Albany Painting by Robert McGreevy
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Philadelphia
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Why Did They Die?
From the book Terrifying Steamboat Stories
There is an unsolved mystery surrounding the deaths of twenty-four sailors after the collision and sinking of the steamers Albany and Philadelphia on fog-shrouded Lake Huron. It happened during the early morning hours of November 7, 1893 after the two iron ships collided in a violent crash about twenty miles off Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. All of the lost sailors were crowded into one of two lifeboats launched from the Philadelphia. Their overturned yawl was found the next day by the Pointe aux Barques lifesavers. The body of one man, recovered a few hours later, indicated that something violent had happened. His skull was crushed.
Was the lifeboat unknowingly struck by a passing steamer in the darkness? Two other boats, the City of Concord and the Cuba, were known to have passed through the fog shrouded area that morning. There also was speculation that the craft was hit by the still churning propellers of the sinking Philadelphia. But if either was true, why wasn’t the lifeboat damaged? And why didn’t the bodies of more of the victims show signs of injury? As it was, all the men were wearing life jackets. All were recovered by the life savers within twelve hours of the sinking. Eleven bodies were picked up at daybreak, only a few hours after the sinking. The water is cold in November, but sailors have been known to survive for many hours in the water if they are properly dressed. Why weren’t some of the twenty-four sailors still alive?
Capt. A. E. Huff, master of the Philadelphia, told a court of inquiry at Tawas that he personally shoved the ill-fated lifeboat from the side of the sinking steamer before he got away in the second lifeboat. He said everyone was all right when he last saw the boat. Two sailors interviewed by a Port Huron Daily Times reporter the day after the disaster told the same story. They said both lifeboats were successfully launched from the Philadelphia, one with twenty-three sailors and the other with twenty-four aboard. They said Huff was the last man to get off. The men called to one another for a while in the fog. Later they said they did not hear from the other lifeboat anymore. But there was not a heavy sea running that morning. And they said they did not hear anything unusual or get an indication that there was trouble on the other boat.
The collision occurred about 2:00 AM. The Philadelphia was northbound with a load of coal and general merchandise for Chicago. The Albany, commanded by Capt. Angus McDonald, was steaming south with a load of grain. Sailors said the Philadelphia was “running under check,” which meant the speed was reduced and the crew was on alert because of the fog. “At about two o’clock we heard the whistle of a steamer dead ahead,” one man said. “At the time we were blowing for signals, and it was only a few minutes before the Albany was in sight.” The men said the captain of the Albany apparently spotted the Philadelphia at the same time. The wheelmen from both boats put their helms hard to port, but it was too late. The bow of the twenty-five-year-old Philadelphia sliced deep into the port side of the Albany.
Everybody knew right away that the Albany would sink. “At the time we struck the Albany our engines were backing strong and we soon commenced to back away. We then turned around and ran alongside of the Albany, taking off the crew and baggage,” an unidentified sailor from the Philadelphia said.
Captain Huff said he was in his cabin and didn’t know anything was wrong until he heard the whistles. He said he didn’t reach the deck until after the two vessels hit. Huff said his first thought was that the Philadelphia wasn’t seriously hurt. He ordered a towline hooked to the stricken Albany and the steamer began towing the badly listing boat toward shallow water. But the Albany was going down fast and sank. After running about thirty minutes with the Albany in tow, the Philadelphia’s collision bulkhead collapsed. Now both boats were sinking. Huff ordered the Albany cast adrift and tried to run his own command at full steam toward shore. But he saw that the Philadelphia was settling quickly by the head, and the rising water below was threatening to put out the ship’s fires. Huff gave up trying to save his ship and ordered the two lifeboats lowered. The lone lifeboat with twenty-three survivors made it safely to shore at Pointe aux Barques about 7:30 AM.
The two wrecks lie about twelve miles offshore, and within two miles of each other. Both boats are in about one hundred twenty-five feet of water so are popular haunts for sports divers.
