Wreck of the Schooner "Asp" in 1820

 Salmon River Shipwreck Took Seven Lives

By Richard F. Palmer

   The month of October, now gone by, has been a season of more distressing accidents on these Lakes than any month, or any season, that can now be recalled to memory.’’ -- Canadian Argus and Niagara  Spectator, (Niagara-on-the-Lake), November 2, 1820.

    It was October 9, 1820, and a severe gale had swept across Lake Ontario death and destruction in its wake. Sensing trouble might prevail in Mexico Bay, a graveyard of ships, Captain John Ripson  swept

his telescope over the broad expanse of the raging lake when he spotted distress signals in the distance.

    From his cottage at Selkirk near today’s Port Ontario, he couldn’t see clearly enough through the storm the origin of these signals. But as dawn broke, his fears were confirmed. It was a small ship that had lost its course on the lake en route from Queenston to Kingston.

    Getting together a group of six neighbors — all seasoned sailors and fishermen — he launched a yawlboat into the surf. The ship had grounded on a sand bar near the mouth of the Salmon River.  The most complete account of the shipwreck is contained in article in the Cleveland Weekly Herald of November 14, 1820. The ship proved to be the 57-ton schooner Asp, owned at Niagara on the Lake by Thomas Racey. 

    Liverpool, (Onondaga County) N. Y. Oct. 16 

      DISTRESSING SHIPWRECK--A Gentleman who arrived at this place yesterday from Salmon River, gives the following account of the loss of the British schooner ASP, of Fort George,(Newark) Captain Prosser, from Newark bound to Kingston. At day-break on Thursday morning last, blowing a gale from the N.W. a vessel was descried in the offing from the mouth of the Salmon River. At 8 o'clock she had driven in on the bar, and appeared to be a schooner with both masts alongside. 

    A man was seen standing at her night-head, making some feeble signals of distress. We immediately manned a boat from the river, and several attempts were made to gain the wreck, but all in vain, the sea breaking over her in the most frightful manner. At 1 o'clock, the wind in some manner abated, we succeeded in boarding the wreck, and brought off James Young, seaman, and Miss Jane Gibson, an Irish lady, passenger, the only two survivors out of 11 souls who left Fort George on monday morning last.     

    The lady was found lashed to the windlass, much bruised and in a state of insensibility. Young was apparently in a state of great exhaustion, kneeling by the hause hole with a turn of cable around his waist. He had a finger broken on one hand, and a thumb on the other, and was otherwise much bruised. Young was a seaman, 35 years of age. The lady was returning from Queenston, U.C. to Quebec, on her way to Ireland--a gold watch which she carried in her bosom, the only article she had saved, the cabin being washed open, and dead lights stove in by the sea. 

    All the passengers baggage is supposed to have been lost. She states that she is 24 years of age--that she had been on a visit to her brother at Queenston, who died in May last--that there were several other passengers on board, five of whom, including a man, wife, and child, died in the cabin before the schooner righted. She gives the following account of the loss of the vessel:- Left Newark on Monday morning, with light breezes and pleasant weather. Monday night, light air and calm--on Tuesday morning at sun-rise, a small cloud was seen in the N.W. 

    The Captain said we should have a squall, and ordered the sails reefed--at half past 8 o'clock the squall commenced, with such violence we were obliged to lay to, and did not bear away until Wednesday morning about 8 o'clock, when it supposed the gale was over--in less than two hours it commenced to blow again, with redoubled violence-- Hove to, and continued to lie by until we capsized. Before noon the schooner had sprung a leak---the leak continued to gain on the pumps until the staves were all afloat in the hold. 

      About 12 o'clock, P.M. the cabin bulkhead started, and the staves floated into the cabin. At 3 o'clock A.M., the vessel being completely waterlogged, fell over on her beam-ends--the lanyards were soon cut away, and she righted with the loss of her masts--the captain continued at the helm, until back water rendered it useless--he then observed, the windlass was then all that could save us. And all that were on deck immediately crowded around it; but the cold fresh water broke over us continually; death soon began to thin our numbers. 

    Capt. Prosser was the last to die; about 5 o'clock he said he was numb and must die--he soon after observed that land was in sight, which were the last works he spoke. he was in every respect, as far as I am capable of judging, an active, skillful seaman, and a valuable young man.--he was married only the week before, to a young lady in the neighborhood of Fort Erie. 

