It always seems that, just after an issue of our publication goes to print, additional information becomes available that adds to or corrects an item that we have just completed. We suspected and, I suppose, really hoped, that such would be the case with our effort last month on the history of the Niagara steamers, CIBOLA and CORONA. We were not disappointed! Perhaps our readers will be interested in what has now come to light on these two Sidewheelers.

The date is 1912, before smoke was considered pollution, as CORONA and DALHOUSIE CITY race for the Toronto Eastern Gap. R. W. Murphy photo from the Bascom collection.

First of all, let us return to the unfortunate events of the night of July 15, 1895, when CIBOLA took fire while lying at Lewiston. It is true that the wreck eventually wound up at Youngstown, but she was not towed there. The burning steamer grounded on the American shore after being swept downstream by the current. Our old friend, Henry King, later to command CHICORA and CORONA, was an officer aboard CIBOLA at the time and was apparently the first person aboard the wreck the morning after the fire.

We mentioned that CORONA was designed by Arendt Angstrom but we committed an inexcusable error in stating that he was also responsible for the great CHIPPEWA. The flagship was, of course, designed by a certain famous gentleman named, Frank E. Kirby, and was built by the Hamilton Bridge Company,

We noted last month that CORONA spent some time on the Toronto to Hamilton run during the early 1920's. This service ended for her, in 1924, when TURBINIA returned from salt water. The latter vessel took up her old route and CORONA thereafter only made the Hamilton run on the occasion of special excursions.

In stating that CORONA was laid up at Toronto in 1933, we appear to have erred. In fact, she last operated in 1929 and then lay for eight long years in the Toronto Ship Channel prior to her sale for scrapping. Frankel Bros. Ltd., who purchased the steamer in 1937, did not actually dismantle her. The work was done by Summer & Company, Buffalo, to whom she had been resold.

The information for the story of these steamers comes, of course, from a great many sources, including Barlow Cumberland's "A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River" (1913) and Robertson's "Landmarks of Toronto" Volume II (1896). We should also like to acknowledge the assistance of Alan Howard who helped out on some of the stickier points.

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