[2] The George Spencer (Official number 85849) was built in 1884 by the Thomas Quayle & Sons Shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio.

[3] She was powered by a 625-horsepower fore and aft compound engine which was fueled by a coal burning Scotch marine boiler.

[3] On September 9, 1901, the Spencer was sailing down the west channel of the Niagara River when she grounded at the head of Little Island.

[4] The Amboy (Official number 95276)[5] was a wooden schooner barge that was constructed specifically for the Minnesota's iron ore trade.

[7] In July 1891 the Helena sank in a collision in the Little Mud Lake, St. Marys River with the loss of one life.

[9] On October 14, 1893 the Amboy ran aground at the foot of Georgia Street in Buffalo, New York.

[11] On the day of November 28, 1905 the Spencer and the Amboy were bound from Buffalo, New York for Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of coal when they were struck by the full force of the Mataafa Storm.

[12] After the storm blew itself out it was discovered that 18 ships had been wrecked or stranded; and one, the steamer Ira H. Owen was lost with all hands.

[13] A December 1, 1905 issue of the Duluth Evening Herald described the wreck of the Spencer and the Amboy: Both boats lost their bearings in the snowstorm and landed on a sandy beach.

With an improvised life buoy rigged in the hawsers the entire crew were taken safely to shore preceded by Mrs. Harry Lawe, wife of the mate, who was acting as steward.

The vessels ran on the rocks Tuesday morning, and for thirteen hours the situation of the crew on the battered hulks was desperate.

Flynn returned last evening from an inspection of the stranded steamer George Spencer and schooner Amboy.

The wreckage of the Spencer consists of a 141-foot (43 m) long section of the base of her wooden hull from the turn of the bilge down.

[6] The section of her keelson which is parallel to the beach has been eroded by the waves, it consists of side-by-side white oak timbers.