1888 — Nov 25, storm, Philadelphia steam collier Allentown grounds off Cohasset, MA– 18

— 18 Blanchard estimated death toll.*

–20-21 NYT. “Foundered off Cohasset…Twenty Lives at Least Probably Lost,” 11-28-1888, 1.
— 20 Daily Journal, Logansport, IN. “The Year’s Disasters,” Jan 2, 1889, p. 4
— 18 Boston Daily Globe. “Eighteen Men on Board.” 11-28-1888, p. 5, col. 4. [All named.]
— 18 Philadelphia Record Almanac 1889. “General and Local Events, November, 1888,” 95.
— 18 Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (US). Annual Report…1889. 1889, p18.

* Blanchard estimated death toll. Though we show two reports noting more than eighteen deaths, we view as authoritative the Boston Globe report of Nov 28, which names or otherwise lists exactly eighteen fatalities. Eighteen deaths are also noted in the annual report for the fiscal year by the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels.

Narrative Information

Nov 27: “Eighteen Men on Board.”
“Names of the Crew of the Ill-Fated Collier Allentown.”

“Philadelphia, Nov. 27. – The officials of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company here have received nothing more definite regarding the loss of the steamer Allentown than is contained in the press dispatches received from Boston this afternoon.

“Following is a complete list of those on board the Allentown when she cleared from Philadelphia on the 21st:

Captain George W. Paul, Philadelphia.
First Mate Joseph Ross, Philadelphia.
Second Mate Peter Livingston, Boston.
Steward John Duvail, Philadelphia.
Mess boy John Hoolahan.
Seaman Franz Marguardt.
Seaman Martin Johansen.
Seaman John Samuelson.
Seaman John Johansen.
Seaman John Pedering.
Ordinary Patrick Earle, Philadelphia.
Chief Engineer Benjamin Pritchard,, Penn’s Grove, N.J.
Assistant Engineer Henry Haywood.
Fireman August Tormacio.
Fireman Francis McTamany.
Fireman Otto Borsun.
Coal Passer Harry Adams, Penn’s Grove, N.J.
Coal Passer James McKeever, Philadelphia.

(Boston Daily Globe. “Eighteen Men on Board.” 11-28-1888, p. 5, col. 4.)

Nov 27: “Boston, Nov. 27. – With the moderation of wind and sea the full effect of the great storm on the Massachusetts coast becomes terribly apparent. The coast is fairly strewn with wrecks. The first rumors of the loss of the steamer Allentown came from Cohasset this afternoon. A considerable quantity of drift wreckage had come ashore there, as at most points along the coast, and among it were several life preservers stamped with the name of the Allentown and other wreckage bearing marks that were attributed by the old sea dogs at Cohasset to the same steamer. The Allentown is one of the fleet of coal steamers plying between Philadelphia and Eastern ports. She carries 1,650 tons of coal and her crew included 20 men besides the chief officer, Capt. Odiorne [sic ]. On this trip she was bound for Salem, and was due there on Saturday last. The mere fact that deck wreckage was driven ashore at some points on the coast was not considered conclusive evidence of a disaster, as in such a storm as this no vessel could lay to off shore without some loss of material and damage to deck structures. But the supposition of the morning became a certainty during the day, as wreckage continued to come in on the crest of each huge wave. Late in the forenoon a lifeboat bearing the name ‘Allentown’ was thrown up on Lighthouse Point. This was soon followed at different points by huge timbers, cabin furniture, the inside cabin furnishings, chairs, and other articles appertaining to a steamer’s outfit, and wherever a name was found that name was always ‘Allentown’. All this indicated too plainly that the iron steamer had broken up in one of the dangerous sunken ledges off Cohasset, and that all on board were lost….

“The villagers at Cohasset heard a steamer’s whistle plainly on Sunday afternoon [Nov 25] repeated at intervals for an hour, as if signaling for a pilot or for assistance. In the driving, blinding snow nothing could be seen from shore, and in any event help would have been impossible in the tremendous sea running. One of the tugs of the Boston Towboat Company picked up to-day outside Minot’s the medicine chest of the steamer, and also sighted a smokestack supposed to be that of the Allentown protruding from the water on the ledge off Cohasset. Capt. Odiorne of the Allentown resided in Malden, Mass.; but it is believed at the Philadelphia and Reading office here that he was not in command on this trip, as the papers forwarded were in the name of Mr. Paul, the first mat. The crew were shipped at Philadelphia and are unknown here.

“The Allentown was an iron boat of 1,285 tons burden, and was built and owned in Philadelphia…” (NYT. “Foundered off Cohasset…Twenty Lives at Least Probably Lost,” 11/28/1888, 1.)

Sources

Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Captain Odiorne Not On Board.” 11-28-1888, p. 5, col. 4. Accessed 2-3-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-nov-28-1888-p-5/

Boston Daily Globe. “Eighteen Men on Board.” 11-28-1888, p. 5, col. 4. Accessed 2-3-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-nov-28-1888-p-5/

Daily Journal, Logansport, IN. “The Year’s Disasters.” 1-2-1889, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=83142306

New York Times. “Foundered off Cohasset, and Twenty Lives at Least Probably Lost.” 11-28-1888, p. 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=19735794

Philadelphia Record Almanac 1889. “General and Local Events.” The Philadelphia Record, 1889. Digitized by Google. Accessed 9-5-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=wCoXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=true

Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (U.S.). Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1889 (Treasury Department Document No. 1251. Steam-boat Inspection, dated 9-27-1889). Washington: Government Printing Office. 1889. Accessed 1-1-2021 at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu09189980&view=1up&seq=197&q1