The Griffith, a wooden vessel almost 600 tons, was built on the Maumee River in 1847. It was built to handle booming immigrant trade and had plenty of room below to carry freight. For three years, the hauling of immigrants and freight was uneventful from Buffalo to Toledo. Immigrants normally slept on deck. First class cabins went to those who could afford it.

Early on Sunday morning, June 16, 1850, the Griffith steamed out of Buffalo harbor in perfect weather. It's captain, Charles C. Roby, who just purchased an interest in the boat, had brought along his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law for the ride.  The passengers, about 256, included German, Irish and Scandinavian immigrant families.

The weather was mild and down below Chief Engineer David R. Stebbins, who designed and built the boat, was experimenting with some new lubricating oil. Soon after the wheelsman saw sparks shooting up between the smokestacks. After an attempt to extinquish the fire failed, the ship headed for shore. However, the Griffith's speed of 10 miles per hour created a wind that fanned the fire. By this time the frightened immigrants crammed towards the front of the ship screaming and in panic as families became separated. Roby did not order life boats lowered since they would be swamped and probably ineffective as the boat was moving at top speed, but the fire prevented getting to them anyway. Even though they were in sight of shore, many of the immigrants started jumping overboard, some swept into the churning paddlewheels. Some were trapped as they tried to go and rescue their belongings.

Finally, the ship's engine ran out of steam and still plowing ahead from inertia struck a sandbar, some 200 yards from shore. The fire, sweeping to the back of the boat due to the movement of the ship now raced forward rapidly and exploded, and the remaining immigrants leaped or were blown into the water, many landing on top of each other.

Ironically, even though the water was only 8 feet deep, most of the immigrants could not swim. In a panic condition, they grabbed hold of others and brought them down to their watery deaths. The wheelsman, Richard Mann who never left his post burned to death in the pilothouse. Capt. Roby and his family jumped but all died. Chief engineer Stebbins, survived along with two shipmates. The ship hit the beach broadside and continued burning. Many of the immigrants drowned because of their excessive weight. You see many had worn money belts, or sewn into their clothing, gold the currency they knew would be accepted in the New World.

Local residents fled to he scene and rescued those who survived and retrieved the dead. Only 37 people survived. A committee of citizens decided to bury the dead right on the spot of the disaster and a mass grave was dug not far on a knoll. In the grave they deposited 24 women, 47 men and 25 children, although estimates are as high as 300 for total deaths. It was Lake Erie's worst disaster. Interestingly, a report was made of items found later and no gold nor money belts were reported. The unmarked grave eventually eroded away and became the home of the Willoughbeach Amusement Park. Residential homes now line the area.

While the exact cause of the fire is not known, most attributed it to the new oil Stebbins was experimenting with. Later tests proved that it has a low flash point and burned with almost explosive results.

So what does this have to do with Troy? G.P. Griffith was named for Griffith P. Griffith, owner of G.P. Griffith & Co. Griffith (1789-1854) settled in Troy in 1824 and in 1827 established the Troy & Erie Transportation Line that linked commercial transportation between Lake Erie and New York City. One of his agents, Matthew Brown Jr. was responsible for the ship bearing the Griffith name after moving to Toledo in 1843.

Griffith did very well and between 1826-38, while in Troy, he acquired a number of boats including 3 steamboats the Robert Fulton, Dewitt Clinton, and New York.

The loss of the Griffith was instrumental in bringing about the first public safety laws to govern vessels on America's waterways. Frank McCarty, a nearby resident lobbied for a monument at the site. One was finally erected in June 2000.