The steambarge Water Lily (1870), rebuilt 1891

General

1. Port of Picton Registry, Number : 230 (rebuild 1891)

2. Original build, port of Kingston Registry, Number : 23 of 1870

3. Second rebuild, Picton (assumed Hepburn Yard), 1920. Only changes given are: Dimension: 97’ X 19’ ; Tonnage: 138.

NOTATIONS: 1938. Reason: Removed from Register – Broken Up.

List of owners:
1870. Fraser & George of Kingston
1871. George Davidson of Kingston
1877. J.B. Robinson of Thorold
1886. H. Harris of Kemptville
1897. A.W. Hepburn of Picton
1905. Ontario & Quebec Navigation Company
1914. Canadian Steamship Lines
1916. Shortened to 97.1’ in Montreal
1918. J. Donnelly, Kingston
1918. Abandoned.
1920. Rebuilt Picton
1938. Registry closed, broken up

Newspaper and other Transcriptions.

4. C.H.J. Snider mentions the Water Lily in Famine Made Strange Bedfellows, 04 Nov 1950, From Grocery Scow To Great Eastern: More Ships That Jack Built - Jack Tait Of Prince Edward, 21 Nov 1936, Hay Bay Pageant Including "Bottoms Up", 13 Sep 1947 and A Prince Of Prince Edward, 15 Mar 1947.
5. Daily British Whig September 7, 1870 p.2 NEW Steam Barge WATER LILY ---- For Sale by Auction. Engine & boiler by Kingston Foundry, about 20 h.p., 96’ Long, apply to Fraser & George.
6. Daily News October 28, 1870 p. 2 Messrs. Gurney & Glidden wharf: The steambarge WATER LILY arrived this morning from Ottawa with a general cargo.
7. Daily News May 29, 1871 p. 2 Shipping News. At Gurney & Glidden’s: The steambarges KITTY FRIEL and WATER LILY, with barges, left on Saturday night.
8. Daily News May 17, 1873 p. 1 Marine News. James Swift & Co’s wharf: Steambarge WATER LILY arrived from the Rideau Canal with a general cargo.
9. Daily News June 3, 1873 p. 1 Marine News. Messrs. James Swift & Co. wharf: The barge WATER LILY arrived with a cargo of railway ties.
10. Daily News June 21, 1873 Marine News. Messrs. James Swift & Co’s wharf: Steambarge WATER LILY, Rideau Canal, general cargo.
11. Daily News July 18, 1873 p. 2 Marine News. James Swift & Co’s wharf: The str. WATER LILY left for the Rideau Canal with a general cargo.
12. Daily News September 18, 1873 p. 4 Marine News. James Swift & Co. wharf: The steambarge WATER LILY left last night with a general cargo for Rideau Canal.
13. Daily News September 25, 1873 p. 2 Marine News. James Swift & Co’s wharf: The steambarge WATER LILY arrived from the Rideau Canal with a general cargo.
14. Daily News October 9, 1873 James Swift & Co wharf. Steambarge WATER LILY left for Rideau Canal with general cargo.
15. Daily News October 17, 1873 p. 2 Marine News. James Swift & Co. wharf: The barge WATER LILY arrived from the Rideau Canal with a general cargo.
16. Daily News August 25, 1874 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. James Swift & Co’s wharf: Barge WATER LILY, general cargo.
17. Daily News May 25, 1876 p. 3 Marine Notes. Swift’s dock: The WATER LILY left for the Rideau Canal.
18. Daily News June 5, 1876 Marine Notes. James Swift wharf: The WATER LILY from Ottawa.
19. Daily News June 14, 1876 Marine Notes. J. Swift: Steamer WATER LILY, Ottawa.
20. Daily News August 15, 1876 Marine Notes. James Swift: Arrived, WATER LILY, from Ottawa.
21. Daily News May 26, 1877 p. 3 Marine Notes. James Swift’s: The WATER LILY arrived from Ottawa.
22. Daily News June 6, 1877 p. 3. WOOD: The tug ELSWOOD towed in the WATER LILY which was heavily laden with laths, biscuit boxes, etc.
23. Daily News May 13, 1878 Marine Notes. J. Swift’s Arrivals: WATER LILY from Ottawa.
24. British Whig May 27, 1878 p. 3 Wind Wafts. Swifts: The following steamers called; WATER LILY from Ottawa.
25. Daily News June 5, 1878 p. 3 Marine Notes. James Swift: Arrivals; str. WATER LILY from Ottawa with lumber.
26. Daily News July 3, 1878 Marine News. J Swifts: WATER LILY from Ottawa.
27. Daily News July 11, 1878 p. 3. Stuck in the Canal: The GENEVA, in making her trip to Cape Vincent yesterday, was unfortunate enough to stick in the mud at the further end of Wolfe Island Canal..., it was only after the WATER LILY had tugged and pulled and broken a couple of lines, and the passengers had been removed to the promenade deck of the steamer that a deliverance was effected.
