The Unceremonious End Of The Steamer "Lake Joe"

THE UNCEREMONIOUS END OF THE STEAMER "LAKE JOE" - THE HIGH PRESSURE FLAME THROWER

ACCORDING TO CAPTAIN FRASER, IT WAS A FIRE IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTINGUISH

     "EARLY IN MAY, 1906, WHILE UNLOADING MY LITTLE STEAMER, LINDEN, AT MUSKOKA WHARF, I WAS ALARMED AT HEARING THE CRASH OF HEAVY TIMBERS, AND A WARNING CRY TO WORKMEN FROM ACROSS THE NARROW BAY, WHERE THE MIGHTY STEAMER, SAGAMO, WAS BEING BUILT. ON LOOKING OVER I WAS HORRIFIED TO SEE A SCORE OR MORE OF WORKMEN RUSHING FRANTICALLY FROM UNDERNEATH A SECTION OF THE SHIP, THAT HAD CRASHED THROUGH ITS FOUNDATION TIMBERS AND WAS TUMBLING TO THE GROUND. FORTUNATELY NONE WERE INJURED, AT LEAST NOT SERIOUSLY. THE SAGAMO WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER ONTO A HUGE TIMBER TRESTLE AT THE WATER'S EDGE IN MICKLE'S YARD, JUST ACROSS FROM MUSKOKA WHARF. SHE WAS BROUGHT FROM THE SHOP IN WHICH SHE WAS BUILT IN NINE SECTIONS, THE BOW OF THE SHIP, BOTH PORT AND STARBOARD, MADE UP ONE SECTION. THERE WERE FOUR SECTIONS IN EACH SIDE, EASH SECTION BEING ABOUT THIRTY FIVE FEET LONG. THESE WERE ELEVATED ON TO THE TRESTLE, RIVETED ONTO THE KEEL AND TIED TOGETHER AT THE GUNWALE WITH STEEL CROSS BEAMS, AND IT WAS WHILE PLACING ONE OF THESE SECTIONS, THAT THE TIMBERS GAVE WAY, CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING THE SAGAMO AGAIN UNTIL SHE WAS PLOUGHING HER WAY UP MUSKOKA LAKE, ROLLING UP BOAT SWELLS IN PROPORTION THERE AFTER, UNKNOWN ON THE MINOR INLAND WATERS OF CANADA; A BEAUTIFUL SHIP, THE QUEEN OF NOT ONLY THE MUSKOKA LAKES FLEET, BUT OF ALL INLAND WATERS EXCEPT THE GREAT LAKES." CAPTAIN LEVI FRASER, 1942 "HISTORY OF MUSKOKA."  

     A FEW DAYS AGO, I RECALLED A STORY ABOUT OUR MARINE HERITAGE, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS BLOG, REGARDING CAPTAIN LEVI FRASER'S EXPLOITS, WORKING ABOARD THE SMALL STEAMER, "LAKE JOSEPH." AS THE FINAL STEAMSHIP-RELATED STORY, FROM HIS 1940'S BOOK, "HISTORY OF MUSKOKA," I COULDN'T RESIST RE-VISITING ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAPTAIN FRASER RECOLLECTIONS, PROFILING THE ILL-FATED JOURNEY, OF THIS TOUGH LITTLE BOAT; THAT FOR THOSE WHO WORKED ON HER FOR MANY YEARS, SEEMED INDESTRUCTIBLE. I USED THIS STORY MANY YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS AN ASSOCIATE WRITER OF THE MUSKOKA SUN, BACK IN THE LATE 1990'S. AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D HEARD OF A STEAMBOAT BEING DESCRIBED AS A "HIGH PRESSURE FLAME THROWER." THERE WERE A NUMBER OF STEAMSHIPS GIVEN THIS UNFORTUNATE TITLE, RATING THEM AS FIRE STARTERS. IT WAS SO BAD, IN FACT, THAT SPARKS WOULD LAND ON THE MEN OF THE CREW, AND START THEIR CLOTHING ON FIRE. THERE WERE LOTS OF LITTLE FIRES THAT WOULD BREAK OUT, BUT MOST OF THE TIME, THEY WERE EASILY EXTINGUISHED. IN THE CASE OF THE LAKE JOE, THE SPARKS WERE NOTORIOUSLY PREVALANT, BUT THE SEASONED CREW NEVER ALLOWED ANY OF THE OUTBREAKS TO GET A HOLD, BEFORE BEING PUT OUT. ON THIS EVENING, THE STORMY CONDITIONS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND THE FIRE FOUND A CAVITY FROM WHICH TO GENERATE FROM, IN THE WOOD PILE, THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTINGUISH.

