Fire Claimed Steamer F. W. Backus
By James Donahue
When
launched at Amherstburg, Ontario, in 1846, the wooden steamship F. W. Backus flew the Canadian flag under the name Earl Cathcart.
It was only 138 feet in length, but in its day, was considered a good sized commercial and passenger carrier for the Great
Lakes.
The builders, Messrs. Parks &
Co. made it clear that the steamer was destined to carry freight from Toronto to Montreal after construction of the St. Lawrence
Canals were finished the following year. Thus the vessel was designed not only to pass through the Welland Canals at Niagara
Falls, but navigate the upper waters of the St. Lawrence River.
Something happened in about 1852 and the Cathcart was seized by U. S. customs for violation of navigation laws.
Thus the ship was rebuilt and it returned to the lakes under the U.S. flag under the name F. W. Backus.
The ship was designed to carry mostly grain and other freight, but
had cabin space for up to 30 passengers that one report noted were “tastefully fitted up.” The Backus was powered
by twin 40 horse power engines and boasted speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. It was powered by screw propellers.
Obviously the original plans for navigating the lower lakes were changed
by the new owners, C. S. Hubbard of Chicago. The Backus caught fire and burned to a total loss while laden with livestock
and nine passengers in Lake Michigan, just off Racine, Wisconsin, on Nov. 25, 1866.
Captain J. Shortell, who was at the helm when the fire was discovered, successful ran the steamer on the beach
where the passengers and crew successfully waded ashore. The horses and cows were literally pushed overboard even before the
Backus reached the shoreline. All of the animals were believed to have successfully made it to shore.
A local tug, the Daisy Lee, put a tow line on the burning ship and
made an unsuccessful attempt to save the steamer by pulling it out into deeper water and then scuttling it. But the fire burned
through the tow line and the blazing steamer drifted back to shore where it burned to a total wreck.
