Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Discussion board focusing on Great Lakes Shipping Question & Answer. From beginner to expert all posts are welcome.
Guest

Re: Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Unread post by Guest »

What I find odd is that some of the newspaper accounts of the sinking note that the Leecliffe Hall had been towed 7 miles before it went to the bottom. In addition, many newspaper reports tell of residents hearing the crash when the two ships hit, and one of the pictures I have seen shows the two vessels appearing to be locked together with the Leecliffe Hall significantly down at the bow. With the local residents hearing the crash, I'm assuming the collision took place not too far offshore so why did the tug try moving the Leecliffe Hall several miles rather than just getting it close enough to shore that it would sink in shallow water? Was the bottom too rocky to permit this? Although the wreck apparently came to rest in about only 90 feet of water with the masts visible at low tide, early reports shortly after the sinking tell of Hall Corporation officials as saying salvage was unlikely. Is there any particular reason why that was?
amateur operator

Re: Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Unread post by amateur operator »

Captain Walter Bowan was a good friend off my father, Bert Walsh here in Kingston. They often met at the curling rink in Trento when dad played there I met him on several occasions and really liked him. He rarely talked about the Leecliffe but the one time he did he said she was sailing on one engine and if both had been going he would not have been in that particular position.
His wife was in the Janes Richardson and Sons Ltd office, which dad managed, and said she would like to see her husband back on the water for his own good. Dad said the Miss Kingston, a local tour boat made from a WW2 fairmile patrol craft, needed a captain and would Capt. Bowan be interested in doing that? Captain Bowan sailed that craft for several years and could really handle the 120 foot vessel. The other skippers would not spin the vessel and back into the slip but Capt. Bowan did it with ease.
Mrs. Bowan could not thank my father enough for the suggestion.
have a 1907 Ship Master' Handbook that Capt. Bowan gave to my late father. From the previous posts, this could have belonged to Capt. Bowan's father.
I plan to donate this to the SS Keewatin as it is appropriate for the year she was built.
I am also presently working to put an amateur radio station on the Keewatin when she comes to the marine museum here.
William Lafferty
Posts: 1491
Joined: March 13, 2010, 10:51 am

Re: Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Unread post by William Lafferty »

Captain Walter Melshop Bowen was the son of Benjamin Bowen, longtime Hall master and inventor of the "landing boom" he installed on the mainmast of the F. E. Hall's newly acquired freighter Compton in 1913 to land more safely crew to handle lines when mooring and traversing the canals. That invention became very popular very quickly. Walter was the first person to use the boom as his father experimented with its construction and operation during the winter of 1912-1913 while the vessel wintered at Trenton, Ontario. Walter Bowen began his career as a master for Hall in 1933 and took over those duties on the Leecliffe Hall for the 1962 season. Bowen was recommended for a 12-month license suspension by the Department of Transport that was later reduced to six months. He and his wife retired to Trenton, Ontario, following the Leecliffe Hall debacle and he never sailed again. The Canadian board of inquiry could deduce no culpability for the loss of life, but did laud the engineers who died for their "courage." First mate Sidney Palmer and third mate John Bermingham were censured by the board while the two pilots abroad the Apollonia, Yves Pouliot and his uncle, Joseph-Emile Pouliot, were also recommended for year-long suspensions, later reduced to five months. The Augsbury family was aboard at the time of the collision, including the woman who christened the vessel at its launching at Govan on 18 May 1961, Mrs. Frank A. Augsbury, Jr., the former Lavinia ("Lee") Andrews.
guest

Re: Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Unread post by guest »

the ss leecliffe hall was the largest vessel built in glasgow, scotland. she crosse the atlantic on her own but with no hatch openings. they were added at lauzon, quebec. in the collision all were saved but 3 persons reboarded her and drowned when she sank while being towed. she was bound for buffalo with iron ore. the owner of hall corp. was a passenger {and others} on that same voyage. perhaps the 3 people shoulnt of reboarde her but hind sight is always 20/20
Guest

Captain Walter Bowen - Leecliffe Hall

Unread post by Guest »

In reading some newspaper articles concerning the Leecliffe sinking in 1964, Captain Walter Bowen had his certificate suspended for six months for his guilt in the collision with the Apollonia on September 5, 1964. Did he ever captain a lake ship after this? Does anyone know who made the decision to reboard the sinking vessel while it was under tow prior to it finally going to bottom with 3 lives? From what I have read there was the owner of the vessel and his family aboard along with some government officials at the time of the accident.
Post Reply