     IN THE WORDS OF THE MASTER STORY-TELLER, CAPTAIN LEVI FRASER, HERE IS THE MARINE CHRONICLE OF DISASTER...A SPARK UPON DRY WOOD:

     "NOW FOR THE LAST TRIP THE ILL-FATED 'LAKE JOE,' WAS TO MAKE. IT WAS AGAIN ABOUT THE SAME TIME OF YEAR. WE LEFT BOYD'S MILL WITH A TOW OF RAFTS FOR HARDWOOD JUST AFTER DARK. IT WAS RAINING AND A MODERATELY STRONG WIND WAS BLOWING. AFTER CLEARING BURNT ISLAND, THE ENGINEER AND COOK WENT TO BED; THE FIREMAN AND I WERE TO STAND THE FIRST WATCH. MY CREW CONSISTED OF ENGINEER, T. DUNCAN, MATE TOM BRUCE, COOK MALCOLM BLACK, AND THE FIREMAN HERB MEEKS. BRUCE HAD OCCASION TO GO TO TOWN THAT AFTERNOON, SO WAS NOT WITH US WHEN THE FIRE OCCURRED. I HAVE ALWAYS REGRETTED THIS BECAUSE TOM WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A FAR BETTER STORY, OF THE BURNING OF THE SHIP ON A STORMY NIGHT AT SEA, THAN I CAN HOPE TO DO.

     "AN HOUR PASSED. WE WERE NEARING THE BROTHER ISLANDS. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING FINE. THE WIND WAS GETTING A LITTLE STRONGER. IT WAS STILL RAINING WHEN, MEEKS, IN AN ALARMED VOICE, SUDDENLY CALLED FROM BELOW, 'CAPTAIN,' THE SHIP IS ON FIRE!' MEEKS WAS A NEW HAND. I MENTION THIS BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO WERE ACCUSTOMED TO THE OLD HIGH PRESSURE FLAME THROWERS, THOUGHT NOTHING OF A LITTLE FIRE STARTING HERE OR THERE. OUR GREATEST DIFFICULTY WAS TO KEEP OUR CAPS AND SHIRTS FROM BEING PERFORATED BY THE CONSTANT SHOWER OF SPARKS, WHEN THE EXHAUST WAS IN THE STACK; SO I TOLD HIM TO THROW A PAIL OF WATER ON IT AND PUT IT OUT. IN A FEW MINUTES HE CALLED AGAIN THAT HE COULD NOT PUT IT OUT. I THEN TOLD HIM TO CALL THE COOK AND ENGINEER, THINKING AS THEY WERE ACCUSTOMED TO THOSE LITTLE FIRES, THEY WOULD SOON PUT IT OUT. BUT IN THIS, I WAS MISTAKEN." MEANWHILE, THE STORMY CONDITIONS WERE MAKING THIS AN EVEN MORE PRECARIOUS BATTLE BETWEEN CREW AND THE OUT OF CONTROL FIRE; AND THE WAVES AND WIND, MAKING A SHORE-LANDING VERY DIFFICULT.