28. British Whig June 24, 1879 p.3 Marine. Swift’s wharf: WATER LILY, Burritts Rapids (Rideau River, Ont). A BAD BLOW: Hand hurt on steambarge WATER LILY, while piling wood in hold.
29. British Whig December 3, 1880 p. 2 Vessels Laid Up. Portsmouth; steambarge WATER LILY.
30. British Whig March 24, 1881 p. 3 Activities of Spring, Preparations for Navigation: The steambarge WATER LILY has been newly planked in some places and caulked. Capt. Connors will command her.
31. British Whig April 5, 1881 p. 3 Marine Notes. Mr. Hebron Harris, of Kemptville, will ship ties from the Rideau to Cape Vincent N.Y. during the season. He will embark the steamer WATER LILY and two barges.
32. British Whig May 2,1881 p. 3 Marine News The steambarge WATER LILY and two barges will be run from the Rideau through to Cape with railway ties. The steambarge named has been thoroughly repaired. Mr. Hebron Harris is the owner.
33. British Whig May 20, 1881 p. 3 Marine News. The captain of the steambarge WATER LILY, plying between Smith’s Falls and Kingston, has had a huge feather in his cap. The reason is his gallant rescue of a young lady, who while crossing the Canal at Smith’s Falls, slipped and fell off the gate lock on which she was walking, to the water 40 feet below. The captain heard the lady’s screams, rowed to the gate lock and climbed down its side, a perilous feat and saved the unfortunate lady.
34. British Whig May 26, 1881 Marine News. Arrivals: Steambarge WATER LILY, and barge. Cape Vincent, light
35. British Whig July 19, 1881 p. 3 Marine Notes. The steambarge WATER LILY is having her shaft repaired at the shipyard.
36. British Whig August 4, 1881 p. 2 Marine Notes. Arrivals: Steambarge WATER LILY, Cape Vincent, with barge.
37. British Whig October 8, 1881 p. 3 Marine Notes. A BAD BLOW: Hand hurt on steambarge WATER LILY while piling wood in hold.
38. British Whig July 14, 1882 p. 2 Marine News. Ties are passing to the United States from Canada in enormous quantities. The demand for them is very great. Last night the steambarge WATER LILY and barges, after delivering cargoes at the Cape they went down the Canal for another consignment of ties.
39. British Whig August 23, 1882 Marine News. The barge WATER LILY is in port with about 3,000 ties.
40. British Whig November 10, 1882 p. 2 Marine News: The steambarge WATER LILY ran on the sunken schooner AMERICAN, lying off the K & M Forwarding Company’s wharf. The tug ACTIVE pulled at her for quite a while before she could be released.
41. British Whig June 19, 1885 p.3 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY, sunk at Ottawa, has been raised and repaired. She will return to Kingston.
42. British Whig May 17, 1886 p. 2 Marine Intelligence. Cleared: steambarge WATER LILY, Clayton, 1,312 ties
43. British Whig May 19, 1886 p. 3 Marine Intelligence. The barge WATER LILY left yesterday with 250 tons of granite for Ottawa.
44. British Whig May 22, 1886 p. 3 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY has reached Ottawa with granite from Kingston.
45. British Whig August 11, 1886 p. 8 Marine Intelligence. Charles Cox, aged 23, deck hand on the steambarge WATER LILY, was killed near Ottawa. A pile of ties fell on him.
46. British Whig September 13, 1886 p. 8 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY and barges arrived from Ottawa with 500,000 lath and 80,000 feet of lumber.
47. British Whig September 17, 1886 p. 5 Marine Intelligence. The PHILO BENNETT brought 215 tons of coal from Charlotte. It is being unloaded into the steambarge, WATER LILY, and will be taken to Ottawa.
48. British Whig October 12, 1886 p.8 Marine Intelligence. Steambarges NILE AND WATER LILY, barges ISIS and BAN, are enroute from Ottawa to the Rathbun Co. with 50,000 feet of timber.
49. British Whig October 13, 1886 p. 8 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY and barge BANN, 170,000 feet of lumber, from Ottawa. The lumber will be handled by the Rathbun Company.
50. British Whig October 23, 1886 p.5 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge NILE and two barges, with 34,000 ft. lumber, and the steambarge WATER LILY and one barge, with 100,000 ft. lumber, are enroute to the city from Ottawa. The lumber will be shipped from here to Oswego. Part of it goes to Toronto.
