Almost cried a couple times in this. From jerome pushing the kid ahead of him and risking even more severe burns to get the kid out, to Johnson willingly leaving the relative safety of the lifeboat to find mrs lynde, to the chief engineer doing his best to get some sort of flotation to the three children, the the Wheelsman manning his post amidst the conflagration in an attempt to get the boat as close to shore as possible. As with many of these disasters, how many heroes do we not hear about? for every heroic person that survives to tell, how many die in their actions?
Sadly, for every Erie or Birkenhead, there have been a dozen SS Arctics, Medusas, and such other displays of cowardice. Yet whenever I'm told of a story in which gallantry prevailed over barbarity, I feel the light of hope burning brighter
Fun fact: The German author and poet Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) wrote a ballade about this tragedy in 1886, but with an altered story. It’s titled “John Maynard” and tells the story of the helmsman of the same name. The “Erie” is named “Schwalbe” (translating to “Swallow”) there and John Maynard gives his life to save everyone on board. It remains quite popular for children in Middle School here in Germany. Usually it’s taught in about 7th grade.
Interesting. I was born on erie's harbor and worked on a historical ship there as a teenager, but never heard of this story, nor the song. I live in germany now, will check the song out. ;)
Wooden ship, new coat of paint, flammable materials stored in the worst place possible. Just a disaster waiting to happen. Also a ship catching fire while also being the middle of a big storm. That sounds like one of the most terrifying things imaginable.
Well, it’s not really like there was any other type of ship when the Erie was built. Lack of understanding of metallurgy meant that it would be roughly another three decades before iron hulled ships really began to be built, first for warships and later for merchant ships. And wood was still a common material for ship construction up until about WWI.
the ship The Donia Paz~ Philippines 4000 people aboard hit a oil tanker head on :: carrying oil, kerosene. liquid propane,,, all that ended up in the water A Blaze:: and all the people Ended up in the Water A Blaze:: only 24 survivors i think in the late 1980's
> Also a ship catching fire while also being the middle of a big storm. That sounds like one of the most terrifying things imaginable See also: SS Morro Castle, which also burned during a storm. Not a lot of fun, for sure...
A lesser known fact: The conflagration of the steamship Erie has also memoralized in german litrature. The events are the base for the ballad "John Maynard" by the poet and novellist Theodor Fontane.
Oh my, I really didn’t expect so many to be lost on this passenger ship. It always seems like it would be so easy to escape, but that’s probably the same attitude that led to lack of safety protocols and so many lost souls.
I have spent enough time out on Lake Erie and the Niagara River at this point in my life to have great respect for these waters. Amazing video as always!
@@christinagowan8116same! As a teenager I was first mate on a salmon charter boat! Two trips on and off the lake every day! The middle of the summer was the worst because we had to chase the salmon out a couple miles! It was always nice to step back on the dock at the end of the day! Got some crazy stories!
@@christinagowan8116 Lake Michigan demands respect on/from all shores. BTDT and have lost a friend/coworker who tried to save another while swimming (!) on the Michigan side. I wouldn't be. Knee deep in that cold water is enough for me.
I live in Western PA in an 1840s tavern & inn, and I go to Erie and Buffalo often, so this story was especially interesting to me. It's possible that some of the people who took these ships stayed at my house back then.
If the inn's original guest books still survive, it might be interesting to try and find out if any of the passengers aboard the _Erie_ actually _did_ stay there.
Yeah one thing I learned int eh Army... certain kinds of clothes... you might as well be wearing cement. First thing in drown-proofing class... is to drop the parts of your clothing that weigh you down. Problem these people had... they didn't really have the idea or ability to.
Yeah, it’s difficult to think of some of the ladies, in particular, being able to get rid of their skirts, petticoats, corsets, etc. Glad I’m living in this century (and can swim)!
Every safety rule, regulation and law is written in the blood of the dead. It is appalling how operators of passenger ships permitted all manner of unsafe practices that eventually cost the lives of both passengers and crew. A truly horrific tragedy.
I watch the Big Old Boats videos because the narrator is talented in voice and cadence as well as a being a hard working naval historian and writer. He does a thorough job when researching each topic and is very good at formulating his story on paper before presenting it to us. However, everyone of his videos is a tragedy, just like life, because life is a tragedy. The older I get the more I realize how good the 1980s was and how the future looks so bleak. Just like looking at the stories of the boats which survived the world wars, they are a story of better days and how much time and the advent of air travel destroyed ship borne, ocean going, travel. The beautiful and opulent ships of our past have gone to the wayside. This is just one of many horrible stories from the age of steam and sail. Though a fire at sea is on of the worst stories any on can invision, even in their imagionation.