    "IN A FEW MINUTES BLACK, THE COOK CAME ON DECK SAYING THEY COULD NOT GET AT THE FIRE AS IT WAS UNDER THE WOOD PILE; THE FRONT CABIN WAS FULL OF SMOKE AND HEAT THAT THE ENGINEER WAS SCARED STIFF. I ORDERED BLACK BELOW TO TRY AND HOLD THE FIRE IN CHECK WHILE I LET THE CRIBS GO AND RAN IN CLOSE TO SHORE, THINKING THAT WITH ALL HANDS WE COULD YET PUT OUT THE FIRE. BUT BEFORE WE REACHED THE SHORE FLAMES WERE COMING THROUGH THE PILOT HOUSE FLOOR AND THE SIX WINDOWS, IN THE FRONT CABIN, WENT OUT WITH AN EXPLOSION AND FLAMES TEN FEET OR MORE HIGH, ROLLED OUT OF EACH WINDOW, A BEAUTIFUL, YET TERRIFYING SIGHT. IT WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO LAND BUT THERE WAS NO CHOICE OF LOCATION; THE OLD JOE GROUNDED WITH HER BOW PERHAPS THIRTY FEET FROM THE SHORE, BUT THAT THIRTY FEET WAS IN DARKNESS WITH WAVES DASHING HIGH ON THE ROCKS, WAS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT SWIM, WHAT THE ENGLISH CHANNEL WAS TO HERR HITLER, A DANGEROUS PASSAGE.

     CAPTAIN FRASER NOTED THAT, "NEITHER BLACK NOR DUNCAN COULD SWIM. IN LATER DAYS OF WAR AND EXCITEMENT WE HEAR SUCH REMARKS AS 'WHY DID NOT SO AND SO DO SUCH A THING?' THESE WISE PEOPLE FORGET, OR PERHAPS NEVER KNEW, THAT IT TAKES A CRISIS TO MAKE A HERO; THAT IT TAKES SOMETHING UNUSUAL TO BRING OUT THE BEST THAT IS IN A PERSON. MALCOLM BLACK, A TYPICAL SCOT, IN HIS EARLY FORTIES, WAS A REAL GOOD COOK AND A JOLLY SHIPMATE; A DEVOUT ROMAN CATHOLIC, A FACT WHICH I DID NOT LEARN UNTIL WE HAD BEEN TOGETHER FOR OVER SIX MONTHS, NOT THAT I EVER THOUGHT (OR CONCERNED MYSELF) ABOUT WHAT A MAN'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS WERE, SO LONG AS HE WAS A GOOD SAILOR. BUT WITH ALL HIS GOOD QUALITIES, I HAD LONG SINCE DESPAIRED OF EVER MAKING A SAILOR OUT OF BLACK. HE NEVER LEARNED TO HANDLE A ROPE OR PIKE POLE PROPERLY. IF YOU SPOKE SHARPLY TO HIM, HE LOST HIS NERVE AND BECAME ALMOST USELESS, BUT TONIGHT, WITH RAIN FALLING, WIND BLOWING, TOTAL DARKNESS, BOAT GROUNDED A DISTANCE FROM SHORE, WITH LURID FLAMES BURSTING FROM EVERY FORWARD WINDOW, BLACK WAS THE COOLEST AND MOST USEFUL MAN ON BOARD. HE CAME FROM BELOW JUST AS I HAD PULLED THE CLEARANCE BELL, FOR THE LAST TIME ON THE OLD JOE. HIS ONLY REMARK WAS 'WHAT NOW, CAPTAIN?" TO ABANDON SHIP WAS OUR MOST IMMEDIATE NEED. I SENT HIM BELOW TO GATHER HIS BELONGINGS AND TELL THE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME, AND TO COME ON DECK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, TO PUT ON SHORE WITH THE LIFE LINE."