From the book Terrifying Steamboat Stories
There is an unsolved mystery surrounding the deaths of twenty-four sailors after the collision and sinking of the steamers Albany and Philadelphia on fog-shrouded Lake Huron. It happened during the early morning hours of November 7, 1893 after the two iron ships collided in a violent crash about twenty miles off Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. All of the lost sailors were crowded into one of two lifeboats launched from the Philadelphia. Their overturned yawl was found the next day by the Pointe aux Barques lifesavers. The body of one man, recovered a few hours later, indicated that something violent had happened. His skull was crushed.
Was the lifeboat unknowingly struck by a passing steamer in the darkness? Two other boats, the City of Concord and the Cuba, were known to have passed through the fog shrouded area that morning. There also was speculation that the craft was hit by the still churning propellers of the sinking Philadelphia. But if either was true, why wasn’t the lifeboat damaged? And why didn’t the bodies of more of the victims show signs of injury? As it was, all the men were wearing life jackets. All were recovered by the life savers within twelve hours of the sinking. Eleven bodies were picked up at daybreak, only a few hours after the sinking. The water is cold in November, but sailors have been known to survive for many hours in the water if they are properly dressed. Why weren’t some of the twenty-four sailors still alive?
Capt. A. E. Huff, master of the Philadelphia, told a court of inquiry at Tawas that he personally shoved the ill-fated lifeboat from the side of the sinking steamer before he got away in the second lifeboat. He said everyone was all right when he last saw the boat. Two sailors interviewed by a Port Huron Daily Times reporter the day after the disaster told the same story. They said both lifeboats were successfully launched from the Philadelphia, one with twenty-three sailors and the other with twenty-four aboard. They said Huff was the last man to get off. The men called to one another for a while in the fog. Later they said they did not hear from the other lifeboat anymore. But there was not a heavy sea running that morning. And they said they did not hear anything unusual or get an indication that there was trouble on the other boat.
The collision occurred about 2:00 AM. The Philadelphia was northbound with a load of coal and general merchandise for Chicago. The Albany, commanded by Capt. Angus McDonald, was steaming south with a load of grain. Sailors said the Philadelphia was “running under check,” which meant the speed was reduced and the crew was on alert because of the fog. “At about two o’clock we heard the whistle of a steamer dead ahead,” one man said. “At the time we were blowing for signals, and it was only a few minutes before the Albany was in sight.” The men said the captain of the Albany apparently spotted the Philadelphia at the same time. The wheelmen from both boats put their helms hard to port, but it was too late. The bow of the twenty-five-year-old Philadelphia sliced deep into the port side of the Albany.
Everybody knew right away that the Albany would sink. “At the time we struck the Albany our engines were backing strong and we soon commenced to back away. We then turned around and ran alongside of the Albany, taking off the crew and baggage,” an unidentified sailor from the Philadelphia said.
Captain Huff said he was in his cabin and didn’t know anything was wrong until he heard the whistles. He said he didn’t reach the deck until after the two vessels hit. Huff said his first thought was that the Philadelphia wasn’t seriously hurt. He ordered a towline hooked to the stricken Albany and the steamer began towing the badly listing boat toward shallow water. But the Albany was going down fast and sank. After running about thirty minutes with the Albany in tow, the Philadelphia’s collision bulkhead collapsed. Now both boats were sinking. Huff ordered the Albany cast adrift and tried to run his own command at full steam toward shore. But he saw that the Philadelphia was settling quickly by the head, and the rising water below was threatening to put out the ship’s fires. Huff gave up trying to save his ship and ordered the two lifeboats lowered. The lone lifeboat with twenty-three survivors made it safely to shore at Pointe aux Barques about 7:30 AM.
The two wrecks lie about twelve miles offshore, and within two miles of each other. Both boats are in about one hundred twenty-five feet of water so are popular haunts for sports divers.