Sailing Adventures of Captain Hugh Clark Captain Emil W. Zuhlsdorff, Sr.
Sailing Adventures of Captain Hugh Clark
Captain Hugh Clarks first Home in Bay View (1889-1906)
316 East Clarence Street
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
Ships he captained while living in Bay View at 316 E. Clarence St. (1889-1906)
Above Left: The steamship Omaha, 1888-1889. Built out of wood by the Milwaukee Shipyard Company in 1887, 29 Hugh Clark had only lived at 316 E. Clarence St. for five weeks as captain of the Omaha when he was relieved in early 1889 to take command of the freighter Veronica. 30 Sailing adventures while captain: none discovered. Photo courtesy the Smithsonian Institution, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection.
Above Right: The steamship Veronica, 09 February 1889 – 25 October 1890; a bulk freighter, built by Milwaukee Shipyard Company (photo: Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit-Mercy, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection). Sailing adventures while captain: 07 May 1889, ran aground while exiting the harbor just past the entrance buoy at Cheboygan Point, Michigan, while fully loaded with coal, pulled off by a tug the next morning, no damage 31 ; 04 October 1889, ran aground leaving harbor at Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada, but was able to reverse engines and get off the sand bar on its own and proceed to its intended destination of Kingston, Ontario. 32
Above Left: The steamship Flint and Pere Marquette No. 2, 26 October 1890 – 05 September 1891 (photo: Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection); Sailing adventures while captain: 19 December 1890, disabled by a loose rudder in Michigan City, Indiana, and towed back to Milwaukee for repairs. 33
Above Right: The steamboat Cyclone, 05 September 1891 – September 1899 (drawing: Yenowine’s, 28 April 1891, pg. 5); Sailing adventures while captain: 24 September 1891, broke down in the middle of Lake Michigan while outbound from Saugatuck, Michigan, to Milwaukee with a load of peaches, towed the rest of the way to Milwaukee for repairs 34
Above Left: the Milwaukee Fire Department Fireboat No. 15, 1904; Sailing adventures while captain: none discovered.
Above Right: the Milwaukee Fire Department Fireboat No. 17, 1899, 1906: Sailing adventures while captain: none discovered.
Both photos courtesy the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University.
His Ships and Sailing Adventures Before Bay View
Ships he was officer aboard and captained (1877-88) before living in Bay View
Above Left: the steamship Minneapolis (built for Eber Brock Ward in 1873), 1877-79; Sailing adventures as “mate”: 23 January 1877, blocked in by ice at Grand Haven, Michigan 35 ; 13 March 1877, stuck in ice at Grand Haven, Michigan, pulled out by tug, sailed to Milwaukee, 12 inches of snow fell during this time 36;
Above Right: the steamship Menominee, 31 March 1880 - 03 May 1881; Sailing adventures as first officer: 18 October 1880, forced into Manitowoc harbor during huge storm 37 ; 22 October 1880, spotted wreckage from the Alpena after it sank in the middle of Lake Michigan 38 ; 10 December 1880, blocked from entering Grand Haven, Michigan, harbor by ice. 39
Both photos courtesy the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library; the Menominee courtesy the MacDonald Collection, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit.
Above Left: the steamship Oconto, 04 May 1881-1882; Sailing adventures as first officer: 11 May 1881, had to lay off Kewaunee due to fog 40 ; 28 November 1881, had to negotiate way through ice getting out of Green Bay enroute Chicago 41 Photo courtesy the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection.
Above right: the steamship Flint and Pere Marquette No. 1, 1883-84 (first officer), December 1884-15 September 1887 (captain), (photo: F.C. St. Clair, Great Lakes Historical Society, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection); Sailing adventures as captain: 01 January 1885, while attempting to enter port at Ludington, Michigan, during a huge gale, the ship was blown onto a sand bar which ripped open a hole in the hull. The wind then blew it off the sand bar and smashed it into one of the piers, making another hole. The wind then blew the ship off the pier and onto the beach where it sank in 14 feet of water, its cargo a total loss. One crewman was killed. Hugh Clark had just become captain (his first command) only a few weeks earlier. 42
The Sailing Adventures of Captain Emil W. Zuhlsdorff, Sr.
His First Home in Bay View (1889)
Kinnickinnic Avenue, Intersection of Becher and Bay Streets (torn down)
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
Unknown, though he was likely a junior officer since he just moved here from Cleveland and became a captain the next year in 1890. His ship(s) while living here are unknown.
His Second Home in Bay View (1890-94)
2208 South Robinson Street (torn down)
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
Unknown, though he was likely lake captain for duration, being confirmed as a lake captain during two of the four years here. His ship(s), however, are unknown.
His Third Home in Bay View (1895-96)
2379 South Williams Street
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
1895: ship unknown, captain, adventures unknown
Above: the steamship Flint and Pere Marquette No. 2, 1896, mate; was killed aboard on 17 September 1896 in Milwaukee harbor when he slipped and fell into an open hatch. He suffered internal injuries and died an hour later. Photo: Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection.
His Ships and Sailing Adventures Before Bay View
Unknown. He was living in Cleveland, Ohio, and a “sailor” since 1875. He became a “lake captain” in 1880, then a “mate” in 1882, then a “captain” again in 1884. His ship(s) for all of these years is unknown, thus any sailing adventures aboard are unknown.