During the season of 1860 the Seabird, met with the first of a number of incidents. A serious accident to her engine nearly ruined it, and she received an almost entirely new engine after that.22 In the following year of 1861, "she was engaged in the Chicago and Lake Superior trade, and at one time narrowly escaped destruction by fire, while passing through the straits of Mackinac. She had caught fire on the port side, just forward of her wheel house. Capt. Blodgett was in command of her at the time, and on discovery of the flames, he stopped the engine and commenced backing her as strongly as possible, at the same time 'trimming' her down so that her guard dragged in the water. By this means, and the water thrown by her wheel, the flames were extinguished without a passenger on board knowing the peril they had been in."23

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