“Watch Out!”: New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916

July 1916 had been an unbearably hot time for thousands of New Englanders. Combine this with the new craze for swimming and you have busy beaches. In an effort to escape the heat New Englanders took to the sea, swarming …

Misery on Lake Michigan: SS Carl D. Bradley

In July 1927 the Carl D. Bradley was finally fit for service in the Bradley Transportation Fleet. As one of the largest ships on the Great Lakes, the Bradley was received by the public of Rogers City, Michigan with great …

Seventy Days: SS Anglo-Saxon

Numbers in brackets proceeding names indicate age. The evening of 21 August 1940 found the SS Anglo-Saxon steaming along peacefully having departed Newport, Wales days earlier. The tramp steamer carried 40 in crew. Among her crewmen were Robert Tapscott (19) …

“We Have Been Stoved By a Whale” : Whaler Essex

the time of her final voyage in 1819, the Nantucket whaler Essex was aging, but still very successful . That was about to change. Her captain was George Pollard, a first mate from the previous voyage. In August 1819 the …

4,300 Miles: The Clipper Hornet and Her Survivors

The clipper Hornet had been made famous by her race with the Flying Cloud back in 1853. A race which she had won. Now in 1866 she was on a voyage from New York to San Francisco. Her captain, Josiah …

Over the Sea and Far Away: The Catalpa and Fenians

In 1866 Fenians, members of the Irish Republic Brotherhood, were arrested. Among the military Fenians prisoners were Robert Cranston, Thomas Darragh, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hassett, Martin Hogan, John O’Reilley and James Wilson. In mid-October 1867 the 7 were among 63 …