George L. Allen

George L. Allen, second engineer on the Masaba, is a young man whose life thus far has been largely devoted to marine pursuits, and whose future in that line of work seems one of promise. He was born August 14, 1869, in Cleveland, where he always resided, and until sixteen years of age he attended its public schools. He then made his first trip on the V. Swain as watchman, and after a year in that capacity he served on the Ira Owen. He spent a year as oiler on the Manola, Progress, Saxon, Norman and Griffin, and was afterward second engineer on the R. E. Schuck, Sitka, A. A. Parker and Norman. He was then on the Joe Harris, of Cleveland, as engineer for one year, and in 1897 was second engineer on the Masaba, which berth he continues to hold.

On May 31, 1895, he was shipwrecked on the Norman, which collided with the Canadian vessel Jack on Lake Huron; was on the Sitka when she collided with the tug Torrent in the St. Clair river; and was also on the Progress when she collided with the J. A. McBrier in the Straits. Thus he has passed through many thrilling experiences in marine life, but remains an ardent devotee of the calling, to which his father and other members of the family have devoted their lives. Fraternally he is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 2, of Cleveland.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.