"A large scow belonging to Leathem & Smith and loaded with cedar ties, caught fire on Saturday night and was burned to the water's edge, together with the cargo. The craft was in tow of the Smith and when about two miles from the canal the fire was discovered issuing from the ties. The barge cut her tow adrift and endeavored to extinguish the flames by submerging the scow, but the cedar on board was so light and of such a combustible nature that she got scorched herself and finally abandoned the undertaking. The life-saving crew went to the scene and succeeded in saving some of the articles on board the scow. A south wind prevailed at the time and this drove the burning craft on shore about two miles north of the canal. The tug Leathem was subsequently dispatched from this port and succeeded in bringing the craft to this port, where it is to be repaired and converted into a flatboat for carrying stone and lumber. The ties were purchased by Frank Everard and others, in the town of Union, and were worth about seven hundred dollars. The value of the scow is about eight hundred dollars, and as there was no insurance on the craft or cargo the loss was total" Door County Advocate 10/14/1886.

"...as a last resort to prevent the craft from burning up, an attempt was made to sink her. A hole was cut with the axes near the water-line ... obligated to abandon her. As it was seen that the fire was beyond control, the station men took steps to save whatever was possible. The scow was kept headed to the wind, which enabled two of the surfmen to reach the bow, where they cut the steamer's tow-line and made fast to the anchor and chain, by which means the latter were afterwards recovered. The next day a tug picked up the bottom of the scow--all that was left of her--three miles north of the canal and towed it into Sturgeon Bay." USLSS 1887:320-321,125.