Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014, All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Old Shipping Days in Oswego by J. Leo Finn, 1972 This book furnished with the cooperation of The Oswego County Board of Supervisors -181- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO U.S. COAST GUARD DISASTER - DECEMBER 4, 1942 In the worst tragedy of its kind in this area in many years, storm-tossed waters of Lake Ontario, Friday Dec. 4, 1942, claimed the lives of six members of the U.S. Coast Guard service stationed at Oswego. Two of eight men, aboard a 38-foot picket boat which capsized and later sank in Oswego harbor mouth, were rescued one hour and 15 minutes later from the east breakwall, --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -182- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO together with two others who had earlier attempted to carry a line to them in a light skiff launched from a motor life boat. The dead were: Lieut. (jg) ALSTON J. WILSON, 54, Henderson, commanding officer of the Oswego Coast Guard Station. KARL A. JACKSON, 42, lighthouse keeper and boatswain's mate first class, Oswego. LESLIE J. HOLDSWORTH, 21, seaman, first class Lawrence, Mass. RALPH J. SPRAU, 27, machinist's mate, second class, Sandusky, Ohio. IRVING GINSBURG, 21, seaman, second class, Syracuse, N. Y. EUGENE C. SISSON, 29, boatswain's mate, second class, Binghamton, N. Y. Three of the four men rescued from the breakwall, who were in Fort Ontario hospital suffering from exposure but who were reported not to be in danger were: Sanford Gregory, 21, Tyler, Texas, cox'n. Fred L. Ruff, 32, machinist mate, first class, address not available. John Mixon, 30, chief boatswain's mate, Marais, Mich. Andrew W. Cisternino, 29 Nelson Street, Syracuse, seaman, second class, was also in the Fort hospital suffering from exposure after he dived into the stormy waters from a rescue craft in an attempt to recover a body. Nixon and Ruff were able to get out of the death boat and reach the east breakwall. They were joined later by Gregory and John F. Black, Tonawanda, who were in a light skiff which tried to carry a line to them and over- turned against the breakwall. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -183- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO Black was not hospitalized, but the others on the breakwall were, and Cisternino as well. The picket boat put out from the Coast Guard station at East Cove shortly after ten o'clock with Lieutenant Wilson in charge to relieve Mr. Jackson who had been on duty at the main lighthouse since Tuesday. Because of a storm Wednesday and Thursday, which Lieutenant Wilson told a Palladium-Times reporter a few minutes before his death, was the worst in his 35 years experience as a Coastguards- man, no relief had been possible before. Although waves were still high, the wind had dropped from about 65 to 30 miles an hour, and the sea was calmer. In Lieut. Wilson's opinion, it was stated, the transfer could be made without danger. There were seven men from the land station in the picket boat, and also Bert Egelston and Carl Sprague, light- house keepers, when the picket boat started out. Coast- guardsmen in the boat who survived, said the transfer was made successfully, with Mr. Egelston and Mr. Sprague being landed at the lighthouse and Mr. Jackson put aboard the picket boat. In the transfer, eight men were left on the boat. Suddenly the action of the waves smashed the picket boat against the lighthouse foundation, stoving in several planks in her bottom. Her engine stopped and the craft, tossed by giant waves at the harbor mouth, began to settle and was carried by the wind toward the east breakwall. Attempts were made by the men aboard to put out an anchor but it dragged and the craft was sinking swiftly. It struck at the east light on the extreme outer end of the east breakwall, spilling its crew into the water. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -184- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO Two men, trapped in the cabin forward, smashed panes of glass and made their way through the rough sea to the breakwall. All the others were lost. When the boat began to drift at the harbor mouth, it was reported at the Coast Guard Station and Second Class Bosn's Mate Robert Burnet, hailing originally from Hen- derson Harbor, put out from shore in the motor life boat manned by a full crew. Besides Black and Gregory, others in the rescue boat, in charge of Burnet, were: D. F. Holfca, Detroit; Robert H. Wright, Wabash, Ind.; Chester Jones, Griffin, Ga.; Earnest J. Darrow, Newark, N.Y.; John J. Hanse, Plainfield, N.J.; Rudolph Kozar, Tonawanda. The picket boat, after crashing on the east break- wall, had been carried further to the east of the breakwall about 300 feet and was tossing almost submerged. The res- cue craft sent a light skiff with two men and a line to the breakwall where the water-soaked Coastguardmen were standing, beating their arms together to keep from freezing to death. The skiff smashed against the rocks, however, and the number to be saved from the wall increased to four. Then the resuce boat went out around the break- wall into the heavy sea in an effort to pick up anyone who might be clinging to the water-logged picket boat. In the opinion of the Palladium-Times reporter on the scene there was a body on the bow of the semi-submerged craft at one time, but observers with glasses said it might also have been a life preserver, or some of the equipment. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -185- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO It seemed improbable that if it was a human figure that it was alive. A few minutes later, Assistant Cook Andrew Cisternino, aboard the rescue craft, tied a rope around himself and dived into the freezing waters in an attempt to recover the body of Lieutenant Wilson whose life preserver had brought him to the surface. The heroic attempt was unsuccessful, for when Cisternino jumped into the sea the cold water made him so helpless he could not move his hands or feet. He was hauled aboard the life boat and brought to shore, where he was treated by Major Richard W. Britt, post surgeon at Fort Ontario, and sent to Fort Ontario hospital. At this point the motor life boat engine quit, with four men still on the breakwall. While attempts were being made to start the engine, an oar-propelled life boat was brought out and this was about to be launched when the engine of the motor life boat started up again. In its second trip, the motor life boat picked up the four marooned Coastguardsmen from the extreme southern end of the east breakwall and brought them to shore. Three of the four required hospitalization. While this rescue was being made, the picket boat washed ashore near the Fitzgibbons Boiler Works. Coast- guardsmen were sent to the scene at once and were able to reach the craft by wading out several feet in the cold water through large breakers. They reported no bodies in the craft. While the rescue was in progress, city and Fort authorities placed additional men and equipment at the --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -186- WRECKS IN AND NEAR OSWEGO disposition of the Coast Guard. Col. Willis Shipman sent ambulances and doctors, and from the city came the am- bulance and a fire engine. Fire Chief Monte Lass was on the scene and Mayor John J. Scanlon also viewed the rescue. During the afternoon city equipment pulled the picket boat farther up on the shore so it would not blow away. A patrol to search for bodies was established over a wide area of the beach, but no bodies were reported by mid-afternoon. To supplement the equipment of the Coast Guard, the fishing boat Jackie was pressed into service. W. S. Cahill, owner of the craft, with a crew of three coast- guardsmen, left his wharf in the river to render assistance, but the sturdy boat was not needed as the men had been taken off the breakwall by that time. Captain Wilson, a native of Henderson Harbor, had spent more than three decades in the Coast Guard ser- vice. He was captain of the Port of Oswego and had juris- diction from Sodus to Ogdensburg. He was survived by his wife, who was said to be visiting in Pennsylvania, and married children. He had assumed command at Oswego a year or so before. Mr. Jackson, of 35 West Fifth Street, had resided in Oswego for 14 years. He came to Oswego from Clayton. He was survived by his wife, the former Miss Elizabeth M. MacElevery, Clayton, a native of Scotland; also one daughter, Marjory, a student at the Oswego State Teachers College. =========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more information about Great Lakes Maritime History by by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/mi/glm/ ===========================================================================