Captain Frank Bloom
Captain Frank Bloom, master of the Conemaugh, of the Anchor line, is one of the younger men on the lakes, who have of late become more prominent in its navigation. He is the youngest of the seven children of John C. and Nancy (Roberts) Bloom, of Wesleyville, Erie Co., Penn., at which place he was born, January 30, 1859.
Captain Bloom attended the village district school, and farmed until about seventeen years of age, when he set out for the oil fields, expecting, like many others in those days, to make a fortune. After two years' work there, however, he decided that steamboating was more lucrative, and in 1879 entered the service of the Anchor line as lookout on the Annie Young. From this comparatively humble position he has worked himself up to the highest point in marine circles on the lakes, at present serving as master of the Conemaugh, one of the finest steamers at present on the lakes. His record in order of progress is as follows: two years in the Annie Young as lookout and wheelsman; two years as wheelsman in the Alaska, and two more as second mate; second mate of the Lycoming one season; first mate of the Juniata four seasons, and of the Philadelphia one, just prior to the year she sank; he was then master of the Conestoga one season, and of the Conemaugh four, including 1897, thus rounding out a service of eighteen consecutive seasons with this line, with fourteen issues of license, quite an enviable record for a young man. Captain Bloom is a member of Keystone Lodge Royal Arcanum, No. 108, Erie.
In May, 1886, he was married to Miss Mary L. Brandon, of Erie, Penn., and they have three children: Harvey, Frank and Esther Mahala. The family residence is at Wesleyville, Erie Co., Pennsylvania.
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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.
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