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THE STORY OF THE VOYAGE OF PATRICK BURNS AND MARGARET BURNS TO AMERICA – AS PENNED BY PATRICK BURNS FEBRUARY 12th, 1900, WATERTOWN, NY
My sister Margaret and myself sailed from Sligo on the 27th of May 1847 and after avery troublesome and turbulent voyage landed in Quebec, on the 11th day of July, 1847. Ships name was Ellen and was commanded by Capt. Thomas Hood and Englishman and a very efficient and good man. Shortly after leaving Sligo with about three hundred and fiftey passengers the deadly “ship fever” a violent form of typhus fever raged among the passengers and fully one third of the passengers died of this dread disease. The disease was of generally short duration in most cases. Sometimes a person would be alright in the evening and would be taken sick at night and be dead by day break. The meathod of burying was the wrapping of the body in sail cloth and placing it on a plank on the rail of the ship, then weighing it down with sand or stones and cast into the water. As there was no clergeyman on board I read the De Profundis over each before the body was cast into the sea and such heartrending scenes I have never before or sence witnessed. At arriving at Quarantine outside of Quebec a great many of the passengers affected with the fever were detained there. But Margaret and myself with many others were allowed to proceed to Quebec. We stayed there about two weeks in Quebec at a street or locality called Dimond Harbour, and visited with a friend and neighbour, a man by the name of Anthoney Conoley, who lived in the same townland with me in Ireland. We sailed up the river to Montreal in steam boat called the “John Munn” and stayed in Montreal about three weeks, I working about two week on the La Chene Cannal Bason lock. My sister Margaret was stopping at a lodgeing house. We then went up the La Chene Canal to Otawa then called Bytown. We only staid a few hours. We then went down toward Kempville and was accompanied by Catherine McGill an Emigrant girl whom we met in Montreal who was on the way to her friends in Kempville. Before arriveing in Kempville the boat became disabled at a place called Beckwith Landing, and Margaret and Miss McGill becoming sick with the fever we were obliged to leave the boat at that place and took refuge at the house of one Patrick Mullin a very kind and good man who contracted the disease from us and died of it. After leaveing Mullins we went to Kempville where I rented some rooms, but in a short time after sister Margaret got a relapse of the Typhus fever, and after doctors care and my attendance got well. At the same time I got a job on a buielding of Mr. Jones M.P., at Kempville on his new buielding. My first part of the job was on trial, was to buield some Eliptic Arches over the front enterance and sides, but after some time I was taken sick with the Typhus fever and by this time sister Margaret was recovering so she could attend to my wants and in about three weeks I was able to sit up alone in a chair. I gained strength fast, and I being anxious to go to work, my next was in buielding a cellar for a black smith by the name of Foster and cheated me out of a large portion of my pay. But when I was about putting on the last finishing touches, there came a heavey rain storm gave me a severe drenching. I was scearce able to go home and after I got home I lay down with a relapse and racking pains and aches, that I almost dispeared of ever standing on green grass again. But I still got to be able to go around again and my Eyesight became so weak and effected that when I approached an object, it appeared to my vision that there were two in place of one. But during that winter I remained in a place called Irishtown about three miles from Kempville, buielding fireplaces and chimneys and odd jobs such as I could get. And sister Margaret stayed with a familey close by in the neighbourhood. On February 9th 1848 I came to Prescott and crossed the St Lawrance to United States, but in crossing there was some difficulty it being a cold night. I hired a skiff to take me over. There was a weoman passenger along with us and I think would weigh 250 lbs averdupoise, and she sat in the stern of the boat which afterwards became a very useful balace. Whereas the ice was in many places from ˝ inch to 1 ˝ inch thick, and in getting the bow of the boat on the ice like a sleigh runner, and the stern in the water. And by means of a long gaff used by the man in the bow, and at the same time the man in the center of the boat paddled with his oar with all his might to shive the boat ahead. During this time the corpulent woman kept a rocking in the stern through and froe in order to keep the bows in the water and break the ice at the stern, but after some cold time and difficulty we landed in Ogdensburg. Next morning I started in search of a job and I dandered in to a marble shop kept by a man of the name of Whitney, which was about hireing me and gave orders to draw out by pincle, the portrait of St Patrick, which I did as I was well versed on that subject. I mad a very good attempt. He was called away on some business and told me to remain in the shop until his return, but as my purse being light and night approaching, I did not wait for his return, and went to the suberbs of the city where I happened on a job that lasted a few weeks. I was sent on an errant and happened to meet a teem going to Ogdensburg for coal, and asked me to ride. He went into a tavaren to refresh and water his horses and after arriveing there, there were several persons in the bar room, and amonst them were two contractors of differant sections of the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain R. Road. These happened to have a letter written by some C. Engeneer and all in the room was puzeled to read it, but I have been glanceing over their shoulders and had a good idea of he words and contents and corrected them several times. They handed me the letter which I read to the satisfaction of all in the room, and after asking me had I a trade I said I was a mason, and both men offered me a job as both of them had two large bridges to buield. And I remained there for the summer and fall of 1848 with one of them. After I got settled in work I went back to Canada for my sister Margaret, and started back toward Potsdam again where I was working on a bridge that crosses the Racquette River and secured a place for my sister with a family of Daneal Bellis about four miles from Potsdam, and some time after went to work for Atorney Knowles, where she remained until she came to Watertown with her parents, brothers and sisters on corner of Washington and Healy sts, Watertown, N. York. On this above
named bridge the contractor broak down and owed some money, but after going
through a process of law onley a small portion remained to my share. My father
and mother and family came then from Ireland May 13th 1849 to Potsdam
and came to Watertown where the remained on Gotham St where they boath died.
Mother Sept 26 1867 Father Oct 13 1867 at the house of their son Patrick Burns
35 Gotham St Watertown N.Y., and buried in Calvary cemetery Watertown where
there is erected a monument 22 feet high cut and erected by their children and
carved and lettered by their sons John and Patrick. May they rest in paece.
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