OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 69B

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Historical Collections Of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
Tid Bits -- part 69B
by Darlene E. Kelley
Notes by
S. Kelly

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Tid Bits -- Part 69 B

          Song of The Steamship

" I come, I come in my might along:
To the surges around me I raise this song:
The billow's crests my proud sides lave,
And shouting, greet me, Queen of the Wave.
And proud to carry a burden so strong,
The waters exulent bear me along.

I come, I come in my pomp and pride,       The wide expanse I fearless
ride;
A noble being with beauty rife.
As I " walk the waters a thing of life,"
Well may I boast as I chant my song,
For human life I bear along.

My precious burthen, the young and old,
A kind protector to me behold;
Though rich and poor, in bonds or free,
Whether deadly foes or friends they be, 
Unmindful of these, I hasten along,
Fearless and careless chanting my song.

Over the waves I onward sweep
Rocking them on the mighty deep,
The busy, the idle, the merry, the grave,
All, all I hear on the crested wave;
And still, as the cabin or deck they throng,
I hum to myself my ceaseless song.

But at night when darkness spreads its pall,
As my mighty heart throbs rise and fall,
When my weary charges have sunk to sleep,
I faithfully bear them over the deep,
As over the waves I glide along,
I solemnly chant my ocean song.

Perhaps the news I bear on wings,
As silent it spreads on its journeyings,
Will make the heart strings throb and thrill
As fraught with good, as fraught with ill,
But little I reck as I sing my song
Of grief or joy I bear along.

Ah ! there may be danger lurking near,
Making the bravest quake with fear,
The treacherous rock where breakers roar,
'Neath the beetling cliff that bounds the shore,
Yet He'll protect as I dash along,
And in His strength I'll chant my song.

Onward I'll rush through each voyage, rife
With the malevolent whirl and tempest's strife
Till the haven I reach to depart no more,
Or my timbers bleach on a distant shore,
Till then, will I speed my freight along,
And not till then will I cease my song."

 
The above poem written by Emma Howlett was published in Volume 7, No. 11
of the Kelley's Island  " Islander " 1866-67, and no doubt was inspired
by the steamboat ISLAND QUEEN, who served Kelley's Island.

The Island Queen was built for the Kelley family in 1846. She at first
was called the Islander. She was the vessel that made the Island and
Sandusky route. In 1853, the vessel was too small for the growing
business, so Eveline Bates designed a new vessel. Daniel Diffle, the
master builder and shipwright of Sandusky, was hired to build the new
vessel.

The Island Queen held 167 tons and was 110 feet at the keel. She was 121
feet 6 inches long. Her beam was 20 feet 6 inches. The overall paddle
guard was a 32 foot span. She had a 5 foot draft. The keel was laid in
July 1854 and by November 4, 1854; the construction of the new hull was
well underway. She was built about six rods west of the main dock, which
was at the foot of Division street, Kelley's Island.

The boat was made of white oak. The cabin on the main deck was made of
red cedar from Kelley's Island. She was to be completed on Thanksgiving
day, but was never completed until December 2, 1854. The boat was
christened the ISLAND QUEEN. Sandusky's newspaper wanted her called the
Datus Kelley.

She froze at the Kelley's Island dock and didn't get free until January
7, 1855. The steamer ARIEL towed her to Decatur street in Sandusky. N.G.
Olds and Company installed her engine. The engine was an upright saw
gate type with high pressure. The cylinder was 22 inches and had a 5
foot stroke. In June 1855, she made a run from Sandusky to Kelley's
Island in 61 minutes.

On September 14, 1857, the Island Queen towed six new sailing Revenue
Cutters from Huron to Sandusky. These cutters were built at Milan. She
picked up wheat at Venice and carried it to Sandusky. She stopped at
Middle Bass on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Wedesdays, Fridays
and Saturdys, she ran to Port Clinton. She would leave Port Clinton at 6
p.m. and stop at Moore's dock on Catawba Island and then proceed to
Kelley's Island.

Captain Orr resigned in 1865. George Magle, the mate of the boat,
replaced Capt. Orr. She was sold on August 21, 1866, to A.D. Dickinson
for $ 10,000. 
She made trips from Detroit to Ontario and later replaced the CITY OF
SANDUSKY. She stayed on her route until July 6, 1866. The JAY COOKE
repalced her. On July 11, 1875 she was taken apart and was made into a
barge. On June 28, 1876, the barge was sold to Nathan Englemen. She was
again sold to Farnham White of Michigan on July 18, 1876.
      +++++++++++++++++++++

While we are on the subject of Kelley's Island and the surrounding
island boats a complete list of all the boats that called at the Island
for wood or stone or served in various ways would not only be tedious to
read but difficult to compile, but it is interesting to know about some
o them and particlarly the earliest in the service.