Another great presentation. With the B&W imagery you can get a sense of the tragedy without having to witness the floating bodies that show up on many disaster channels. Thanks for a concise and terrifying voice-over with no screaming or repetitive doom-laden narrative. Always look forward to you videos!
I had never heard of the Erie (the ship) before. I truly love your dedication to maritime history on this channel. Concise, but detailed and respectful of the dead - NOT all about the drama. Truly one of my favourite channels. Utterly brilliant. Thank you for such fascinating content. Always know I'm going to be watching the peak of CZcams content when a 'Big Old Boats' video drops. Thanks again x❤
Wow! The heroism displayed by some of the crew members brought tears to my eyes. The young man who tried to keep the boat heading inshore was, and is, surely a hero. Rest in Peace, all.
To live near a Great Lake is to learn quickly to love them. I've boated, fished, or sailed on all but Superior and mostly on Lake Huron. Prefer them to the oceans by far. Guess we were born lucky.
Those paints were most certainly linseed oil based because of their preservative effects on wood and canvas. BUT they used lead as an aggressive drying agent and mildewcide. Rapid drying causes heat and spontaneous combustion of oil soaked rags if they are improperly stored. I’m guessing that placement by other heat sources and open sparks from coal firing and stored next to flammable solvents is a textbook definition of “improperly stored.” I can’t say that this is what happened that night but the time frame seems about right from the time they would have been stowed away to the time of the fire.
Good point! And a quite a source of the occasional airborne burning ember. I’m still impressed with its performance as a steamship at the time. Except for that fire thing of course.
“Red, lurid flames”, describes this terrible sad history on Lake Erie. I can only imagine the desperation these people went through. Thank you for sharing and remembering the lost souls of this historic story.
It feels as though shipwreck stories from this era are widely forgotten about and relegated to the backdrop of history in favor of more dramatic stories from the earlier days of sail and later days of ocean liners
Hey, I don't know if this is exactly up your alley, but you should consider looking into the Last Island Hurricane of 1856. It split an entire Louisiana resort island in half, and a ship called The Star nearly sailed into the hurricane while rescuing survivors
Their is huge percentage of people that are truly unaware how quickly Lake Erie can go from a casual day on the lake to praying you can just make it around the point of Rondeau hoping the swells won't swamp you as you power up and down fighting to get into Erieau or at least Rondeau Bay... I know.. each Great Lake have their stories. Erie is the sleeper... she's the shallowest** of all the lakes. Southern Ontario is farm land. So when the weather patterns mix with the cooler temp out of the Hudson the winds rip across the farm land in a matter of minutes the weather turns violent. Just relaxing on the beach... we have known from decades of experience. On a hot sunny day, not a dark cloud in the sky. When you feel the temperature drop... cool breeze rolls in. You start packing your beach bags and chairs. So many times we have just made back to the cottage when a violent storm opened up. The Great Lakes have another phenomena; Cross-Chop Waves that are known as: "The three sisters". Waves the build on each other in a cris-cross. They build the the strength for the bigger sister and she hits with a heavy punch... In my opinion these was, and the can come in bunches ** At the 15:34 mark, pause the video. Look closely at the lake map all those number are lake depts.. Thought I was kidding about Erie being really shallow
Simply awesome work and channel, thank you for making my morning! Greetings from Winnipeg. It would be great to see a story about Lake Winnipeg some day! ( if you havent sailed that body of water yet) . Cheers.
In 2024 we have no experience to guide our interpretation of the safety failures of this loss. We know to separate combustible fume sources from open flames by warning labels on containers.‡ Such warnings simply didn't exist in the early 1800s. What was the source of the sparks? Was the boiler's fire an open grating, or did the sparks descend from the smokestacks? Hindsight is always 20:20. __________ ‡) For example, if you use dryer sheets, check to see if the box has a printed warning about flammable fumes from the an open box of sheets and the flame of a water heater, gas dryer, or furnace.
From what I know of the old lake and river steamships, it could have been either. What fuel would she have used, coal or wood? If wood, then definitely risky
Hey, this isn't a wreck, but did you know that there's still an extant Edwardian steamer from the Great Lakes? The boating museum in Kingston, Ontario has the S.S. Keewatin (I think I spelled that right), and you can take 1.5 hour tours of the passenger quarters, or .5 hour tours of the engine rooms!
