Following the completion of the Erie Canal from Albany to
Buffalo, New York, Lake Erie became an important link in an
all-water route for immigrants traveling from the eastern
seaboard into the Midwest. The 600-ton lake steamer G.P. Griffith,
launched in 1847, was one of dozens built to capitalize on
this booming trade. On June 17, 1850, the Griffith, outbound
with more than 300 passengers on a three day voyage from
Buffalo to Toledo, caught fire and burned about 220 yards
from this overlook. Many of the German, English, Irish,
and Scandinavian settlers were laden with money sewn into
their clothing, and few reached shore. Contemporary accounts
listed 286 lost. Most were buried in a mass grave on the
beach, since reclaimed by Lake Erie. The Griffith incident
remains one of the worst maritime disasters on the Great Lakes.
Comments 0 comments