We know that the celebrated steamboat, WALK-in-the-WATER stopped at the
islands, especially at Kelley's Island for wood on its trips betwen
Detroit and Buffalo in 1818 and that when she was discontinued going
into Sandusky Bay, Captain Coit ran a sail boat ferry to carry
passengers from Sandusky and Venice to and from the islands to connect
with the afore mentioned steamboat. Captain Napier also had a sail boat,
and made trips from Sandusky to Point au Pele and stopped at Kelley's
Island ( Cunninham"s Island at that time ).

There are several conflicting accounts regarding the first boat to serve
the island after it came into the possession of the Kelley's. According
to one account written by A.S. Kelley it was a little sailboat with a
long bowsprit called the HUMMINGBIRD that was used to carry mail and
passengers to and from Sandusky. According to Addison Kelley the BEN
FRANKLIN built at Rocky River and launched July 1834 for Datus and Irad
Kelley which he sailed during the fall of 1834 was the first.

The Ben Franklin was caught in Buffalo at the close of navigation season
of 1834 and frozen in. It is claimed she had been damaged during the
freeze and Addison Kelley had put in a lot of repair into her. She was
sold there in Buffalo and Addison Kelley returned home in January 1835.

Mr. W. S. Webb in his account of the adventures of Jake Hay of Kelley;s
Island, stated that Mr. Hay went from Cleveland to Sandusky on the
Steamer North America, from Sandusky to the island on the schooner
Eclipse and from the Island to Point au Pele Island on the Grumpus
arriving at the latter isle, June 10th, 1835.
He remained there till the fall of 1835 when he stopped at Kelley's
Island and was employed by Addison Kelley. Mr. Hay went to work on
November 8th, 1836 helping to build the scow ARGUS which was being
constructed for Datus and Irad Kelley under the supervision of a Mr.
Curtus. Mr. Webb stated that the vessel was built on a flat at the mouth
of the Tiber on Kelley's Island.

In 1839 another celebrated ( at the time ) craft was built on the island
near where the spot the Argus was built. She was constucted along
original lines, her architect or designer was Addison Kelley. She was
called the " NUMBER ONE," an odd name, for she was not the first, nor
was the next boat built on the island called Number Two. NUMBER ONE was
30 ft long and very narrow and deep and had a fin keel 18 wide by 4
inches thick which was shod with an iron shoe weighing one and a half
tons. She was a deep water craft and drew too much water to be brought
along shore. She was slow to " mind her helm," and therefore, a
difficult craft to handle. Her capacity was limited, yet she served for
seven years carrying wheat from the island and Lower Sandusky and other
ports to Venice to Sandusky Bay to be ground into flour at the mills of
Mr. Heywood.

In 1886, Mr. Heywood proposed to Addison Kelley who was at Venice with a
load of wheat that a steamboat would be better than a sail boat for the
purpose and offered $ 2,000,00 toward building one. This sum to be
placed to his credit and repaid by carrying wheat for him. The proposal
was accepted and Addison Kelley returned to the Island where a Stock
Company was formed and the sum of $ 5,000 was subscribed to build her.

The keel was laid about July 1st, 1846 at a point on the South bank of
the Island just above the division line between lots 2 and 6 or Mr.
Huntington's East line. Her timbers were cut on the island and her upper
works were largely composed of red cedar. She was launched in September,
christened The ISLANDER and put into service October 20th, 1846, and
thereafter made three trips a week during the navigation season between
the island and Sandusky. Like most of the steamboats of her day, she had
no whistle. A large bell was used instead.

She did not go to Put-in-Bay until 1650 or '51. The Put-in-Bay peope
then guarenteed her $ 5.00 a trip, as an inducement to go there. She was
a small side wheel or paddle wheel steamer, so small as to excite great
interest wherever she went. At one time, she was caught in the ice near
Cleveland and when found by the rescuing steamer UNITED STATES that set
out from Cleveland to release her, she had been lifted out of the water
by the ice pressure. The Captain of the Steamer UNITED STATES in telling
the story, used to say with a laugh that he found her floating on a cake
of ice.

The ISLANDER was built by Captain Dibble, of Sandusky, who had built
several other steamboats. During her construction, he operated the
sailboat SWIPES between the island and Sandusky. The ISLANDER was run by
Captain George W. Orr. 

The Yacht CHARLEY owned by A.S. Kelley ran in place of the ISLANDER when
she was absent at Fremont. The 
CHARLEY was operated as a ferry on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
afternoons, the days alternating with the ISLANDER'S trip.

