Articles: 1850's

1851

Sept 9, 1851, at the foot of Wolfe Island. 19 persons from Kingston, members of a picnic party, were drowned when a boom dropped and their boat capsized.

1855

Kingston Daily News
December 1, 1855 p. 2.
Coroner's Inquest - An inquest was held on the 17th inst., at Amherst Island, by John Hitchins, Esq., Coroner, on the body of John Lemon, a native of Ireland, who was drowned in the Harbor, at the Steamboat Landing, of the above place. The deceased was master of the sch. Isabella, and in endeavoring to work her out of the Harbor, the wind blowing very strong from the North East, by some mismanagement the Schooner got on shore at Mr. Tate's Ship Yard, when the deceased and two others got the anchor and cable in the small boat, and by endeavoring to carry it out, the boat filled with water and sunk beneath them. The two others saved themselves by being able to swim to shore. The deceased is said to have been a quiet inoffensive man by all who knew him, and he has left a wife and five small children to mourn his untimely end. The Jury returned a verdict of accidentally drowned...
From Transcriptions of the Kingston News for the WWW by Rick Neilson See Maritime History of the Great Lakes Webpage by Walter Lewis: http://www.hhpl.on.ca/GreatLakes/

1857

Submitted by AM Benson
Paper dated April 4, 1857
A Fearful Accident
Kingston April 2
On thursday afternoon as the Wofle Island Ferry Boat (to Cape Vincent) was leaving the ice on the Kingston side of the harbor, about a couple of hundred yards or so from the St Lawrence Wharf, being pretty full of Passengers, (16-20) by some mismanagement, the boat filled and capsized, and the whole number, with their luggage, were thrown into the water. Of these unfortunates, all were rescued from a cold watery death, except five poor souls, who sank never to rise again. The accident happening in full daylight, and within sight of dozens, the city was immediately on the qui viva to succor those who were saved, and they were taken to sundry hotels. In the course of a few hours four of the bodies were found, and taken to the Dead House, (a most horrible resceptible of all that is abominable) and Mr Armitage proceeded forthwith to hold an Inquest, which was adjourned until next day. The following are the names of these drowned, vix. Wm Sanders and John Buggy, sailors, and Wm Dempsey, James McDonald,and James Mitchell, the latter belonging to Wofle Island, all of whom have been found except Mitchell. An American gentleman who was saved, by the timely exertion of three boys, generously gave them five pounds.
Friday April 3rd.
The Jury met at eleven o'clock this morning, and after a close investigation returned a verdict to the effect, that the deceased came to their deaths by drowning; caused by the over-crowding of the Kingston and Wofle Island ferry boat, the man in charge not having sufficient command over the passengers to prevent the catastrophe. The Jury very properly recommended the Coroner to lay before the Council the immediate necessity of erecting a Dead House, in place of the filthy resceptacle now used for that purpose.
Another Account
This afternoon, betwen two and three o'clock, the ice boat employed in carrying mails and passengers from Kingston to Wolfe Island, left this shore, at the foot of Shaw's wharf, shoving the boat on the ice, until they approached the open channel, about a quarter of a mile from land, when the boat having considerable impetus, and the passengers hastily jumping into it as the boat passed over the edge of the ice, the bow slipped into the water and simultaneously swamped, and all were submerged. - The conductor of the boat, J S Hunter, and a person named James Travor, saved themselves by swimming to the ice, and clamboring upon it, and seven other persons were rescued by some young men from the shore, who saw the occurrence, and hastened to give assistance, at considerable personal risk. They succeeded in saving the mail and some baggage which was floating at varous distances from the ice. One of the persons saved, an American, supported himself in the interim, by clinging to his trunk until taken up.

Submitted by AM Benson
April 7, 1857
Coroner’s Inquest – An inquest was held on Wednesday by coroner Shaw, in the Hospital, on the body of Matilda Coughlin, a girl about fifteen years of age, who died suddenly after admission into the Hospital. An unauthorized post mortem examination by a physician in attendance discovered enlargement of the heart and other deceased viscera, which were said to have been caused or accelerated by inhuman treatment at the hands of a man living on Wolfe Island, with whom the deceased lived in the capacity of servant. Coroner Shaw has judiciously adjourned the investigation until next Wednesday in order to procure evidence.

1858

Kingston Daily News
November 26, 1858
p.4 Inquest of above sailor's death - David McCulloch lived on Amherst Island.
From Transcriptions of the Kingston News for the WWW by Rick Neilson See Maritime History of the Great Lakes Webpage by Walter Lewis: http://www.hhpl.on.ca/GreatLakes/

The Islands: Articles: 1850's