In his first-hand account of the sinking of his vessel, Captain Maclelland would write: “Everything seemed all right when we left the grounds off of Point Pelee late Saturday afternoon and started for Cleveland. It was blowing fairly hard but we were making out in good shape until about supper time. When I noticed we began to have a tougher time making headway and I wasn’t surprised when John Bourrie, the second mate, came in and said we were taking water over the side and down into the hold.”
Ship Name: Sand Merchant
Year Built: 1927
Nationality: Canada
Tonnage: 1981
Ship Type: Steel hulled Sand Dredge
Year Wrecked: 1936
Location Lost: Six Miles from Avon Point, Lake Erie
Reason For Wreck: Capsized in a Storm
Lives Lost: 19
Sources:
https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-star-journal-oct-20-1936-p-12/
https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-jun-27-1937-p-82/
https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/s/sand-merchant
http://www.eriewrecks.com/shipwrecks/smerchant/smerchant.html
https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-city-telegram-oct-19-1936-p-2/
https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-register-oct-20-1936-p-6/
https://newspaperarchive.com/somerset-daily-american-oct-19-1936-p-6/
https://newspaperarchive.com/mansfield-news-journal-oct-19-1936-p-1/