John McCollum, John Enock, passengers lost; a man, wife and child, names not known, one passenger, name not known; Capt. Prosser, ---- Oliver, seaman Cook, names not known. The dead bodies, nine in number, were all found in and about the wreck, and have been decently interred at the mouth of the Salmon River. 

     This was  the same vessel that, when called the Elizabeth, was captured by the U. S. Navy along with two other schooners, the Mary Hatt and Two Brothers during the American attack on Kingston on November 10, 1812. It was a sloop, or single-masted vessel, until converted to a schooner rig by the U.S. Navy.  It was built at at Kingston in 1808 and used in commercial trade on Lake Ontario, including transportation of salt from Oswego.   In the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 1, P. 68 we find:

   “Schooner ASP a three gun U. S. Naval vessel, formerly the Canadian Merchantman ELIZABETH. She had been captured by GROWLER in 1812. Purchased from the Prize Court February 6, 1813, fitted out and placed under the command of Lieutenant S. Smith. During 1813 she participated in the attacks on York, (Toronto) April 27 and 30 July; Fort George, Ontario May 27 and in three skirmishes with the British lake fleet Aug. 7-11 and Sept. 11 and 28. ASP was sold at Sackets Harbor, N. Y., May 15, 1815. She was armed with one 32-pounder smooth bore, and two 6-pounder smooth bores.” 

     The Asp and the other schooners became American transports for troops and stores. On one occasion,  on November 17, 1813, she assisted in transporting 1,100 of General William Henry Harrison’s troops from the mouth of the Genesee River to Sackets Harbor. Asp never again saw combat and, apparently, served through the remainder of the war as a transport. 

     The Kingston Gazette of June 30, 1815 advertised:

FOR SALE.

    A fast sailing schooner lying at Sacket’s Harbor, about 60 tons burthen. She has undergone a thorough repair, and corked from knee to gunnel, and is tight. Her sails and rigging new, and in complete order. She was built at Kingston and called ELIZABETH of Kingston, when captured by the Americans. Any person to purchase will call upon Geo. Armstrong or Capt. Vaughn, Sackets Harbor.

She was finally sold at Sackets Harbor and returned to Canadian ownership.

Like so many other vessels, she returned to the commercial trade as a packet and freight carrier after the War of 1812 hostilities had ceased. The early sailing vessels were called packets as they transported both freight and passengers.

    This detailed letter dated Richland, N.Y., October 16, 1820 was written by Oswego County Coroner and District Attorney James F. Wright to Thomas Racey of Niagara, owner of the Asp, as published in the Kingston Chronicle on November 3, 1820. Racey was a involved in the mercantile and lumber business. 

    Dear Sir: 

    The schooner Asp, commanded by Capt. Prosser, was wrecked near the mouth of Salmon River at this place on Thursday morning last. All on board perished except one seaman named James Young and a lady (a passenger) about 24 years of age from whom I learned the vessel belonged to you. An inquest was held on the bodies found (seven in number) before me, as Coroner of this county: and by law of this state it becomes my duty to take possession of the wreck which I found in a most deplorable condition. 

    Her masts and spars hung by the rigging around her sides — her deck completely swept of everything — her hull split nearly from stem to stern — the planks off her sides in many places — the cabin completely broke. I fear the vessel is worth no more than her irons. I have saved the greatest part of the rigging, with the anchor and cable. The sails are torn to pieces and of no manner of use. The staves that were in the hold have been got on shore, and secured in a convenient place for reloading on board another vessel; and the principle part of the deck freight has been picked up along shore.

    About 20 dollars in money has been found in the captain’s pocket; also his watch — his trunk, which was washed out of the cabin before the vessel went ashore; and almost everything else.

  From what I can learn, the vessel on Wednesday sprung a leak and nearly filled, then capsized, and lay on her beam end, until she twisted off her masts, and then righted. During this time, a gentleman, his wife and little girl, were drowned in the cabin and a young man was washed from the deck soon after she righted. The vessel at this time lay off Long Point, about 20 miles from the Ducks, the sea making a complete breach over her during the night.

  Five persons perished on deck. The captain died about day break, and was washed off deck after the vessel struck shore. She drifted onto this shore about 10 a.m. The dead were decently interred. The little girl and young man who were washed from the deck have not yet been found. I believe that everything has been done for the benefit of the owners and the comfort of the survivors.

