Ghost Ships, Gales and Forgotten Tales

Book excerpt: The shore-bound Great Lakes observer may be lucky enough to see the silhouette of one of the giant modern oreboats snailing upon the distant horizon. The courses and routes that these contemporary monsters follow have been well traveled by countless mariners for more than a century and a half. In the mid 1800s, it was often difficult to look toward the lakes from any single spot and see less than a half dozen distant boats at any time. Each of these vessels had a crew and each crewperson had a job to do and sometimes while just doing their jobs, these ordinary people found themselves cast into adventures that deserve telling. This book will attempt to do just that.