Erie
Passenger Steamer · United States · Lost 1841 · The Lake Erie Islands
A crowded immigrant steamer that burned off Silver Creek in 1841, one of Lake Erie's worst disasters.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Erie was a wooden sidewheel steamer carrying passengers west from Buffalo. On 9 August 1841, crowded with immigrants, she caught fire soon after departure and burned off Silver Creek, New York. Many aboard were lost, most of them European immigrants. The number of dead was never firmly established.
Vessel
- 1837
- Not established
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- Wood
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- Steam, side paddle wheels
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Loss
- August 9, 1841
- Fire
- Lake Erie, off Silver Creek, New York
- Lake Erie
- Not established
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- Many lives were lost; estimates vary widely.
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
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Position
- 42.55° N 79.20° W
- General area only
- Silver Creek, New York
Pin marks the named place of loss, not a surveyed wreck position.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
Exact wreck position, depth and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.
Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University
Vessel particulars and career.