Thank you! God bless you.. I am a Clevelander from birth , from immigrants from Ireland and Italy thru Ellis Island. What can I say. MY CHILDREN KNOW MUCH OF OUR HERITAGE. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS!
My ancestors owned a shipbuilding company alongside Erie in Ohio around this time. Yards formerly in Vermillion and Lorain. Thanks for this video. My great grandad x 4 was a badass.
Atlantic paddle steamers, especially of the Fall River Line used Walking Beam Engines into the late 1920s. Ships like the Steamship Commonwealth were huge and extremely successful ships, and ships like the famous "Portland" which gave it's name to the November Gale that destroyed her. Walking Beam Engines were very much successful on the Atlantic.
Big old Boats and @brickimmortar are releasing the Most captivating and enjoyable maritime-related Videos on this Platform imo. Your voice, the chosen Background music... I cant get enough of it. Keep Up the awesome Work! Greetings from Germany
Bradley, this is the USS Cod. We had a CZcams collaboration proposal we wanted to run by you. We’re big fans of your channel. Our contact info is on our Cod CZcams page.
@@patanouketgersiflet9486 excellent suggestions! Maritime Horrors and Part Time Explorer are also good. Since you’re a fan of Brick Immortar, you must check out Rotten Mango’s deep dive on the Seoul Ferry Disaster as well as their coverage of those tangentially connected to the Ferry, which was built with cult labor.
@@patanouketgersiflet9486 I am familiar. Both great channels. This sector is one of the best on YT..These amateurs historians dig deep and have great productions. Give my girl a try. She is a young mom who throws down in detail and perspective on both military and civilian wrecks.
Being from the area, I have had heard of the Erie before, but all I knew was that it sank off Dunkirk in 1841 while carrying a bunch of German immigrints because someone kicked over a can of turpentine. It was interesting to learn the whole story.
Great video as always! Some time ago I learned about this disaster as there is a german poem called "John Maynard" which is inspired by the Erie. The poem was written by famous german poet Theodor Fontane, her lerned about this sinking and that so many germans lost their lives here so he created this poem. The ballad praises John Maynard, helmsman of the passenger ship "Schwalbe" on Lake Erie, where fire breaks out near the end of a voyage from Detroit to Buffalo. John Maynard remains at his post “in smoke and fire” until the ship reaches shore, saving everyone at the cost of his own life. So here in this poem the helmsman is called John Maynard and the ship is the "Schwalbe". I know the ballad since my childhood, I even play John Maynard in a school play but when I already knew much about the great lakes, I was interested in why a german poem from 1800 took place on an american lake, so I looked it up and found out that Mr. Fontane was Inspired by this. I just find stuff like this very interesting.
Big Old Boats, really enjoy your videos!!! Some of the steamboats shown in this video are at: 1:13 Str. COMMONWEALTH's gothic saloon [1855]. She burned at her Groton, Conn. dock on December 29, 1865. 4:48 Str. NORTH RIVER STEAMBOAT. Drawing by Samuel Ward Stanton who died on the TITANIC. 6:26 February 7, 1891, Scientific American's illustration of the Fall River Line Str. PURITAN's compound working [aka walking] beam engine - largest such engine ever built [same steamboat, in the East River, shown on my attached icon]. 7:28 photograph reversed; other side of the two doors shown in this image are shown at 7:40 of unknown Western River steamer - the 7:40 picture has "OFFICE" clearly spelt out. 16:04 Hudson River Str. DEAN RICHMOND gallery deck, looking forward [with fake fire]. 18:20 Str. DEAN RICHMOND gallery deck, looking forward [without fake fire]. A little bit of general information: Steamboats of the 19th & early 20th centuries usually had "Ladies Cabins" for unescorted women who wished the seclusion; freight of such vessels was usually stored on the main deck forward being rolled on & off by hand-trucks; & seldom were stern-wheelers used on the Great Lakes. Again, you do a great job with your videos, AML-FRL😀 czcams.com/users/sgaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f600.png
I really enjoyed this story. The est the information is presented is even handed and not dramatic to give false interpretation. I am so glad I found this channel.
I’m driving past Lake Erie right now when this popped up on my feed. Just passed Portland. Update- Passing Silver creek as the video got to the location after the flames started. Kinda spooky
In those times, steamboats were the rockets of their day. So imagine cramming so many souls aboard a SpaceX lunch or, horrors, a Boeing Starliner, at this point in their respective development processes. What would you expect to happen? There were countless such disasters in the early days of steam on just rivers, not to mention the Great Lakes or the actual oceans.