51. British Whig October 26, 1886 p.8 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY and barge BANN have arrived with lumber for Deseronto and Oswego.
52. British Whig June 2, 1887 p. 8 Marine Paragraphs. The steambarge WATER LILY is sunk at the head of the Lachine Rapids. The pilot mistaking the light took the wrong course. The result was that the steamer and her consort went on the rocks, the barge swinging out after a time and sinking instantly. The cargo of the barge is a total loss.
53. British Whig July 2, 1887 p. 6 Kingston Mills: W. Scott has purchased the steambarge WATER LILY. He carries freight between Ottawa and Kingston. He is one of the best pilots on the Rideau.
54. British Whig August 16, 1887 p. 8 Marine Paragraphs. The steambarge WATER LILY and tow arrived from Ottawa today with lumber for the Rathbun Company.
55. British Whig September 15, 1887 p. 1 Marine Paragraphs. The steambarge WATER LILY is sunk in the Rideau Canal below Battersea. A steam pump was sent down this morning.
56. British Whig September 24, 1887 p.8 Marine Paragraphs. The steambarge WATER LILY and str PIONEER are being repaired at Portsmouth marine railway.
57. British Whig December 19, 1887 p.8 Marine Paragraphs. The steam barge WATER LILY is docked at Lingman’s Mill, Belleville. The Brown Manufacturing company have the contract for putting in a new marine boiler. Next summer the boat will ply between Belleville and Ottawa, carrying lumber.
58. British Whig April 30, 1888 p. 8 Marine Intelligence. Steambarge WATER LILY will come out as good as new this spring.
59. British Whig December 4, 1888 p. 8 Marine Paragraphs. The vessels which will winter at Belleville are…, steambarge WATER LILY.
60. British Whig June 25, 1889 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. The tug WATER LILY and tow, en route to the city from Ottawa with lumber.
61. British Whig December 4, 1889 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. … and steambarge WATER LILY and consort OSWELL have gone into winter quarters.
62. British Whig July 18, 1890 p. 4 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY, loaded with lumber, is on here way here from Ottawa.
63. British Whig August 5, 1890 p1. Marine Intelligence The WATER LILY will clear this evening for Deseronto with lumber.
64. Weekly British Whig March 20, 1890 p. 4 Marine Paragraphs. During Saturday night some person broke in the tow barge H.P. OSWOLD and the steambarge WATER LILY.
65. British Whig October 19, 1891 p.1 Marine Intelligence The new steam barge WATER LILY made her first trip of the season yesterday having a cargo of wheat from Colborne. The engine and boiler of the old boat was put in the new one.
66. British Whig October 20, 1891 p. 4 Marine Intelligence. Clearances: str WATER LILY, Bay of Quinte, for grain.
67. British Whig October 21, 1891 p.1 Marine Intelligence. The str WATER LILY has left for the Bay of Quinte to load barley.
68. British Whig October 24, 1891 p. 4 Marine Intelligence. Arrivals: str WATER LILY, Colborne, 6,000 bushels of wheat.
69. British Whig November 12, 1891 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Arrivals: Stm. WATER LILY, Brockville, light.
70. British Whig April 19, 1892 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY arrived in port this morning to have a new compound engine installed at the Kingston Foundry. She sailed from Picton to Garden Island, when she was taken in tow by the steamer PIERREPONT.
71. British Whig April 29, 1892 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. The str. WATER LILY after having her engine compounded, left for Picton last night, where she will be hauled out and have a new wheel put in.
72. British Whig May 2, 1892 Marine Intelligence. Arrivals: Str. WATER LILY, Picton, peas and buckwheat.
73. British Whig May 4, 1892 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Clearances: Stmr. WATER LILY to Picton, to load peas for Kingston.
74. British Whig May 6, 1892 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Arrivals: steamer WATER LILY, Consecon, 5,600 bushels of peas.
