1857 — Oct 19, sidewheel steamer Reindeer (Can.) grounds, Lake MI gale, Big Sable Point, MI-21

Blanchard note on fatalities: We show below several sources noting twenty-three lives lost. However, every newspaper account we have seen, six of which are noted below, note 21 lives lost. It is conceivable that the two survivors later died, having suffered greatly in their ordeal, but we have seen nothing to lead to this conclusion in the press of the time, thus we choose to show 21 fatalities as the death toll.

–23 McNeil. “Reindeer (Steamboat), aground, 1 Oct 1857.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes.
–23 Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (Revised). 1969, p. 151.
–23 Swayze, David. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files. “R.”
–23 Shelak, Benjamin J. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. 2003, pp. 151 and 198.
–21 Daily Quincy Whig, IL. “Another Wreck on the Lakes! Twenty-one Lives Lost!!” 10-26-1857, p.2.
–21 Janesville Morning Gazette, WI. “Steamer Wrecked on Lake Michigan.” 10-26-1857, p. 10.
–21 Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, WI. “Disasters By The Late Storm.” 10-26-1857, p. 1, col. 2.
–21 New Albany Ledger, IN. “Wreck of the…Reindeer – Loss of Twenty-one Lives…” 10-29-1857, p.2.
–21 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory of…3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 199.
–21 Weekly Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL. “News Items. Another Wreck.” 10-28-1857, p. 3, c.3.

Narrative Information

Ratigan: “The side-wheel steamer Commerce was launched in 1848 at Portsmouth, Ontario, to carry passengers and freight. Two years later [1850] the steamer was renamed the Reindeer. Seven years were to pass [1857] before the Reindeer embarked on a voyage that would see the side-wheeler pass the Big Sable Point, It never made it. Foundering during a storm, the steamer went down with a loss of 23.” (Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (Revised). 1969, p. 151.)

Shelak: “Luck would take a turn for the worse during the 1857 shipping season. The side-wheel steamer Commerce was launched in 1848 at Portsmouth, Ontario, to carry passengers and freight. Two years later the steamer was renamed the Reindeer. Seven years were to pass before the Reindeer embarked on a voyage that would see the side-wheeler pass by Big Sable Point. It never made it. Foundering during a storm, the steamer went down with a loss of 23.” (p. 151)

Shelak: “Reindeer…side-wheel steamer…Big Sable Point [location of loss]…F [cause – foundered]…23 [lives lost]…11 [sic]/1887.” (p. 198.)

Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files. “R,”: “Reindeer

“Other names: built as steamer Commerce (qv) renamed in 1850
“Official no.: C none
“Type at loss: sidewheel steamer {“polly-wog”}, wood, passenger & package freight
“Build info: 1848, Portsmouth, Ont.
“Specs: 136×24, 67gt
“Date of loss: 1857, Oct 19
“Place of loss: 8 mi N of Big Sable Point
“Lake: Michigan
“Type of loss: storm
“Loss of life: 23 of 25
“Carrying: wheat, barreled flour, tallow
“Detail: Bound Chicago for Kingston, Ont., via St,. Joseph, MI, she was caught by
a gale accompanied by tremendous seas. Her cabins were destroyed and
fires were doused by boarding waves and the disabled steamer was shoved
into the shallows where she was overwhelmed and broke up. Her engine
and boiler were in shallow water and were probably recovered. Owned by
Holcomb and Henderson, Montreal, homeported at Kingston. Master: Capt.
George Patterson(d).
“Sources: mmgl, clu, csv(s1,2), hgl, bb, rnc, mmo

Swayze, Shipwreck: “Reindeer. Sidewheel passenger and package freight steamer. Lake Michigan: An early Lake Michigan disaster about which little is known is the loss of the sidewheeler Reindeer on October 21, 1842 [sic]. The steamer was carrying a cargo of flour, wheat and tallow when she sank. She foundered off Big Sable Point with the loss of 21 passengers and crew. The location is also given as Au Sable Point, on Lake Huron.” (Swayze. Shipwreck!… Directory of…3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 199.)

Newspapers

Oct 26: “The Canadian steamer Reindeer, on her way from Chicago to St. Joseph, was wrecked off Point Sauble [sic], on Tuesday [Oct 20?], and only two men out of twenty three, saved. There was a terrible gale, and several other vessels are believed to be lost.” (Daily Quincy Whig, Quincy, IL. “Another Wreck on the Lakes! Twenty-one Lives Lost!!” 10-26-1857, p. 2, col. 9.)

