Nellie P. Downey
Ship stats
Vessel Type: Two-masted Schooner
Length: 84 feet
Breadth: 20 feet
Gross Tonnage: 120
Cargo: Barley
Built: 1873 by Robert Robinson at Napanee, Ontario
Port of Registry at Loss: Napanee, Ontario
Owner at Loss: Robert Downey, Napanee, Ontario
Date Lost: June 12, 1884
Cause of Loss: Collision with barge Oswego
Loss of Life: None
Historical Background
The wooden two-masted schooner Nellie P. Downey was built in 1873 by Robert Robinson at Napanee, Ontario. The schooner was 84 feet long with a 20-foot beam and 7.3 feet depth of hold, measuring 120 tons gross. Nellie P. Downey was constructed for Robert Downey, founder and owner of the grain and coal shipping firm Robert Downey & Brothers of Napanee and Captain Nathaniel Allen, also of Napanee, Ontario, who would serve as its first master.
Throughout its career, Nellie P. Downey was primarily employed in carrying grain on Lake Ontario, principally rye and barley, from Canadian ports on the Bay of Quinte to Oswego. These consignments were primarily on behalf of the firm Irwin & Sloan, Oswego’s leading grain sellers, in which Robert Downey was a silent partner from 1874.
On the evening of Thursday, June 12, 1884, Nellie P. Downey was approaching Oswego, laden with 6,700 bushels of rye from Napanee for Gaylord, Downey & Company. That evening a thick fog covered the lake, limiting visibility. Meanwhile, the tugboat Glide had departed Oswego with the barges Osweg and Oneida in tow, both laden with coal for Kingston and Montreal.
Around 8:00 p.m., Captain Robert Bartley of Nellie P. Downey sighted the lights of the tugboat Glide passing by. Bartley believed the tug to be one of the Oswego harbor tugboats coming out to tow them in, not seeing the barges behind. The Downeys began taking in sail in preparation to pick up a tow line. As Nellie P. Downey passed astern of Glide, it became fouled in the towing cable. By the time the Downeys realized the mistake, nothing could be done to avoid a collision, and the barge Oswego, struck Downey amidships. It was immediately apparent that Nellie P. Downey would founder. The schooner was hauled alongside Oswego, its crew climbing to safety aboard the barge before casting the schooner loose. In less than five minutes from the time of the collision, Nellie P. Downey had sunk.
While Glide initially continued to Kingston, unsettled weather forced the tow to turn back to Oswego where the accident was reported. Nellie P. Downey was valued at $3,800 and was partially for $3,000. Its cargo was likewise insured.
Nellie P. Downey was first discovered by Mr. Daniel Scoville and Mr. Chris Koberstein in July 2013 off Oswego, New York. In May 2025, NOAA and its partners at the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute documented the site using a remotely operated vehicle, identifying the wreck as Nellie P. Downey.
Wreck Site
The wreck of Nellie P. Downey rests in depths exceeding the limits of technical diving (330 feet/100 meters) off Oswego, New York. The wreck is among the best-preserved examples of a two-masted trading schooner yet identified within the sanctuary with its bowsprit, both masts and topmasts still standing. The hull is entirely intact apart from the damage it sustained in the collision with Oswego, located on its portside near amidships. Among the notable site features are two anchors, the windlass, an intact forecastle companionway hatch, bilge pumps, a windlass, an intact aft cabin, the ship’s wheel, and the ship’s boat, which rests on the bottom beneath the stern.