Appreciate your work making these. I believe drowning would be one of the worst ways to go. Maybe not so much for the person as for family that has no body for to have a funeral and closure. It's the unknown that's fearful. God bless!
A terrible end for a beautiful ship - and a truly harrowing story. It brought the 'General Slocum' disaster back to mind, having seen that on youtube a while back. And, as both you and several people rightly say, there were some very brave men in her crew. I'm intrigued by the (presumably) silent movie shipwreck drama you use for these films. Which film is it from? A great programme, very well, movingly and compassionately told. Thank you
I learned about this tragedy through a ballad we read in German class in 7th or 8th grade. Theodor Fontane's "John Maynard", which is based on the Erie fire (though leads to a different outcome than in reality). I just found out that poem is found on the commemorative bronze plaque that was placed in Buffalo in 1997
Alcohol and nausea... what a great way to ruin pretty much everything. That makes me sick to think about it and I'm in my kitchen where everything is perfectly still. 😅
Almost cried a couple times in this. From jerome pushing the kid ahead of him and risking even more severe burns to get the kid out, to Johnson willingly leaving the relative safety of the lifeboat to find mrs lynde, to the chief engineer doing his best to get some sort of flotation to the three children, the the Wheelsman manning his post amidst the conflagration in an attempt to get the boat as close to shore as possible. As with many of these disasters, how many heroes do we not hear about? for every heroic person that survives to tell, how many die in their actions?
Sadly, for every Erie or Birkenhead, there have been a dozen SS Arctics, Medusas, and such other displays of cowardice. Yet whenever I'm told of a story in which gallantry prevailed over barbarity, I feel the light of hope burning brighter
Fun fact: The German author and poet Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) wrote a ballade about this tragedy in 1886, but with an altered story. It’s titled “John Maynard” and tells the story of the helmsman of the same name. The “Erie” is named “Schwalbe” (translating to “Swallow”) there and John Maynard gives his life to save everyone on board. It remains quite popular for children in Middle School here in Germany. Usually it’s taught in about 7th grade.
Interesting. I was born on erie's harbor and worked on a historical ship there as a teenager, but never heard of this story, nor the song. I live in germany now, will check the song out. ;)
@@sirensynapse5603It's not a song, it's a type of poem. But it's one of the few poems most Germans can propably quote from.
I just read the poem (translated) online. It was very touching, although it was a happier end than the true story.
Wow! That's cool, thanks for sharing!
Actually there is a German Musician who wrote a song using this poem
Artist: Achim Reichel
Songtitle: John Maynard
I'm pretty sure it's on YT. 😊
You know it’s gonna be a great day when you see a Big Old Boats video uploaded less than 5 minutes ago. All the sacrifices to algorithm gods paid off!
Do I dare ask who or what you sacrificed to accomplish this?
F’in A RIGHT!!! 🕺🏼💪🏻
@@Daniel_Huffman Shhhh
AGREED!!
One day late dammit
Wooden ship, new coat of paint, flammable materials stored in the worst place possible. Just a disaster waiting to happen.
Also a ship catching fire while also being the middle of a big storm. That sounds like one of the most terrifying things imaginable.
That's why mariners and sailors always consider fire the number enemy despite being in the middle of a giant amount of water.
Multiples amplify risk in theses situation
Well, it’s not really like there was any other type of ship when the Erie was built. Lack of understanding of metallurgy meant that it would be roughly another three decades before iron hulled ships really began to be built, first for warships and later for merchant ships. And wood was still a common material for ship construction up until about WWI.
the ship The Donia Paz~ Philippines 4000 people aboard hit a oil tanker head on :: carrying oil, kerosene. liquid propane,,, all that ended up in the water A Blaze:: and all the people Ended up in the Water A Blaze:: only 24 survivors i think in the late 1980's
> Also a ship catching fire while also being the middle of a big storm. That sounds like one of the most terrifying things imaginable
See also: SS Morro Castle, which also burned during a storm. Not a lot of fun, for sure...
A lesser known fact:
The conflagration of the steamship Erie has also memoralized in german litrature. The events are the base for the ballad "John Maynard" by the poet and novellist Theodor Fontane.
"Pretty much _everything_ in this story is named 'Erie'."