75. British Whig May 7, 1892 p.1 Marine Intelligence. Clearances: WATER LILY, Lake Ontario ports, light.
76. British Whig November 17, 1892 p.2 Marine Intelligence. South Marysburgh, Nov 15th. During the past week the steamers NORTH KING, QUEBEC, and WATER LILY cleared from here with apples for river ports.
77. British Whig May 3, 1893 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Arrivals: barge WATER LILY, Consecon, 6,300 bushels of peas.
78. Daily British Whig April 3, 1894 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY will be in the cheese trade from Henderson, Sackett’s Harbour, and way ports to Montreal.
79. Weekly British Whig April 5, 1894 p. 4 Marine Intelligence. Joseph Parker, Picton, formerly of Newburgh, has commenced his duties as first engineer on the steamer WATER LILY. The steambarge WATER LILY will be in the cheese trade from Sacketts Harbour and way ports to Montreal.
80. British Whig October 4, 1894 p.1 General Paragraphs. Steambarge WATER LILY, to Prescott.
81. British Whig October 6, 1894 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Called at Gunn’s wharf: WATER LILY – Prescott, to Picton.
82. British Whig October 31, 1894 p. 4 District Dashes. Dempster Bros., Gananoque, sent 300 barrels of apples.
83. British Whig November 13, 1894 p.3 Black River Bridge, Nov 10th. The steam barge WATER LILY loaded apples for J. Shannon on Wednesday.
84. British Whig November 19, 1894 p.1 Marine Intelligence. Called At Gunn’s dock: stmr WATER LILY, Montreal to Picton.
85. British Whig December 14, 1894 p. 1 Marine Intelligence. Captain W. Ostrander, of the steambarge WATER LILY had a terrible experience in the middle of the lake on Thursday night last week. The vessel had grain consigned to Oswego. While proceeding towards her destination through a terrible gale, the engine suddenly stopped. The captain was suspicious that one of the ropes of the rigging had become wound around the wheel thus preventing its operation. An examination substantiated the captain’s suspicions. To remove the obstruction was a problem in the heavy gale, and boisterious seas. A staging was erected over the stern of the vessel, and with the aid of torches, the rope was cut off after eight hours of tedious labour, and the vessel with her cargo, safely reached port.
86. Marine Review, April 18, 1895. Marine Paragraphs. Steambarge WATER LILY will be in the cheese trade from Henderson Harbour, N.Y. and way points to Montreal.
87. British Whig September 23, 1895 p.4 Arrivals: Steambarge WATER LILY, Montreal.
88. British Whig December 11, 1895 p. 3 Port Milford, Dec 10th. Minard Hicks, mate of the str. WATER LILY, home for the winter.
89. British Whig December 13, 1895. The steamers ALEXANDRIA, CUTHBERT, and the steambarge WATER LILY have been hauled up at Picton for repairs. The WATER LILY will be fitted with a new steel keelson.
90. British Whig July 29, 1896 p.1 General Paragraphs: Early this morning the str WATER LILY ran on Point Frederick here. The PIERREPONT pulled her off.
91. British Whig August 3, 1896 p. 4 Marine Intelligence. Craig & Co. wharf: Sunday, steamer WATER LILY, Picton
92. British Whig May 10, 1897 p.2. THE WATER LILY Wrecked. The barge WATER LILY, while on her way to Valleyfield, Quebec, with a cargo of 8,000 bushels of grain, from Cobourg, consigned to MacDonald, of Valleyfield, struck and went down, in Coteau Lake on Friday last. The cargo was fully insured. Daily News May 10, 1897 WIND AND WAVE: The cargo of the steamer WATER LILY did not belong to Richardson & Sons, as reported. It belongs to McDonald & Robbs. The WATER LILY went down near Montreal the other day.
93. British Whig November 17, 1897 p. 3 Port Milford, Nov 16th. The steamer WATER LILY loaded the last of the apples here Nov 10th.
94. British Whig December 9, 1897 p. 3 Marine Intelligence. Port Milford Dec 7th. Capt. M. Hicks of the steamer WATER LILY, is home. We congratulate him on his very successful season.
95. British Whig April 12, 1898 p. 5 Port Milford, April 9th. Captain M. Hicks has left to resume his charge of the WATER LILY.
96. British Whig September 20, 1898 p. 6 Marine Intelligence. The steamer WATER LILY is at the Grand Trunk freight shed wharf with a cargo of general merchandise.
