Captain William T. Barnes

 [From the Oswego Palladium, Tuesday, September 2, 1890]


                          Remarkable Recollections

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Some Events in the Life History of an Oswego Man whose Record is Now Closed.

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   William T. Barnes, of Oswego, who expired at the age of 83 years in the Barley city Monday, had a history closely allied to matters regarding early navigation on the lakes and the St. Lawrence. He was aboard the Sir Robert Peel when she was attacked, saw the Britishers take Windmill Point, near Prescott, and superintended the construction of the machinery for the first steamer to run Galloup Rapids.



He was born at Pompey Hill, Onondaga county, N.Y., May 21st, 1807. He commenced learning blacksmith's trade in his native village, but having a desire to become a machinist went into the employ of Avery, Scoville & Lynds, of Syracuse. This enterprising firm had commenced the manufacture of engines and boilers for lake steamers. 

    In 1832 he went to Ogdensburg, and put up the machinery and boiler of the steamer United States, Capt. Elias Trowbridge, to run between Lewiston and Ogdensburg.

In the month of June, same year, he went on the steamer Caroline, which was built at Kingston in 1832, and was afterwards burned at Schlosser (Niagara Falls) in the Patriot War, and sent over the falls; after which he went to Clayton, N.Y. and set up the machinery and boiler for the steamer Black Hawk, Capt. Robert Hugunin, which came out in 1833. This steamer was afterwards called the Dolphin.

    He then went to Kingston and put the machinery and boiler in the steamer Enterprise, in 1834, to run on the Rideau canal; then went to Syracuse to superintend the construction of the machinery and boiler of the Canadian steamer Brockville, in January, 1834. This steamer was the first to run the Galloup rapids. The farmers were of the opinion that this boat could not return and ascend the swift current of these rapids, and a large number of them followed the boat down the river, and were surprised to see the steamer esteem the current and return.

    Mr. Barnes then went to Syracuse and superintended the construction of the engine and boiler of the steamer Oswego, for Captain Macy, built at Oswego in 1833. He put in the engines and boilers and started her running in May, 1834. During her first trip, May 14, 1834, in a heavy snowstorm she went ashore about six miles above Oswego. Macey, her captain, was a very inexperienced man, and Sprague, of Henderson, who was a mate and pilot, was seasick. The late Henry Stowell was porter and the late Henry Oakley of this city, was cook.

   The following is from the diary of Mr. Barnes:

    "In the spring of 1835, the Oswego was commanded by Capt. Homans and I was engineer. She went ashore on the 'Whale Back' and ran into Clayton and sank. The late W.S. Malcolm was captain of her in 1836. I then went on the Canadian steamer Sir Robert Peel, Capt. Armstrong, which ran between Prescott and Lewiston once a week, and every time we fell in with the steamer Great Britain, we had a race. Took fire four miles from Oswego, and came near burning. The Great Britain came alongside and put out our fire and went on.

    "While taking wood just above Alexandria Bay, at the Peel dock, our woodman told us that 'the rebel pirate, Bill Johnston, with a lot of men in disguise of Indians were waiting at a little cove just above us, and would soon be aboard, and take the steamer." They did come, fully armed with rifles and tomahawks, an we all ran for our dear lives. I went back after my things and rink that were back of the engine, but they would not let me have them and pricked my legs with bayonets to keep me away.

    "I immediately went on the steamer Dolphin, of the same company, as engineer, between Kingston and Dickinson's Landing. Before the burning of the Peel I received numerous anonymous letters advising me to leave the boat, as she certainly would be destroyed.

   “The Dolphin became a military transport, and was loaded with soldiers and munitions of war, and went to Dickinson's Landing and was ordered back to Prescott, landing the groups at Cornwall, who marched to Prescott. I left the boat at Cornwall, crossed the river to Waddington, and went by stage to Ogdensburg, opposite Prescott, in time to see the British fire into the old stone building at the Windmills. The same evening saw the British take Windmill Point. The next morning the prisoners were taken to Kingston on the steamer Brockville.

   "I then went to Oswego to put the engines and machinery of the old Oswego into the new steamer St. Lawrence, and was engineer of her in 1839-40." Mr. Barnes made the plans for the machinery and boilers for the steamer Ontario in 1847 and came out as her engineer in July 1848. He also made the plans for the machinery and boilers of the steamer Bay State and came out on her as engineer in 1849, and continued in that capacity until 1853, when he settled down in Oswego as a broker where he lived till his death. He leaves a wife and one son.                                

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