How... _eerie._
There's, like, 8 things named Erie, including the 3 previous ships that had the name.
Oh my, I really didn’t expect so many to be lost on this passenger ship. It always seems like it would be so easy to escape, but that’s probably the same attitude that led to lack of safety protocols and so many lost souls.
"They reached out for a better life. Only to be cut down by the careless cruelty of fate."
That's very powerful. This quote will forever stay with me.
I have spent enough time out on Lake Erie and the Niagara River at this point in my life to have great respect for these waters. Amazing video as always!
I grew up on Lake Michigan and I have a lot of respect for that lake.
@@christinagowan8116same! As a teenager I was first mate on a salmon charter boat! Two trips on and off the lake every day! The middle of the summer was the worst because we had to chase the salmon out a couple miles! It was always nice to step back on the dock at the end of the day! Got some crazy stories!
@@denniscrane9753 Oh I bet.
@@christinagowan8116 Lake Michigan demands respect on/from all shores. BTDT and have lost a friend/coworker who tried to save another while swimming (!) on the Michigan side. I wouldn't be. Knee deep in that cold water is enough for me.
I live in Western PA in an 1840s tavern & inn, and I go to Erie and Buffalo often, so this story was especially interesting to me. It's possible that some of the people who took these ships stayed at my house back then.
If the inn's original guest books still survive, it might be interesting to try and find out if any of the passengers aboard the _Erie_ actually _did_ stay there.
@@Nitrinoxus they do not survive sadly
@@JonathonDenson That's unfortunate.
@@JonathonDenson congratulations on your historic house.
people always think they can swim if they were at this sinking. But most forget. That most couldn’t swim or clothing they wear would help you sink.
Yeah one thing I learned int eh Army... certain kinds of clothes... you might as well be wearing cement. First thing in drown-proofing class... is to drop the parts of your clothing that weigh you down. Problem these people had... they didn't really have the idea or ability to.
Yeah, it’s difficult to think of some of the ladies, in particular, being able to get rid of their skirts, petticoats, corsets, etc. Glad I’m living in this century (and can swim)!
I’m an ok swimmer, and I’ve tried swimming in clothes and shoes, it’s near impossible. Best bet is trying to float
@@Balrog-tf3bgyep as long as you can stay buoyant you’ll be kinda uncomfortable but survive
Nothing like waking up to a brand new Big Old Boats video. Your soothing voice makes even the most horrifying stories easy to relax to.
the careless cruelty of fate, coupled with the careless cruelty of men
whose prime thought was for profit.
Every safety rule, regulation and law is written in the blood of the dead. It is appalling how operators of passenger ships permitted all manner of unsafe practices that eventually cost the lives of both passengers and crew. A truly horrific tragedy.
I watch the Big Old Boats videos because the narrator is talented in voice and cadence as well as a being a hard working naval historian and writer. He does a thorough job when researching each topic and is very good at formulating his story on paper before presenting it to us.
However, everyone of his videos is a tragedy, just like life, because life is a tragedy.
The older I get the more I realize how good the 1980s was and how the future looks so bleak. Just like looking at the stories of the boats which survived the world wars, they are a story of better days and how much time and the advent of air travel destroyed ship borne, ocean going, travel. The beautiful and opulent ships of our past have gone to the wayside.
This is just one of many horrible stories from the age of steam and sail.
Though a fire at sea is on of the worst stories any on can invision, even in their imagionation.
Another great presentation. With the B&W imagery you can get a sense of the tragedy without having to witness the floating bodies that show up on many disaster channels. Thanks for a concise and terrifying voice-over with no screaming or repetitive doom-laden narrative. Always look forward to you videos!
Great work Big Old Boats! RIP to all those souls lost so long ago. Thanks for shedding lights on this disaster.
I had never heard of the Erie (the ship) before. I truly love your dedication to maritime history on this channel. Concise, but detailed and respectful of the dead - NOT all about the drama. Truly one of my favourite channels. Utterly brilliant. Thank you for such fascinating content. Always know I'm going to be watching the peak of CZcams content when a 'Big Old Boats' video drops. Thanks again x❤
Wow! The heroism displayed by some of the crew members brought tears to my eyes. The young man who tried to keep the boat heading inshore was, and is, surely a hero. Rest in Peace, all.
This man is masterfully skilled at making videos
Lived around these waters my entire life. Finally one about my stomping grounds.
