Hi Sherilyn, The Medora was a horrific accident wasn't it? It's hard to believe that the Medora was rebuilt later that year and was put back into service under a different name, The Herald. I think I found a few more things of interest for you. This is from an original newspaper clipping that I found in the Maryland Room at Enoch Pratt Free Library From The (Baltimore) Sun, May 31, 1951 "... Eventually, when the young city had recovered from the shock of the disaster, the Medora was salvaged and in October, 1842, was rebuilt. It sailed the bay with a new name - the Herald - until the Civil War and later was used on the Hudson River as a tug. In 1885, after 43 years, it was abandoned on a Hudson shore and left to rot. That April afternoon explosion, however, still remains 109 years later as the port's second worst disaster." Now for your query: first, you would need a death date for John Watchman to find an obituary or death notice. I did the research on the Medora because my ggg grandfather, John (George) Hoofnagle was injured in the Medora explosion. I just looked at my copies of the newspaper accounts and now realize that my ggg grandfather worked for your John Watchman!! Was John Watchman your ancestor? My ggg grandfather John George Hoofnagle was a pattern maker in the steamboat building industry and later a steamboat engineer. The newspaper account said that he was a workman in the establishment of Mr. Watchman I think your John Watchman must have died after 1860 because two John Watchmans are listed in the 1860 census in Baltimore but I have not seen the actual census records myself, only the index to the page number. Perhaps someone on this list with access to these census records will post or e-mail to you the actual census info: 1860 census WATCHMAN, JOHN Baltimore 15 W. Baltimore, Maryland Ward 15, page: 309 1860 census WATCHMAN, JOHN Baltimore 15 W. Baltimore, Maryland Ward 15, page: 562 I just purchased a few books which might be of some help. I am wondering if the following is your John Watchman and possibly his wife. They were the only Watchmans listed in the books. These books just list only the basics, their might be more info in the actual death announcement. Watchman, Elizabeth, died December 13, 1846, wife of John death announcement in The Baltimore Sun dated December 15, 1846, page 2 (source: Index to Marriages and Deaths in The (Baltimore) Sun 1837-1859 compiled by Thomas L. Hollowak) Watchman, John died April 11, 1865; notice in The Baltimore Sun dated 4/12/1865 Watchman, Ann died Febry 22, 1861; notice in The Baltimore Sun dated 2/23/1861 Watchman, George died April 22, 1862; notices in The Baltimore Sun dated 4/23/1862 and also 4/25/1862 (source: Index of Obituaries and Marriages In The (Baltimore) Sun 1861-1865 compiled by Joseph C. Maguire, Jr) Also there is an artists rendering of the explosion of the Medora at the Maryland Historical Society webpage at: <A HREF="http://mdhsimage.mdhs.org/Library/Images/Mellon%20Images/Z24access/z24-00633.jpg">http://mdhsimage.mdhs.org/Library/Images/Mellon Images/Z24access/z24-00633.jpg</A> http://mdhsimage.mdhs.org/Library/Images/Mellon%20Images/Z24access/z24-00633.j pg There is a Special Collection at the Maryland State Archives regarding the Medora Explosion: Special collection at MD State Archives Medora Explosion 1842 . MSA SC 1456-1499. 0/70/9/23 When I looked at that file at the MSA, I was hoping to find the original inquiry but it only consisted of newspaper accounts, most of which you and I now have but there was an additional newspaper account which I did not see at Enoch Pratt. I dont know that you would be interested, but the following is the few bits of information that I gleaned from the newspapers regarding my 3rd great grandfather John Hoofnagle found in the newspaper accounts. The Sun, Baltimore, Friday April 15, 1842 "A man named Hoofnagle was thrown by the explosion on board the Constitution, but escaped uninjured." (Dee's note: The steamboat Constitution was thirty-eight or forty feet from the Medora when the explosion took place.) The Sun, Baltimore, Monday Morning, April 18, 1842 Front page THE EXPLOSION OF THE MEDORA The Inquest - At the instance of his Honor, the Mayor, who was prompted by a desire to ascertain the cause of the disastrous explosion of the steamboat Medora, an inquest was on Saturday last held at Donohoe's, Vauxhall Gardens, by William T. Rice, Esq., coroner, on the body of John R. Boon; [John Ringold Boon].... John Hoofnagle testified to