Oct 26: “Intelligence reached here [Chicago] yesterday noon [Oct 25] by the mate of the schooner Alwilde [Alwildar], who came passenger on the propeller C. Mears, that the Canadian stern wheel steamer Reindeer was wrecked eight miles north of Big Point Sauble [sic], during the gale on Monday night, and only two firemen out of her crew of twenty-three men were saved! The Reindeer was laden with tallow from this city and wheat from St. Joseph for Montreal, shipped by Mr. La Duc of this city. She is reported to have made well down the lake, when she encountered the storm, and put back, either with the intention of making some port, or not being able, to head the gale; the sea washed over her, extinguishing the fire, and the sail was immediately carried away, carrying the mast overboard. In her then helpless condition, about nine o’clock Monday night [Oct 19?], she struck heavily on a bold, rocky shore, and went to pieces in a few minutes. The first boat lowered was carried away empty, and the second filled and sank. – The two men that were saved were washed ashore in a senseless condition, and the weather being very stormy and cold their feet were badly frozen; but they made their way for eight miles this side, where lay the wrecked schr. Alwilde. The Reindeer was commanded by Capt. Patterson, and owned by Henderson & Holcomb of Montreal, where she is probably insured. – She was old, and valued only at $16,000. Her cargo of tallow, &c., is strewn along the Michigan shore for miles. A portion may possibly be saved….Chicago.” (Janesville Morning Gazette, Janesville, WI. “Steamer Wrecked on Lake Michigan.” 10-26-1857, p. 10, col. 1.)

Oct 26: “The Storm which raged over the lakes about the beginning of last week, proved disastrous to many vessels. We compile from our exchanges the following record.

“The Reindeer, a sidewheel Steamer, owned by Holcomb & Henderson, of Montreal, and sailed from Chicago, on the 16th inst. [October], with 13,000 bushels wheat, 61 bbls tallow, and some flour, for St. Joseph, where she was to take on some flour and then start for Kingston. She had a crew of twenty one, and two passengers. The name of the captain was Geo. Patterson, a Scotsman, who belonged to Kingston.

“She was wrecked about 8 miles north of Pt. Sauble, and all on board lost but two fireman, who came to Pt. Sauble, and reported that they were the sole survivors of the entire crew, — she having been wrecked the previous evening. They stated that all day Monday a most terrific gale blew from S.W.S. suddenly shifting to all points of the compass, with a tremendous sea running. The steamer kept up pretty well all the forenoon, but in the afternoon, she shipped a heavy sea, which extinguished the fires, and the Captain had no recourse left but set the helm up and make for the beach. For several hours in the evening the hurricane and snow storm increased in fury, and it was utterly impossible to see or do anything. Those on board could only await with anxiety the fate which they knew awaited them. At length – somewhere about midnight the steamer struck, and almost instantly the sea broke over her, and washed the whole crew into the lake, where twenty one of them found watery graves. The steamer went to pieces, and is a total loss with her cargo.”
(Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, WI. “Disasters By The Late Storm.” 10-26-1857, p. 1, col. 2.)

Oct 28: “The Canadian stern wheel steamer Reindeer, from Chicago for Montreal, was wrecked in a violent gale on Monday night, 19th inst., on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, eight miles north of Big Point Sable. Out of her crew of twenty-three men, only two (firemen) were saved, and these were washed ashore insensible….” (Weekly Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL. “News Items. Another Wreck.” 10-28-1857, p. 3, col. 3.)

Sources

Daily Quincy Whig, Quincy, IL. “Another Wreck on the Lakes! Twenty-one Lives Lost!!” 10-26-1857, p. 2, col. 9. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/quincy-daily-quincy-whig-oct-26-1857-p-2/

Janesville Morning Gazette, Janesville, WI. “Steamer Wrecked on Lake Michigan.” 10-26-1857, p. 10, col. 1. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/janesville-morning-gazette-oct-26-1857-p-10/

Madison Daily State Journal, Madison, WI. Terrific Gale on the Lakes – Wreck of the Steamer Reindeer – Twenty-One Lives Lost!” 10-26-1857, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-daily-state-journal-oct-26-1857-p-2/

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. Google digitized. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

McNeil, William R. “Reindeer (Steamboat), aground, 1 Oct 1857.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes (webpage). Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/41048/data

Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, WI. “Disasters By The Late Storm.” 10-26-1857, p. 1, col. 2. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/milwaukee-daily-sentinel-oct-26-1857-p-1/

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Wreck of the Steamer Reindeer – Loss of Twenty-one Lives – Gale and Snow Storm on the Lakes.” 10-29-1857, p. 2. Accessed 12-5-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-oct-29-1857-p-2/

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

Shelak, Benjamin J. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. Big Earth Publishing, 2003. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=4CBCcye0n6IC

Swayze, David. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files. “R.” Accessed 12-5-2022 at: https://greatlakesrex.wordpress.com/r/

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

Weekly Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL. “News Items. Another Wreck.” 10-28-1857, p. 3, col. 3. Accessed 1-9-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bloomington-weekly-pantagraph-oct-28-1857-p-3/