To live near a Great Lake is to learn quickly to love them. I've boated, fished, or sailed on all but Superior and mostly on Lake Huron. Prefer them to the oceans by far. Guess we were born lucky.
That we were.
@@johncmitchell4941growing up close to Superior was fun
Those paints were most certainly linseed oil based because of their preservative effects on wood and canvas. BUT they used lead as an aggressive drying agent and mildewcide. Rapid drying causes heat and spontaneous combustion of oil soaked rags if they are improperly stored. I’m guessing that placement by other heat sources and open sparks from coal firing and stored next to flammable solvents is a textbook definition of “improperly stored.” I can’t say that this is what happened that night but the time frame seems about right from the time they would have been stowed away to the time of the fire.
In 1841 the odds are that the Str. ERIE burned wood rather than coal to heat her boilers.
Good point! And a quite a source of the occasional airborne burning ember.
I’m still impressed with its performance as a steamship at the time. Except for that fire thing of course.
@@AML-FRL Hence the 'Indian feathers' on many steamers stacks, to try and lift them clear of the decks
“Red, lurid flames”, describes this terrible sad history on Lake Erie. I can only imagine the desperation these people went through. Thank you for sharing and remembering the lost souls of this historic story.
The term tea for the evening meal is still used in certain sections of the UK.
Dude ths Musical intro make this looks like a horror movie
Well.. I mean.... it was pretty horrific.
@@marhawkman303 a fair point
I've never heard of this ship fire excellent video thanks for sharing
just like happened to the ss sultana
Such a great channel. The feeling you build in the first moments of the video is incredible. Great editing and sound design.
I was so excited to see a new Big Old Boats video! Made my day.
Watching this while looking at Lake Erie interesting
It feels as though shipwreck stories from this era are widely forgotten about and relegated to the backdrop of history in favor of more dramatic stories from the earlier days of sail and later days of ocean liners
I wonder how many drowned simply because they could not swim
Thanks for posting ❤
Just curious, is there a typo?: 52-foot cylinder (10-foot stroke) with a beam of 27+ feet? Great vid!
52 foot cylinder with a 10 foot stroke? That doesn't make sense. Do you mean a 52 inch diameter cylinder by any chance?
lol, simple slip up. Imagine if that was how big it was though
You know it’s a good day when bob❤ uploads
Hey, I don't know if this is exactly up your alley, but you should consider looking into the Last Island Hurricane of 1856. It split an entire Louisiana resort island in half, and a ship called The Star nearly sailed into the hurricane while rescuing survivors
Their is huge percentage of people that are truly unaware how quickly Lake Erie can go from a casual day on the lake to praying you can just make it around the point of Rondeau hoping the swells won't swamp you as you power up and down fighting to get into Erieau or at least Rondeau Bay... I know.. each Great Lake have their stories. Erie is the sleeper... she's the shallowest** of all the lakes. Southern Ontario is farm land. So when the weather patterns mix with the cooler temp out of the Hudson the winds rip across the farm land in a matter of minutes the weather turns violent. Just relaxing on the beach... we have known from decades of experience. On a hot sunny day, not a dark cloud in the sky. When you feel the temperature drop... cool breeze rolls in. You start packing your beach bags and chairs. So many times we have just made back to the cottage when a violent storm opened up.
The Great Lakes have another phenomena; Cross-Chop Waves that are known as: "The three sisters". Waves the build on each other in a cris-cross. They build the the strength for the bigger sister and she hits with a heavy punch... In my opinion these was, and the can come in bunches
** At the 15:34 mark, pause the video. Look closely at the lake map all those number are lake depts.. Thought I was kidding about Erie being really shallow
Perfect for a bus ride to work!
I'm on a streetcar, but same! 😊
Thanks for the upload, BoB. Take care, fair winds
I love your stories thank you so much you do a great job.
I grew up in Syracuse NY and learned a lot about the Erie Canal! I have an ancestor that worked one of the locks. Great video! ❤
THANK YOU "big ole boats for another wonderful video....great research....thank you
just finished a match of Ships Of Glory and then I see this! awesome
Have fun 😉👍
Simply awesome work and channel, thank you for making my morning! Greetings from Winnipeg. It would be great to see a story about Lake Winnipeg some day! ( if you havent sailed that body of water yet) . Cheers.
In 2024 we have no experience to guide our interpretation of the safety failures of this loss. We know to separate combustible fume sources from open flames by warning labels on containers.‡ Such warnings simply didn't exist in the early 1800s. What was the source of the sparks? Was the boiler's fire an open grating, or did the sparks descend from the smokestacks? Hindsight is always 20:20.