                                    ____

                                        LINES 

      (Written to the tune "The Cruel Mother-in-Law") 

      Composed on the Ship-wreck of the Schooner ASP, 

      COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN PROSSER 

Driven on the Bar, near the Mouth of Salmon River, (L. Ontario) - 12th Oct, 1820 

      BY LEVI TRYON (1785-1860). 

1. From Queenstown we set sail, 

      With merry hearts; 

      'Twas with a pleasant gale 

      We then did start; 

      For Kingston we did steer, 

      Had nothing then to fear, 

      Our hearts it then would cheer 

      To gain that port. 

2. We had not sailed long, 

      In this our pride - 

      There'll be a dreadful storm, 

      The Captain cri'd: - 

      And we our sails must reef, 

      To save us from the deep; 

      If we expect relief, 

      Our deck must be clear. 

3. The winds began to blow, 

      The swell did arise, 

      Which fill'd each heart with woe 

      And great surprise; 

      Soon death will be our fate, 

      And shocking to relate - 

      Now of our future state, 

      God only knows. 

4. Our vessel springs a leak, 

      While on the swell; 

      Such horror does bespeak, 

      As none can tell: - 

      Such crying in distress, 

      As no one can express - 

      Each one did then address, 

      The Throne of Grace. 

5 With sorrow we relate, 

      Three of them fell, 

      All victims to the fate, 

      While on the swell: - 

A husband and his wife, 

And child deprived of life, 

Have left a world of strife, 

      And friends to mourn. 

6 For death let us prepare, 

      Said Henry Wales, 

      For this will be our share, 

      And without fail 

      Our vessel will capsize, 

      And we shall lose our lives; 

      And these were still our cries, 

      Lord save our souls. 

7 Then to our great surprise, 

      As we did ride, 

      The vessel did capsize, 

      Down on her side; 

      And then she righted up, 

      To face the storm. 

8 And thus, in solemn prayer; 

      Young Wales did speak; 

      Lord, let us be thy care, 

      While on this wreck - 

      And guide us safe to port, 

      Into the holy court, 

      Where mercy reigns. 

9 Farewell my parents dear, 

      He then did say; 

      For me shed not a tear, 

      Though long I stay; - 

      For I shall be at peace, 

      Where all my troubles cease; 

In a better world than this, 

      At God's right hand. 

10 Farewell my sister too, 

      For me don't mourn; 

      I bid you both adieu, 

      Ne'er to return; - 

      But may we meet again, 

      Where we with Christ shall reign, 

      To praise God's holy name 

      In worlds above. 

11 Of Wales, this was his last, 

      That we did hear; 

      Into the lake was cast, 

      As doth appear: - 

      Jane Gibson he did save, 

      Twice from the raging wave, 

      And in a watery grave, 

      Himself was lost. 

12 And all one stormy night, 

      No help could find; 

      We drove till morning light 

      By chilly winds: - 

      The Captain did reply, 

      I feel I must die, 

      And heav'd a parting sigh 

      And left the world. 

13 Two of eleven left, 

      Who did arrive - 

      Were found upon the wreck, 

      But just alive: - 

      Jane Gibson and James Young. 

      Outrode the raging storm; 

      Assistance then did come, 

      To their relief. 

14 Six men with courage bold, 

      Their lives did risk, 

      To save them from the main, 

      Three times they tried in vain, 

      And then return'd again, 

     And took them off. 

15 By Salmon river's side, 

      Those drowned lie - 

      Besmear'd with sand and blood, 

      W**d can't deny; - 

      No sermon, nor a prayer, 

      From W**d, who had the care, 

      The truth we do declare, 

      To his disgrace. 

16 Come all you young and old, 

      Who sail the lake, 

      Seek mercy for your souls, 

      Before too late; - 

      Repent, is the command, 

      As we do understand, 

      To all sea or land, 

      Or sink to woe. 

Levi Tryon lived along Lake Ontario at the time of the sinking of the Asp. He was born in Middletown, Connecticut, son of Revolutionary War Veteran Thomas Tryon and his wife, Sarah Curtis. The family first settled in Vernon, N.Y. and Thomas later came to what is now Oswego County, was twice married and died in Richland in 1860. Half-Shire Historical Society in Richland, N.Y. has an extensive genealogical  file on the family.