97. British Whig October 8, 1898 p. 2 Marine Intelligence. This morning the steamer WATER LILY, from Picton, discharged three carloads of canned fish, cased, at the Grand Trunk freight shed.
98. British Whig October 26, 1898 p. 6. This morning the steambarge WATER LILY unloaded 1,000 cases of canned fruit, which was shipped to Winnipeg by the Grand Trunk railroad.
99. British Whig October 31, 1898 p. 4 General Paragraphs. The steambarge WATER LILY, owned by Hepburn of Picton, lost her wheel in the Cornwall canal near Farran’s Point on Friday night.
100. British Whig December 5, 1898 p. 2 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY will seek winter quarters at Port Hope.
101. British Whig September 18, 1899 p. 5 The steambarge WATER LILY today brought a cargo of canned fruit and vegetables from Picton to this city. The goods will be shipped to British Columbia.
102. British Whig November 15, 1899 p. 8 Marine Notes. Incidents Of The Day Arrivals at Craig’s wharf: … and steambarge WATER LILY from Montreal.
103. British Whig May 4, 1901 p. 2 Marine Intelligence. The steambarge WATER LILY broke her shaft this week and had a new one made at the Kingston foundry.
104. British Whig August 27, 1901 p. 2 Marine Intelligence. Craig’s wharf: Steambarge WATER LILY, Picton to Montreal.
105. British Whig October 29, 1901 p. 5 Marine Intelligence. Craig & Co wharf: Steamers ALEXANDRIA and WATER LILY, from Western ports, eastward bound.
106. British Whig November 18, 1902 p. 2 Large Shipment of Apples: The steamers NIAGARA and WATER LILY are also carrying apples from Picton to Quebec. A large number of barrels of apples are stored at Picton awaiting shipment to Montreal and Quebec, there to be transferred to ships for England.
107. British Whig June 6, 1903 p.1 The steamer WATER LILY, coal-laden, bound for Oswego to Wolfe Island, which went ashore nine miles east of Oswego, N.Y. port, was released after throwing several hundred tons of coal overboard.
108. British Whig July 8, 1904 p.2 Marine Intelligence. WATER LILY expected up tonight on steamer’s ALEXANDRIA run.
109. British Whig March 4, 1906 p. 2. Hepburn Bros. have made the following appointments of captains for their boats this season: WATER LILY; William Dulmage, ABERDEEN; Minard Hicks, PORTER; Mike Heffernan, NIAGARA; William Skillen, ALEXANDRIA; E.B. Smith, Pilot; Joseph Rienfret.
110. British Whig June 9, 1909, page 1. Ganonoque, June 9th. The steam barge WATER LILY, coal-laden, arrived yesterday morning.
111. British Whig June 22, 1909 Marine News. The steambarge WATER LILY arrived at Folger’s wharf, early Tuesday morning, on her first trip of the season down the river.
112. British Whig July 25, 1910 p. 3, Ganonoque July 26th. The steam barge WATER LILY, of the Ontario & Quebec Navigation Company’s fleet was in port last evening, heavily laden with freight and took on a heavy consignment of cheese from local dealers for Montreal.
113. British Whig July 30, 1910 p. 5 In Marine Circles. Folger’s: steamer WATER LILY called here with freight on her way up from Montreal.
114. British Whig August 20, 1910 p.3 Gananoque: The steambarge WATER LILY was in port yesterday afternoon, with freight from Montreal for local dealers.
115. British Whig October 31, 1910 In Marine Circles. Swift’s wharf: WATER LILY coaled Sunday on her way to Montreal with a cargo of apples.
116. British Whig September 1, 1913 p. 3. In Marine Circles: The steamer WATER LILY passed up on Monday.
117. British Whig October 13, 1913 p. 2. In Marine Circles. The steamer WATER LILY coaled at Swift’s on Monday morning, on her way from Picton with apples for Montreal.
118. The Marine Review, February 1916. WATER LILY, steamer. Ran aground near Cornwall, St. Lawrence River, 1915.

References and source notes

(1) Port of Picton Register, #230, Canadian Registry List
(2) Inland Lloyds Lake Vessel Register – Canadian Hulls, 1897. Page 49
(3) New Mills List, Ship List & C.S.L. listings.
(4) C.H.J. Snider Schooner Days index, Naval Marine Archive.
(5-118) Many of the contemporary newspaper cuttings can be found at Maritime History of the Great Lakes, Newspaper Transcriptons