The Black Dog Of Lake Erie

While the torrid conditions of the “Witch of November” are often blamed for several of the mysterious disappearances of ships, another theory has also been put forth that is more paranormal of nature. The supernatural force is commonly known as the “Black Dog of Lake Erie.” Unlike the usual black dog legends, this animal isn’t so much a hellhound as it is the ghost of a dog and having it appear on a water-going vessel is considered a very bad omen.

According to legend, the Black Dog’s origins lie in the waters of Welland Canal in Canada, near Niagara Falls. A ship is said to have been traveling the canal when their mascot fell or was knocked overboard. The mascot was a large Newfoundland dog. The dogs are known for their abilities in the water and, aside from their water-resistant fur coats and their webbed feet, seem to have instinctual swimming and water rescue abilities. There are tales of the breed rescuing large groups of survivors during shipwrecks, including one that is said to have rescued Napoleon Bonaparte from drowning.

The crew onboard the ship is said to have shown very little concern for their mascot’s misfortune. Perhaps they misjudged the dog’s swimming abilities, but the stories implies that they instead made cruel sport of the dog trying to swim along the ship. According to the story the dog was crushed in the gate of a canal lock. Ironically enough, the crew then found themselves stuck in the lock while they had to dislodge the dog’s corpse from the gate in order for the lock to operate properly. After hours of difficult labor, the crew reportedly was able to free the corpse and get the lock working, only for the tale to conclude with them being haunted at night by the baying of the dead dog they failed to save.

The ghostly black dog is said to appear on ships that are about to run into trouble. The stories imply that the dog appears to curse the ships and cause their sinking. The alternate theory is that its appearance could also possibly be seen as an attempt to warn a ship that is soon to be in danger. In one description, the dog has “eyes like coals of fire”, which suggests that the dog may not have the best interests of seafaring mortals in mind. In the tales, the dog appears onboard a doomed vessel (or climbs aboard from the water). It then crosses the vessel and leaps from the other side. The vessel then runs into trouble.

The dog is said to have caused the wreck of the Mary Jane in Lake Erie on November 19, 1881. The schooner, built in 1862, was carrying a load of telephone poles when a storm drove it ashore, causing it to smash to pieces near Port Rowan, Ontario. Debris from the schooner washed up the following day on the shores near Dunkirk, New York. All nine crewmembers were lost. Before the Mary Jane set sail on its final journey, it is said that workers on the wharves at Port Colbourne, Ontario saw the Black Dog leap from the schooner and vanish upon setting foot on a dock.

Despite it being called “The Black Dog of Lake Erie”, most of the shipwrecks whose names are connected with sightings of the beast sank in waters other than Erie’s. If there is any truth to the tales then perhaps the apparently vengeful Newfie (a nickname for the breed) has just left fewer witnesses to his work in the waters of Lake Erie. The stories of the ghostly dog include the Issac G. Jenkins, which went down in Lake Ontario, as well incidents on Lake Michigan that included the Thomas Hume and Phoebe Catherine.  Source

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