During 1849 the steamer BUNKER HILL ran between Sandusky and Toleo
stopping at the Island enroute. These boats fueled at the Island. The
steamer FORESTER also stopped for fuel. There were by that time many
steamboats plying on Lake Erie between Detroit, Toledo, Buffalo and
intervening ports. It is probable that many of them stopped for wood at
least, if not with merchandise for the Islands,

In the spring of 1854, the ISLANDER was sold for $ 4,000 the boat being
eight years old.

The cement works at Ottawa City located at the northern extremety of
Catawba Island, was then in full operation shipping cement to various
lake ports, and the management of the Cement Company having made liberal
offers in the wa of freight, the stock holders of the ISLANDER decided
to build a larger boat. A subscription for stock was started and about
seven thousand dollars was subscribed by the Island folks and Two
thousand by Rivera St. Jurjo of Put-in-Bay.

The keel was laid in July on George Kelley's shore dock, and the new
boat was called the ISLAND QUEEN. [ The story of her building is told at
the begining of this account. ] She was ready for service in the Spring
of 1855.

When The ISLAND QUEEN started to run, she included in her route,
Freemont, Plaster Board and other Sandusky Bay ports, besides Sandusky,
Ottowa City and the local Islands. She went to Cleveland and Toledo once
a week with cement from Ottawa City. She, as did the ISLANDER, made part
of her earnings by towing sailing vessels in an out of Sandusky Bay. She
like the ISLANDER, had an upright or " Sawgate " high pressure engine.

She cost about $ 18,000 when completed, which was twice the amount
estimated and subscribed and did not pay out for five years. The war
breaking out, and the fisheries and vineyards prospering exceedingly
well during that period together with good excursion business of full
loads twice a week, she made money and invited competition.

She gave up going to Fremont at the beginning of the Civil War and began
daily instead of tri-weekly trips to the Islands except when she went to
Huron, Black River or some other points after excursions.

The ISLAND QUEEN never met with a serious accident nor suffered anything
more than a broken crank shaft except when she ws captured by the Rebels
and sunk on " Ckick-a-no-lee " reef. Claims for $ 2,000 were filed for
this loss together with the Alabama Claims, but the Commission threw it
out as " not coming within the scope of the protocol."

The growing business on the route necessitated a larger boat and the
QUEEN was accordingly sold in 1866 to the parties of whom the EVENING
STAR a 340 ton steamer was bought. The STAR ran about two years without
opposition when the REINDEER was put on the route by Mr. Fox of North
Bass. The business grew unprofitable for both boats.
A consolidtion was made and the Lake Erie Steamer Company was formed
with A.S. Kelley as President. The STAR and REINDEER were sold at a
loss. In 1852 the sailboat SPORTSMAN was brought to the Island. The
sloop GAZELLE owned by J. E. Woodford and Captain Wm. Black and sailed
by the latter, was built that year at Port Clinton and brought to the
Island. The GAZELLE was a fast and sea worthy boat of about 30 tons
capacity. She was decked over and had a cabin and one large hatchway.
She ran from Sandusky to the islands regularly until the Steamer ISLAND
QUEEN took the route.
She was said by A.S. Kelley to be the best sailing vessel that served
the island. It was this boat that brought back the paasengers of the "
QUEEN " from Put-in-Bay when the QUEEN was captured by the rebels in
1865.

Mr. Woodford also brought the CORAL to the island from Lake Huron where
he had used her in the fishing trade.

The ZOUAVE sailed by Captain Vassey brought passengers and mail from
Sandusky in 1863 and before, and the ZULA sailed by Captain Dayton
served the island simularly at about the same time.

The RINA and the JULIA, the latter sailed by Johnnie Reinheimer were
staunch sailboats. The JULIA was built like a pound boat and could carry
at least six tons of freight.

The GILMOUR a three hundred ton schooner was owned by Erastus Huntington
and Captain Ort Moor of Kelley's Island. Captain Moor sailed her.

A story is told about the GILMOUR by Captain Corydon Woodford, who when
a lad, sailed on her as a cabin boy. The GILMOUR was then an old boat,
and so leaky, as to require much work at the pumps, to keep her afloat.
When she was at dock, the crew did not dare to go to sleep for fear that
she would sink, so they resorted to the following expedient.

They procured several bushels of horse manure and dumped it into the
water along side the boat near the run where she leaked the worse, and
by poking the manure down into the water, it was sucked into seams until
the leak had automatically calked itself. Ship was then pumped dry and
the drew went to sleep in no fear of waking up in a watery grave. It is
only fair to say that the GILMORE was repaired and carried stone from
the Island, making regular trips up to 1884 or later.
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Tid Bits to be continued in Part 69C