Captain Thomas Wilford's wife Fannie and his two daughters, Cora and Adelaide were on board the
Osborn on her final day of 27 July 1884. They enjoyed a sunny day walking the deck, attending Sunday school services, and talking to the sailors, including the mate, George F. Cleveland, who also owned the
Osborn. The children were to be put to bed as night fell and a thick fog developed. Mrs. Fannie Wilford was uneasy and stayed near her husband's side on deck near the bow. The wooden
Osborn was downbound for the
Soo Locks with a cargo of 1,120 tons of iron ore and towing two schooner barges, the
George W. Davis and the
Thomas Gawn. The
Alberta was upbound with her usual number of passengers and freight on her regular run between
Owen Sound, Ontario and
Port Arthur, Ontario. The
Osborn carefully whistled her approach through the fog but one ship whistled once for a
starboard course and the other ship whistled twice for a
port course. Shipwreck historian Frederick Stonehouse wrote: As reported in the local papers, 'the barge blew three whistles, the
Alberta answering, and checked down to seven miles per hour, but in a moment the
Osborn appeared under the ''Alberta's'' bow and the latter struck her midway between the main and
mizzen masts on the starboard side, cutting her almost in twain.' When the larger , 2,282 ton, steel steamer
Alberta rammed the smaller , 891 ton, wooden
Osborn, she penetrated to the center of the ship cutting her almost in two. The large gash in the ''Osborn's
hull caused the water to hit her hot boilers which exploded and immediately killed two crewmen. Alberta
stayed locked with Osborn
long enough for Captain Wilford and his wife to transfer to her. One of the Alberta's
passengers jumped to the Osborn'' to save three lives, including Captain Wilford's children. While this rescuer from
Alberta was still below decks, the
Osborn broke free and sank, taking his life along with those of two crewmen. Following the collision, the press vilified
Alberta. In her first year of service, she was involved in four minor collisions and a fifth major collision that sank the
Osborn. The
Cleveland News Leader said of the
Alberta, "This huge steel monster, during the few months she has been afloat has become the terror of the lakes. Proud of her reputation as one of the fastest side-wheel steamers on fresh water, she has been run in an extraordinarily reckless manner." The
Buffalo Daily Courier reported, "Since the collision much has been said about [the
Alberta] being cumbersome and unwieldy, to which the accident was partially attributed. A lawsuit brought by the owners of the
Osborn and her cargo lasted nearly three years. The United States District Court ruled both vessels were at fault for excessive speed for conditions. The
Osborn loss was about $88,000 and the ''Alberta's
damages was about $20,000. Following admiralty rule for both vessels at fault, the damages were divided by deducting the Alberta's
loss from the Osborn's
loss, and equally dividing the remainder with the pecuniary result being that Alberta's
owners paid the owners of Osborn'', and her cargo $33,000. Years later Stonehouse concurred that thick fog and both ships traveling too fast for conditions was the likely cause of the disaster. ==Wreck history==