J. C. Bennett

J.C. Bennett is a marine engineer of great promise, for he pays close attention to his business, and has always managed to employ his winters at work in the machine shops until recently, when he became a solicitor for the New York Life Insurance Company as employment for his spare hours. He was born in Buffalo October 28, 1860, his parents being D.C. and Harriet (Walker) Bennett, the former a marine engineer. He has three brothers, Alva L. (who is an engineer), Daniel C., Jr., and Edwin, and one sister, Lillian M. Mr. Bennett's lake career was begun in 1874, as fireman on the tug Mystic, in which position he gave good satisfaction, and continued through 1875 and 1876. In 1877 he was given charge of the engine of the steamyacht Ina, plying between Middle Bass and Put-in-Bay; in 1878 he ran the barge Norma, running from Sandusky to Put-in- Bay island and vicinity, and in 1879 he was second engineer of the barge Colona. In 1880 he took charge of the engine of the side-wheeler R.B. Hayes, and ran her so well that he was retained for 1881. That winter he took charge of a stationary engine ashore, and like the work so well that he kept it through 1882 and 1883. The next season he ran the engine for the little Red Jacket, a local steamer running out of Sandusky, and for the season of 1885 he had charge of the engine of the tug Mystic. In the winter following he assumed management of the heating plant of a Sandusky hotel, and in the spring of 1887 he came to Detroit and took the position of second engineer of the tug Gladiator. He began the season of 1888 as second on the Don M. Dickinson, after a short time being promoted to chief of that boat, and the next season he served as chief of the William A. Moore; during 1890 he ran the engine of the Winslow, all of these boats being in Grummond's line. The seasons of 1891 and 1892 Mr. Bennett put in as chief of the Maggie Duncan, and that of 1893 as chief of the steamer Ionia, since when he has served as chief of the steamer Chauncey Hurlburt to the satisfaction of both owners and masters.

Mr. Bennett was married in 1886, at Sandusky, Ohio, to Miss Celia Bernhardt, and they have one son, named Gordon C. Fraternally Mr. Bennett is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and the Red Cross.

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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.