- Date
- circa 1908-05
- Kind
- Death
- Where
- Beaver Island
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- deathmaritimefishinghistorycommunication
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
The May 2008 “One Hundred Years Ago” column reprinted reports that D. R. “Raymond” McDonald and Cornelius Johnson of St. James were found dead aboard the fishing boat Mary Meath near St. Ignace. The historical reports attributed the deaths to gasoline-engine fumes in the enclosed boat, described a later blown-gasket finding, and said a double funeral took place at St. James.
Evidence limits
This is a 2008 reprint of 1908 newspaper reports, not a coroner’s file, vessel inspection, contemporary gas-analysis record, or cemetery register. The event date is indexed only approximately to May 1908.
Sources
- A descendant’s genealogy inquiry and replies identify Raymond McDonald’s family connections, preserve a museum-held newspaper clipping, and later correct its handwritten date by locating the May 21, 1908 Charlevoix Sentinel citation. The forum is a research trail and family recollection; the reprinted newspaper account remains the event evidence.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 00 · t000402
- Beaver Beacon, May 2008, "One Hundred Years Ago," reprinting the 1908 Charlevoix Courier and Sentinel reports of D. R. McDonald and Cornelius Johnson.Reprints reports that McDonald and Johnson of St. James were found dead aboard the gasoline boat Mary Meath near St. Ignace, with later evidence attributing the deaths to engine fumes and a blown gasket; a double funeral was held at St. James. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2008-05_Beaver-Beacon
- The held May issue scan confirms the reprinted fatal-accident reports.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 2008-05_Beaver-Beacon
Added 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “D. R. McDonald and Cornelius Johnson die in a gasoline-boat accident, 1908”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-mcdonald-johnson-gas-deaths-1908/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Island Forum, “Seeking info. on my gggrandfather, BI resident, murdered(?),” July 30, 2005. (and 2 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
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