Frank Bowley
Canal Scow · United States · Lost November 1869 · The Finger Lakes
A coal scow lost under tow on Seneca Lake in 1869, found again in 2018 and the first of the canal boats the lake survey went on to document.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Frank Bowley was a 180-ton wooden scow built in 1865 and bought in 1868 for the Seneca Lake coal trade. In November 1869, laden with 220 tons of coal under tow by the tug A. L. Griffin with seven other boats, a towline parted in heavy seas; the scow shipped water and sank. Her well-documented loss let the Seneca Lake Archaeological Survey relocate the wreck on July 11, 2018, opening a broader study of the lake's canal-era fleet.
Vessel
- 1865
- Not established
- Not established
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- 180 tons
- None; towed
- Not established
Loss
- November 1869
- Mechanical failure
- Seneca Lake, under tow of the tug A. L. Griffin
- Seneca Lake
- Not established
- 220 tons of coal
- Not established
- Casualties were not recorded in the sources reviewed.
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Rests on a steep underwater slope; exact depth not published
- Bow damaged from impact, resting on a steep slope.
- Not established
- 2018
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Watkins Glen, New York
Checked Finger Lakes/Seneca Lake shipwreck histories; found only that the scow Frank Bowley was lost under tow by the tug A.L. Griffin in November 1869, with no reported coordinates or precise site description.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
The wreck's position and depth have not been published, and casualties were not recorded in the sources reviewed.
Seneca Lake Archaeological and Bathymetric Survey 2019 final report
Survey methodology and findings.
Discovery account, purchase, tow details.
