William Megarvey

William Megarvey, of Cleveland, was born October 23, 1858, at Clarion, Penn. His father, Patrick Megarvey, was born in the Alleghany Mountains and has spent the greater part of his life at his native place, now at the age of over seventy-three years, being one of its oldest residents. In 1870 the family removed to Cleveland, where they remained for some time, and in that city Captain Megarvey received the greater part of his education. In 1876 he shipped on the Cormorant as deckhand and remained one season in that capacity, becoming watchman on the same boat the following year, and afterward for four years serving as wheelsman. He next went on the Egyptian as wheelsman, and from her to the Colonial, in 1885 becoming mate of the Cormorant; for the three following years he was mate on the Marquette and Grace Holland, in 1890 taking command of the Holland and sailing her for one season. He has since served on the Magnetic three years and the Continental for one season. Prior to becoming master he sailed with only two captains. Captain Megarvey is a single man. His grandfather, William Crow, was a pilot on the Mississippi river during the Civil war.

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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.