his having aided in taking him out of the water from amongst the wreck to the wharf in a wounded condition, whence some persons conveyed him home." The Sun, Baltimore, Monday Morning, April 18, 1842 page 2 Miscellaneous Information "George Hoofnagle, who was supposed to have been little injured, and who, after being thrown overboard, swam ashore, procured a boat and saved another individual, was yesterday morning confined to his room. After walking about two or three days, scalds were discovered which he himself had not suspected. The skin came from the right shoulder and from his face. The sight of one eye is nearly gone, and that of the other very indistinct. His physicians prevailed upon him, at last, to take his bed, and submit to such regiment as deemed necessary." The Baltimore American and Daily Advertiser, Friday Morning, April 15, 1842 "George Hoofnagle - a workman in the establishment of Mr. Watchman, badly scalded." (Dee's note: Mr. Watchman was the contractor/builder of the engine on board the Medora. The Medora was built by The Baltimore Steam Packet Company and was taking a trial run before turning her over to her new owners when the boiler exploded. She was built for the Virginia and Maryland Steam Navigation Company. More research needs to be done to determine whether John Hoofnagle and Mr. Watchman worked for The Baltimore Steam Packet Company or whether Mr. Watchman was a subcontractor for The Baltimore Steam Packet Company.) The Baltimore American and Daily Advertiser, Monday Morning, April 18, 1842 "Henry Snyder and John Hoofnagle having been called, merely testified as to the fact of Boon having been on board the Medora." Finally, I also have an interest in finding the name of the business where John Watchman worked as I said my ggg grandfather worked for your John. Do you mind if I ask if you live in Maryland? I live midway between Baltimore and Annapolis and do research at both the Maryland State Archives and Enoch Pratt Library. I am fighting off a flu right now but if you don't live in Maryland or have trouble getting to Annapolis or Baltimore, if you give me the dates you need I can try looking for your John Watchman in the Baltimore City Directories and also look up the death notices I put into this e-mail to you. Might be a week or so before I get back to research. Hope some of this helped. Best wishes, Dee Gabler In a message dated 3/13/02 10:03:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, sharilyn@northcoast.com writes: > Subj:[BALTGEN-L] John Watchman prominent Balt. machinist and engineer ca > 1850 > Date:3/13/02 10:03:07 PM Eastern Standard Time > From:<A HREF="mailto:sharilyn@northcoast.com">sharilyn@northcoast.com</A> > Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:BALTGEN-L@rootsweb.com">BALTGEN-L@rootsweb.com</A> > To:<A HREF="mailto:BALTGEN-L@rootsweb.com">BALTGEN-L@rootsweb.com</A> > Sent from the Internet > > > > Recently I posted questions about this man, and searched the > BALTGEN archives. I found a good deal of information about John > Watchman and the explosion of the steamboat "Medora", and it was > suggested to me tht I contct the Enoch Pratt Free Library, which > I did. > > Today I received the photocopies of newpapers of the time of the > explosion, and found tht there was no biographical information, > at all, on John Watchman. > > I know that: > > 1. He first appeared in Baltimore around 1820 > 2. He was a "prominent machinist and engineer" who designed the > boiler for the Steam boat Medora that exploded with heavy loss > of life > 3. He operated "The Watchman Fire Department" in Baltimore in > the mid 1800s. > 4. He appeared on the 1850 Fed Cen thusly: > > Baltimore Maryland 15Th Ward, page 17 . Enumerated July 17, > 1850. > He is listed as aged 60 (w/m) born in England. Value of Real > Estate 12,000., Occupation, Engineer. Also living in the > household is Sarah Johnson, (w/f) age 59 who was born in > Pennsylvania. > > I believe my best chance for finding biographical information on > this well known Baltimore man of that period would be an > obituary. Obviously, there was at least one very good newspaper > operating in the Baltimore area, but the photocopies I was sent > do not include the name of the newspaper. > > What are the chances of finding an obituary on this John > Watchman, without a date of death to go on? > > Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed, or know where > records of this type may be indexed? > > Many thanks, > > Sharilyn Whitaker >