Canadian/U.S. Neighbours To Remember Century-Old Coastguard Vessel Disaster Off Shores of Lake Erie

Historical group to unveil plaque memorializing sacrifice of six U.S. coastguardsmen 99 years ago – and you are invited

This Post submitted to Niagara At Large by Paul Kassay

FORT ERIE, Ontario– It took six years and a lot of help from generous donors on both side of the border, but a small group of Canadian history buffs has achieved their goal of creating a plaque to memorialize the sacrifice of six U.S. coastguardsmen who sacrifice their lives during a Lake Erie storm almost 100 years ago.

The ill-fated U.S.Coastguard vessel that sank in a storm off Fort Erie 99 years ago, taking all its crew with it.

The plaque will be unveiled during a public ceremony Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. at Waterfront Park, in Crystal Beach.

“We’re so excited,” says Rick Doan, who, together with fellow Fort Erie residents Paul Kassay and John Robbins, is a member of the LV-82 Group. 

“The story of LV-82 is one of duty, courage and ultimate sacrifice.  It’s an important piece of local history and it will finally be publicly memorialized so that these heroes will not be forgotten.”

The text of the plaque reads:

In Memory of Light Vessel 82 and its Crew, In November 1913 a White Hurricane Storm battered the waters of Lake Erie for three days. The United States Lighthouse Service’s Light Vessel 82 and its crew of six were duty bound to remain on station during this storm, to warn other ships of the dangerous rocky shoals off Point Abino. The 35-foot-high waves combined with the 80 mph winds proved too much and the anchored ship and crew were pulled beneath the cold, dark waters around November 10 1913. LV-82 was built in Muskegon, Michigan by Racine-Truscott-Shell Boat Co. in 1912. Made of steel with a whaleback design, it was about 100 feet long and 21 feet at the beam. A 90 hp steam engine powered its five foot cast iron propeller. The ship was fitted with a fog signal, a submarine bell, a hand-operated bell, a steam anchor and a cluster of lenses, each providing 180 candle power. The search began immediately and the ship was finally located on May 9 1914. No remains were found until one year later, when the body of Charles Butler washed up in the Buffalo harbor and was identified by his wife. LV-82 was replaced with other USLH Service Vessels off Point Abino until 1917-18 when the Canadian government erected the Point Abino Lighthouse, a gleaming white structure, containing a 3rd order Fresnel lens and a Diaphone Fog Alarm. The Lighthouse was declared a National Historic Site in 1998.

The Light Vessel sailors who sacrificed their lives were: Captain Hugh M. Williams from Manistee, Michigan Chief Engineer Charles Butler from Buffalo, New York, Assistant Engineer Cornelius Leahy from Elyria, Ohio, Mate Andrew Leahy from Elyria, Ohio (Cornelius’ brother), Seaman Willaim Jensen from Muskegon, Michigan, Cook Peter Mackey from Buffalo, New York.

This storm on the Great Lakes killed and estimated 240 people and sank 19 ships. Doan, Kassay and Robbins first got the idea of a public memorial to Lightship 82 in 2006 from John Robbins, reporter and proposed the concept of a monument or plaque to the Town of Fort Erie.

Over the years, they spent many hours researching the story of the ship and its crew and designing the plaque.

Money to pay the roughly $3,000 cost was made possible through the generous contributions of: United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association, United States Coast Guard Sector Buffalo Chiefs Mess, Cathy Herbert, Fred and Janet Truckenbrodt, The Crystal Beach Candy Company, Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society, Town of Fort Erie, Friends of Crystal Beach.

 The plaque is made of aluminum and measures 30 X 24 inches.

It will be permanently displayed at Waterfront Park in Crystal Beach, which is also the location of a propeller from the SS Canadiana. The propeller was salvaged and preserved by Doan and Kassay back in 2005.

Members of the community are invited to attend the plaque unveiling, during which representatives of the US Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard, politicians, donors and members of local community groups are expected to be in attendance.

Says Paul Kassay: “It is hoped also that any descendents of the deceased sailors just might read this story and want to be in attendance.”

We hope you will be able to publicize this event in an upcoming broadcast/edition and send someone from your media outlet to attend on the big day.

 Waterfront Park is located on Lake Erie, at the southernmost end of Ridgeway Road, in Crystal Beach, just west of the Palmwood Hotel.

(Paul Kassay is a Fort Erie, Ontario resident and long-time  advocate for preserving and honouring our heritage in the greater Niagara region.)

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