__________
‡) For example, if you use dryer sheets, check to see if the box has a printed warning about flammable fumes from the an open box of sheets and the flame of a water heater, gas dryer, or furnace.
From what I know of the old lake and river steamships, it could have been either. What fuel would she have used, coal or wood? If wood, then definitely risky
I've spent a fair bit of time on Lake Erie.
It's insane how fast she can whip up and how violent even 4 or 5 foot waves can be.
Hey, this isn't a wreck, but did you know that there's still an extant Edwardian steamer from the Great Lakes? The boating museum in Kingston, Ontario has the S.S. Keewatin (I think I spelled that right), and you can take 1.5 hour tours of the passenger quarters, or .5 hour tours of the engine rooms!
"Hot and stormy"
This is why I live where the air is more diffuse and hurts my face.
Thank you! God bless you.. I am a Clevelander from birth
, from immigrants from Ireland and Italy thru Ellis Island. What can I say. MY CHILDREN KNOW MUCH OF OUR HERITAGE. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS!
We got a local story today. Hell yeah 716 👍
"Pretty much everything in this story is named Erie" That's kind of eerie.
I'm eerie that you think Erie is eerie.
My ancestors owned a shipbuilding company alongside Erie in Ohio around this time. Yards formerly in Vermillion and Lorain.
Thanks for this video. My great grandad x 4 was a badass.
I love your ouro, it's like waking up to clear skies and sunshine after a nightmare. =)
Captivating as always, thank you again.
Atlantic paddle steamers, especially of the Fall River Line used Walking Beam Engines into the late 1920s. Ships like the Steamship Commonwealth were huge and extremely successful ships, and ships like the famous "Portland" which gave it's name to the November Gale that destroyed her. Walking Beam Engines were very much successful on the Atlantic.
Beautifully told. Thank you.
Big old Boats and @brickimmortar are releasing the Most captivating and enjoyable maritime-related Videos on this Platform imo.
Your voice, the chosen Background music... I cant get enough of it.
Keep Up the awesome Work!
Greetings from Germany
Incredible story.
Very well done!
Thank you!
This channel is amazing! As always, very, very well done.
just everything in this story was named "Erie" lol
Nice to discover another Keaton fan.
Bradley, this is the USS Cod. We had a CZcams collaboration proposal we wanted to run by you. We’re big fans of your channel. Our contact info is on our Cod CZcams page.
We're a bunch of geeks aren't we....
It's heartbreaking to think of their terror and suffering. The poignant closing says it all. May their souls rest in peace.
This channel and Elinor’s Shipwreck Sunday are 2 of my favorite marine disaster channels.
You might wanna try Oceanliner Designs and Brick Immortar if you're not familar with them already
@@patanouketgersiflet9486 excellent suggestions! Maritime Horrors and Part Time Explorer are also good.
Since you’re a fan of Brick Immortar, you must check out Rotten Mango’s deep dive on the Seoul Ferry Disaster as well as their coverage of those tangentially connected to the Ferry, which was built with cult labor.
@@patanouketgersiflet9486 I am familiar. Both great channels. This sector is one of the best on YT..These amateurs historians dig deep and have great productions. Give my girl a try. She is a young mom who throws down in detail and perspective on both military and civilian wrecks.
I’m checking out her vid on the Eastman next
@@seppo532 cool. Tell your channel peers. She definitely has a unique style.
Being from the area, I have had heard of the Erie before, but all I knew was that it sank off Dunkirk in 1841 while carrying a bunch of German immigrints because someone kicked over a can of turpentine. It was interesting to learn the whole story.
Great video as always! Some time ago I learned about this disaster as there is a german poem called "John Maynard" which is inspired by the Erie. The poem was written by famous german poet Theodor Fontane, her lerned about this sinking and that so many germans lost their lives here so he created this poem. The ballad praises John Maynard, helmsman of the passenger ship "Schwalbe" on Lake Erie, where fire breaks out near the end of a voyage from Detroit to Buffalo. John Maynard remains at his post “in smoke and fire” until the ship reaches shore, saving everyone at the cost of his own life. So here in this poem the helmsman is called John Maynard and the ship is the "Schwalbe". I know the ballad since my childhood, I even play John Maynard in a school play but when I already knew much about the great lakes, I was interested in why a german poem from 1800 took place on an american lake, so I looked it up and found out that Mr. Fontane was Inspired by this. I just find stuff like this very interesting.