     CAPTAIN FRASER RECALLS THAT, "IN A FEW SECONDS, THEY APPEARED ON DECK. DUNCAN ALMOST PARALYZED WITH FEAR. I GAVE BLACK THE LIFE BUOY. HE IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN, GOING OUT OF SIGHT AT FIRST, BUT SOON APPEARING AGAIN, MAKING HEADWAY TOWARD SHORE. HE HOWEVER, SOON GAINED FOOTING AND WAS SHOUTING ENCOURAGEMENT FROM SHORE. WE ALL GOT ASHORE WITHOUT ANY MISHAP AND WATCHED THE OLD VESSEL BURN TO THE WATER'S EDGE. WE LANDED BETWEEN WHAT IS NOW CLEMSON'S AND COLSONS, ON THE MONCK SHORE OF LAKE MUSKOKA, BUT THESE HOUSES WERE NOT THERE AT THAT TIME. WE WANDERED THROUGH THE WOODS FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, ARRIVING AT MAURICE FITZMAURICE'S ABOUT ONE IN THE MORNING. ON HEARING OUR TALE OF WOE, MRS. FITZMAURICE GOT UP AND GAVE US A REAL GOOD MEAL. ONE OF THE BOYS DROVE US TO BRACEBRIDGE, ARRIVING AT DAY-BREAK. BLACK AND DUNCAN WENT WEST A FEW DAYS LATER, AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF BLACK SINCE. DUNCAN AND MEEKS HAVE BOTH PASSED ON. HERB WAS THE FATHER OF BOB AND NORMAN MEEKS OF BRACEBRIDGE."

     HE CONCLUDES, "A MONTH AFTER THE FIRE, ANDY BOYD BOUGHT THE SOUTHWOOD AND SHE BECAME MY SECOND CHARGE. CREW WERE AS FOLLOWS: ENGINEER, DAVE CLAPP, A WELL KNOWN FIGURE AROUND BRACEBRIDGE IN THOSE DAYS, MATE, BERT CAMPBELL, LATER CAPTAIN OF A NUMBER OF BOATS INCLUDING THE MEDORA (AND THE EATON YACHT, WANDA); FIREMAN, SIM RUSK, WHO LATER LIVED ON MCMURRAY STREET FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS."

     CAPTAIN FRASER, REGARDING ANOTHER STEAMBOAT STORY, WRITES, "ONE FINE MORNING, SHE "THE COMET" WAS RUNNING FROM MILFORD BAY TOWARD BALA WITH A PARTY OF FISHERMEN. THE FELLOWS WERE ALL BUSY GETTING THEIR FISHING TACKLE READY. SOME WERE SITTING, SOME WERE STANDING. THEY HAD JUST PASSED FAIRHAVEN ISLAND. THE ENGINEER WAS PUTTING A FIRE IN THE FURNACE; THE CAPTAIN WAS SITTING IDLY ON HIS HIGH STOOL WITH THE WHEELHOUSE DOOR OPEN. THE BOAT DREW SIX AND ONE HALF FEET OF WATER. ALL OF A SUDDEN HER KEEL CAME IN CONTACT WITH A ROCK JUST FOUR AND ONE HALF FEET BELOW THE SURFACE, SO IN ORDER TO GET OVER IT SHE MUST, OF NECESSITY, RAISE TWO FEET, WHICH SHE DID NOT GRACEFULLY; BUT WITH A SUDDEN FIERCE LURCH WHICH THREW ALL THE PASSENGERS, ALONG WITH THEIR CHAIRS AND FISHING GEAR TO THE DECK. THE CAPTAIN, NOT BEING ABLE TO SECURE ANYTHING TO STOP HIS SUDDEN FLIGHT, JOINED HIS PASSENGERS AT THE RAIL, NOT VOLUNTARILY, BUT HORIZONTALLY, AND BY THE TIME HE HAD EXTRICATED HIMSELF FROM THE DEBRIS, REALIZING THAT AT THE HELM IS THE CAPTAIN'S PLACE, WHEN HIS SHIP IS IN TROUBLE, HE WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THE SHIP ON EVEN KEEL PUFFING ALONG AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED, WITH THE OFFENDING SHOAL NOW FAR BEHIND. LUCKILY THERE WAS A STRONG RAILING AROUND THE DECK SO THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES, AND IT WAS NOT REPORTED THAT THE SHIP HAD SUFFERED ANY DAMAGE."