Re: Shipwreck in Great Lakes, summer of 1850

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: Brendon, : We don't know that the wreck was on Lake Michigan. Since he lived in Milwaukee, Lake Michigan is the most likely location but we can't make that assumption. I figured that the boat may have sunk considerably before August 26th and that there was a delay in the reporting or confirmation of the loss of life. Also, if George Zirkle was employed as a musician, then it was likely a passenger ship which makes me suspect the Griffith even though it went down 2 months before the reported date of his death. : Your research is always quite impressive. Are newspapers your primary source for this info? : : : Terry, : : There were really only three significant shipwrecks on Lake Michigan in August of 1850 and only one had a loss of life. : : Frankly, there were probably no other serious wrecks on the Great Lakes that month which resulted in loss of life, as no : : other serious wrecks have been recorded in any published reports. I say : : probably because 1850 is very early in Great Lakes history and we have yet to record all the shipwrecks which occurred in : : that era. However, it is known that there was a very violent storm which swept the lakes late that month. It put the schooners : : T.W. Maurice, Chas Howard and General Thornton ashore on southern Lake Michigan. The first two vessels went ashore at : : Racine, Wisconsin with significant damage, the Maurice being beaten to pieces, a total loss. However, the passengers and : : crew were saved. The Howard was recovered without loss of life. : : The General Thornton's crew were not so lucky. She went ashore or foundered (probably went ashore, the records are : : unclear) near the present day site of Calumet, Illinois with the loss of several lives. The exact date is unclear, but it was : : reported in the papers on August 31, 1850. Based on my research, and given the time lag in the reporting of the day, I'd say : : that your ancestor was certainly a victim of this storm and may very likely have been lost in the Thornton wreck. However, it : : was not very common for passengers of the day to be travelling on a small coarse freight schooner like the Thornton. Is it : : possible that he could have been crewing? : : You may find more detail by checking the microfilms of the Chicago papers for that week. I know the accident received : : only cursory mention in the Milwaukee Sentinel, but it likely had much greater press coverage in the Chicago papers and may : : well mention your ancestor by name. : : Below are the demographics for the schooner General Thornton which was wrecked at Calumet taken from her original : : enrollment papers: : : Schooner General Thornton : : Built 1837 at St. Joseph, Michigan : : 56.0 x 15.6 x 6.8 ft. : : 48.43 gt. : : 2 masts, figurehead stem, square stern, no gallery : : She had been wrecked in 1846 but was recovered and repaired. : : -- : : ----------------------------------------- : : Brendon Baillod : : bbaillod@execpc.com : : http://www.execpc.com/~bbaillod : : Great Lakes Shipwreck Research : : Milwaukee, Wisconsin : : ---------------------------------------- : : : : I would like to know how to search for information on a shipwreck that occurred during the summer : : : of 1850. My family history has it that my great-great grandfather was a musician on a boat in the : : : Great Lakes, and he was killed when the boat went down. I have the date of his death listed in the : : : Old St. Mary's records in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as August 26, 1850, but that may be the date it was : : : recorded. I don't know the name of the ship, or the type of ship. His name was George Zirkle, and : : : he was a German immigrant. He lived in Milwaukee with his wife and son. Any help on how to : : : search for this information would be appreciated. : : : Terry Morse

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