Thank you for sharing this. Very interesting.
@@kimfleury no problem😁
Amazing storytelling about a heart wrenching event.
Say Erie again!
I love the music so much.
Excellent video! Such a sad and tragic story. You have made a very fine tribute to these people who perished and were nearly forgotten.
Big Old Boats, really enjoy your videos!!!
Some of the steamboats shown in this video are at:
1:13 Str. COMMONWEALTH's gothic saloon [1855]. She burned at her Groton, Conn. dock on December 29, 1865.
4:48 Str. NORTH RIVER STEAMBOAT. Drawing by Samuel Ward Stanton who died on the TITANIC.
6:26 February 7, 1891, Scientific American's illustration of the Fall River Line Str. PURITAN's compound working [aka walking] beam engine - largest such engine ever built [same steamboat, in the East River, shown on my attached icon].
7:28 photograph reversed; other side of the two doors shown in this image are shown at 7:40 of unknown Western River steamer - the 7:40 picture has "OFFICE" clearly spelt out.
16:04 Hudson River Str. DEAN RICHMOND gallery deck, looking forward [with fake fire].
18:20 Str. DEAN RICHMOND gallery deck, looking forward [without fake fire].
A little bit of general information: Steamboats of the 19th & early 20th centuries usually had "Ladies Cabins" for unescorted women who wished the seclusion; freight of such vessels was usually stored on the main deck forward being rolled on & off by hand-trucks; & seldom were stern-wheelers used on the Great Lakes.
Again, you do a great job with your videos,
AML-FRL😀
czcams.com/users/sgaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f600.png
Just found your channel the other day the stories are great,well narrated use to help me drift off to sleep and i don't mean they are boring.
I really enjoyed this story. The est the information is presented is even handed and not dramatic to give false interpretation. I am so glad I found this channel.
Love the stories, Bob.
You could say this one was quite Erie... I'll see myself out
Ha ... no pun intended.
😂😂
I love the Great Lakes stories. I was born in Dunkirk NY
Incredibly somber and well done! Your videos are always a bright spot in my day, keep up the good work!!
These documentaries just keep getting better and better!Loving it ❤ Good job!❤🍁
I’m driving past Lake Erie right now when this popped up on my feed. Just passed Portland.
Update- Passing Silver creek as the video got to the location after the flames started. Kinda spooky
15:26 I love the quick shot of Kenneth Moore in the water.
Those old steamboats were always blowing up all the time.😮
This one made the hairs stand up on my neck. Well told, sir
The glorious rich details of the first class accommodations were beyond words.
Oh boy, that opening country song. That gets my "toughened Cowboy" bones tingling.
The thumbnail is on the wall at the lighthouse in Dunkirk, just a handful of miles southwest of the wreck location.
The whole thing is horrific but imagine the women who thought they would float but just sank immediately due to the clothes without a second to think
In those times, steamboats were the rockets of their day. So imagine cramming so many souls aboard a SpaceX lunch or, horrors, a Boeing Starliner, at this point in their respective development processes. What would you expect to happen? There were countless such disasters in the early days of steam on just rivers, not to mention the Great Lakes or the actual oceans.
May they all rest in peace❤
Excellent documentary and a very poignant conclusion. Well done 👍
Well done, perfect mix of visuals, music and narration.
Love this station
Appreciate your work making these. I believe drowning would be one of the worst ways to go. Maybe not so much for the person as for family that has no body for to have a funeral and closure. It's the unknown that's fearful. God bless!
A terrible end for a beautiful ship - and a truly harrowing story. It brought the 'General Slocum' disaster back to mind, having seen that on youtube a while back. And, as both you and several people rightly say, there were some very brave men in her crew.
I'm intrigued by the (presumably) silent movie shipwreck drama you use for these films. Which film is it from?
A great programme, very well, movingly and compassionately told. Thank you
I learned about this tragedy through a ballad we read in German class in 7th or 8th grade. Theodor Fontane's "John Maynard", which is based on the Erie fire (though leads to a different outcome than in reality). I just found out that poem is found on the commemorative bronze plaque that was placed in Buffalo in 1997
Heartbreaking but superbly narrated . Thank you from London.
A sad story but beautifully told! Thank you.
Alcohol and nausea... what a great way to ruin pretty much everything. That makes me sick to think about it and I'm in my kitchen where everything is perfectly still. 😅
Jeez that opening music got me on edge right away