In Memory of Light Vessel 82 and its Crew

In Memory of Light Vessel 82 and its Crew. . , In November 1913 a White Hurricane Storm battered the waters of Lake Erie for three days. The United States Lighthouse Service's Light Vessel 82 and its crew of six were duty bound to remain on station during this storm, to warn other ships of the dangerous rocky shoals off Point Abino., The 35-foot-high waves combined with the 80 mph winds proved too much and the anchored ship and crew were pulled beneath the cold, dark waters around November 10, 1913., LV-82 was built in Muskegon, Michigan by Racine-Truscott-Shell Boat Co. in 1912. Made of steel with a whaleback design, it was about 100 feet long and 21 feet at the beam. A 90 hp steam engine powered its five foot cast iron propeller. The ship was fitted with a fog signal, a submarine bell, a hand-operated bell, a steam anchor and a cluster of lenses, each providing 180 candle power., The search began immediately and the ship was finally located on May 9, 1914. No remains were found until one year later, when the body of Charles Butler washed up in the Buffalo harbor and was identified by his wife., LV-82 was replaced with other USLH Service Light Vessels off Point Abino until 1917-18 when the Canadian government erected the Point Abino Lighthouse, a gleaming white structure, containing a 3rd order Fresnel lens and a Diaphone Fog Alarm. The lighthouse was declared a National Historic Site in 1998., The Light Vessel sailors who sacrificed their lives were: , Captain Hugh M. Williams from Manistee, Michigan , Chief Engineer Charles Butler from Buffalo, New York , Assistant Engineer Cornelius Leahy from Elyria, Ohio , Mate Andrew Leahy from Elyria, Ohio (Cornelius' brother) , Seaman William Jensen from Muskegon, Michigan , Cook Peter Mackey from Buffalo, New York, This storm on the Great Lakes killed an estimated 240 people and sank 19 ships. , Major Donors: , United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association , United States Coast Guard Sector Buffalo Chiefs Mess , Cathy Herbert, Fred and Janet Truckenbrodt, The Crystal Beach Candy Company, Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society, Town of Fort Erie, Friends of Crystal Beach., An initiative of the LV-82 Canadian Group: , Paul Kassay Jr., Rick Doan U.E., John Robbins , Dedicated in 2012 ,