making the December 14, 1883 loss the worst sailing ship disaster in the history of the Big Lake.” (Swayze 1992, p. 112.)

Wolff: “1883….Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad was in full swing along the eastern shore of Lake Superior. Provisions were being supplied from Port Arthur. On December 13, the Canadian steam barge Kincardine left the Canadian Lakehead with the American schooner Mary Ann Hulbert in tow. Both were laden with cargo for a railroad contractor…Besides her crew of five, the Hulbert carried 15 passengers, probably railroad construction workers. About 10 p.m., when the two were off St. Ignace Island, a violent storm arose. The Hulbert began to leak and settle. Though the crew of the schooner could be heard calling for help, those aboard the steam barge were powerless to assist in the mountainous waves. Suddenly the schooner gave a wild lurch and went under. Only then, when the sinking tow threatened to drag down the steam barge, did the Kincardine’s captain order the towline cut. Taking 20 men with her, the Mary Ann Hulbert became the most fatal schooner foundering in the history on Lake Superior. She was an old two-master of 82 tons (old measure), owned by the O’Malley Brothers of Ontonagon and worth about $2,000. Newspaper comment considered her too old and unseaworthy. She never should have been carrying men on Lake Superior in December.” (Wolff 1990, p. 38.)

Newspapers

Dec 17: “Chicago, December 17. – The loss of the schooner Mary Ann Hulbert, near St. Ignace Island, Lake Superior, is now confirmed. The Hulbert was commanded and owned by Captain Martin O’Malley of Chicago, who has sailed her for many years and was well known to vessel-men here. He was about 45 years of age and unmarried. He leaves a mother, two sisters and three brothers, one of whom yesterday [Dec 16] received a dispatch from Port Arthur confirming the sad intelligence of his brother’s loss. The Hulbert left Bayfield for Port Arthur last Thursday [Dec 13] in tow of the Canadian steamer Kincardine. She experienced rough weather, but held together until off St. Ignace Island, where the officers of the steamer were absolutely compelled to let go the Hulbert. The old schooner, left to her own resources, made very poor headway, and, before the Kincardine could get out of sight of her she went down, carrying all hands. The Hulbert was a very old vessel, and had no rating on the inland Lloyds register. She was under 160 tons burden.” (Boston Daily Globe. “Sunk in Lake Superior…Mary Ann Hulbert…” 12-17-1883, p. 1.)

Dec 17: “Duluth, Minn., December 17. A tug which arrived from the north shore brings positive intelligence that the worst fears of those who imagined the schooner Mary Ann Hulbert was lost have been confirmed. She went down during the severe gale last Wednesday night [Dec 12] with twenty men on board, all of whom ere lost. Their names are not known, but most of them were railroad laborers.

“The schooner was being towed by the tug Kincarding [sic] and during the storm sprung a leak and began to fill, and, having a green crew who did not know how to manager her, she began drifting with the wind and turned the tug from its course. The tug to save itself cut the tow line and sent the schooner adrift, when she almost immediately went down. The schooner was a small vessel and was valued at about $3,000.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Twenty Men Drowned… Schooner Mary Ann Hulbert…” 12-17-1883, 7.)

Dec 19: “The schooner Mary Ann Hulbert, which carried fifteen railway laborers and a crew of five men, foundered off St. Ignace Island on the night on the 10th, and all or board were lost.” (Dixon Sun, Dixon, IL. “Later News.” 12-19-1883, p. 2, col. 3.)

Dec 20: “The schooner Mary Ann Hulbert foundered off St. Ignace Island, Lake Michigan, on the 15th. She was in tow of the steamer Kincardine, loaded with railroad supplies for Michipicoten, when a terrible storm was encountered and she made one lurch and went down with all on board, a crew of five men and fifteen laborers, all of whom were drowned.” (Defiance County Express, Defiance, OH. “Later News.” 12-20-1883, p. 4, col. 3.)

Dec 27: “A recent dispatch from Port Arthur says the schooner Mary Ann Hulbert, which was being towed to Michipicoten by the steamer Kincardine, foundered off St. Ignace island in Like Superior. The Hulbert carried a crew of five, in addition to fifteen laborers, all of whom went down with the vessel. The Kincardine reports that a terrific storm came on them very suddenly. The steamer’s officers held on to the vessel as long as they possibly could, but finally had to cut her loose to save themselves, the vessel being full of water and in a sinking condition. A few moments after they parted the Hulbert was seen to give a terrible lurch and go down with all on board. Those on the steamer were unable to render any assistance or attempt a rescue on account of the hurricane and heavy sea running at the time. The Chicago Times says of the disaster: The loss of the schooner Many Ann Hulbert near St. Ignace island, Lake Superior, is now a confirmed fact. The Hulbert was commanded and owned by Capt. Martin O’Malley, of Chicago, who had sailed her for many years. Capt. O’Malley was well known to vesselmen here, and in fact all around the lakes, as he has been sailing upward of twenty-five years. For several seasons past he has engaged almost exclusively in the Lake Superior trade, sailing between Duluth, Bayfield and Canadian ports, carrying lumber, supplies and grain. Capt. O’Malley was about 45 years of age and was unmarried. He leaves a mother, two sisters and three brothers, one of whom yesterday [Dec 28] received a dispatch from Port Arthur confirming the sad intelligence of his brother’s loss. The Hulbert left Bayfield for Port Arthur last Thursday [Dec 20], in tow of the Canadian steamer Kincardine. She was loaded with camp supplies, and had on board, besides her regular crew of five men, fifteen laborers who were bound to Canadian railway camps. The Kincardine and her tow experienced rough weather, but held together until off St. Ignace island, when the officers of the steamer were absolutely compelled to let go the Hulbert. That old schooner, left to her own resources, made very poor headway, and before the Kincardine could get out of sight of her she went down, carrying all hands. The Hulbert was a very old vessel, and had no rating on the Inland Lloyds register. She was under 150 tons burden.” (Albion New Era, IN. “Lost in Lake Superior. A Schooner, with Twenty Souls…” 12-27-1883, 8.)

Sources

Albion New Era, IN. “Lost in Lake Superior. A Schooner, with Twenty Souls Goes to the Bottom. The Disaster Witnessed by Seamen Powerless to Send Assistance.” 12-27-1883, p. 8. Accessed 11-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/albion-new-era-dec-06-1883-p-8/

Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, MI. “Hulbert, Mary Ann (1856, Schooner).” Accessed 11-30-2020 at: http://www.nemoha.org/2891427/data

Boston Daily Globe. “Sunk in Lake Superior…Mary Ann Hulbert…” 12-17-1883, p. 1. Accessed 11-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-dec-17-1883-p-7/

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Twenty Men Drowned. Foundering of the Schooner Mary Ann Hulbert in Lake Superior.” 12-17-1883, 7. Accessed 11-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-dec-17-1883-p-7/

Defiance County Express, Defiance, OH. “Later News.” 12-20-1883, p. 4, col. 3. Accessed 11-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/defiance-county-express-dec-20-1883-p-4/

Dixon Sun, Dixon, IL. “Later News.” 12-19-1883, p. 2, col. 3. Accessed 11-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dixon-sun-dec-19-1883-p-2/

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

Wolff, Julius F., Jr. Lake Superior Shipwrecks: Complete Reference to Maritime Accidents and Disasters. Duluth, MN: Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 1990.