Captain H. W. Phillips

Captain H.W. Phillips was an ocean navigator in his early days, and he came to the Great Lakes with considerable nautical experience upon which to base his aspirations for success in the new field, where he has since been engaged except for a period of several months when he made a voyage across the ocean. The Captain was born in New York City, in 1852, son of H.W. Phillips, a sailmaker, whose sail loft was located in South street, that city. He attended school until he reached the age of seventeen years, after which he worked in his father's sail loft for one year before becoming a sailor. He made a voyage to South America in the bark Moses B. Bramhall, touching at Buenos Ayres, Montevidea and other ports, and returning to New York he shipped in the bark Morning Light for another voyage to South American ports. Then he went on board the full-rigged ship Daniel Webster, for Liverpool, going thence to the East Indies and returning to Boston, after which he made several short voyages in the steamer General Whitney between New York and Boston, and spent three months on the steamer Providence, of the Fall River line. Leaving the coast and removing to the lakes Captain Phillips joined the schooner E.C. Roberts, in which he remained three years, rising from seaman before the mast to second mate and then mate in her. He next sailed in the schooners S.P. Ely and Gamecock one season each, after which he joined the bark Oliver Ames at New York for a voyage to Liverpool and St. Avana. Returning to New York and to the lakes after this voyage, he has continued upon the lakes ever since. He served in turn as mate on the schooners Belle Walbridge, Porter, and Thomas Gowan, the steamer Rust and the schooner John Martin, after which he sailed as master of the schooner Red, White and Blue. He has since sailed the Golden Fleece one season, the F.A. Yarger seven seasons, and the John J. Barlum and the H.A. Barr one season each, closing the season of 1896 on the Barr. Captain Phillips has never had a wreck or serious accident, and has never cost the under- writers a dollar during his entire career.

The Captain was married, in 1882, to Miss Sarah Simpson, of Cleveland, whose brother, Robert Simpson, was lost in the steamer Western Reserve while making his first trip as a sailor. They have four children: Willie, Harry W., Edward and Ruth.

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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.