The following was first transcribed from the original letter by Michael J. Keating on 06/29/1980. I later re-typed it on 08/13/1996. This letter mentions all three immigrant Keating brothers, John, Patrick, and Simon. The story of the shipwreck still captivates me to this day. I’ll follow up on this letter with some anecdotes regarding the contents.

AN ACCOUNT OF JOHN CHARLES KEATING: A LETTER FROM HIS SON, THOMAS P. KEATING, TO CHARLES A. KEATING OF FROSTBURG, 02/23/42.

John C Keating was born in the small city of Ballymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland, about 35 miles from Dublin. He was one of a large family of seven boys and two girls. They all grew up large, strong and healthy men and women. On account of the coercive laws of England they had no schools at that time, and as a result they had no education.

As a young man, he worked at carrying large sacks of grain up in a large building for storage purposes (there were not any elevators in those days). He was a large, strong man, 5′11-1/2 in his stocking feet, and 210 lbs.

He married early in life Julia Hyland, also from Ballymore, a very smart and capable young woman. The Keating family were poor, while the Hylands were well to do. The bride was very popular, and they had many valuable wedding presents. They packed all into four large trunks and started on their wedding trip to America, the land of freedom and of their dreams.

This was before steamboats came into use. They started on a sail boat. The trip generally took six weeks; this trip took eleven weeks. They were wrecked in mid-Atlantic Ocean at midnight. John C. Keating and a watchman were the only ones on deck when the storm struck. The first wave burst in the hatch on one side of the boat, and the water rushed down on the passengers and crew in their berths. They were frantic, and all rushed for the ladders. John C. Keating and the watchman stood at the top of the ladder and pulled them up. Each person had a hold of one ahead and would not let loose until their hold was broken. This made it hard work; they had to pull until someone’s hold broke; sometimes two would come, and sometimes three. It was daylight before they got them all up. Then in the meantime they got the pumps working and carpenters boarding up the side. John C. Keating was the hero on this occasion. The passengers presented him with a purse to show their appreciation.

This same ship was wrecked again when going through Long Island Sound. It ran on a sandbar. There was a life-saving station there, and they got a line to the boat, then a second line. They took the passengers off two at a time loaded in the little boat (women first). So Father and Mother were separated and landed at different parts of the shore. He wandered and searched all night, wet, cold, and hungry, for Mother. It was a cold winter night. He finally found her sitting on the steps of an old building looking out at sea nearly frozen with her wet clothing. They lost all their baggage. Of course, they still had some money and the purse the passengers gave him. They drifted down to a small town in Connecticut where he secured a job cutting ice during the winter.

This was in 1853; James Buchanan was president of the U.S.A., and the country was in an awful depression. The government opened poor houses to help feed the people. They rationed out corn meal and bacon twice a week.

They lived there during the winter, and while still there his brother Pat Keating came out from Ireland — left his wife and one young son behind. Pat got a job cutting wood with an axe and chopped his foot; he never used an axe before (They used a Bil Hook for choppingin Ireland). Then they all left for Mt. Savage, Md.

John C. Keating secured a job on the railroad, and Pat went to work as housman for a Mr. A.C. Greene, Supt. of the old Borden Mining Co.. This was in 1854.

The railroad had wooden rails with one-inch strap iron spiked on; the road bed was not solid. This caused much vibration, and the spikes on the ends worked loose and out, and caused the strap iron to cock up on the loose ends. If it got high enough, it would run over the top of the wheels and wreck the engine or train. So they pushed a flat car in front and had a man posted there as a lookout to watch ahead. This was his first job, and he was getting along all right.

Then they rented a house on a sixty acre farm two miles from Mt. Savage about 1/2 a mile east from the village Allegany, and this was the first effort to start the Keating clan in Western Maryland.

After about three months at his job, he missed seeing one of the loose joints sticking up, and he landed in a culvert on his head; he was out for ten hours; his neck and shoulder were badly bruised and skull fractured. Being a very strong man, he seemed to recover quickly and it did not bother him. He continued until he was getting up to about fifty years and it continued to get worse and evenutally caused his untimely death, he being only 58 when he passed away.

After he fully recovered, he went to work in a rolling mill in Mt. Savage, swinging a 95-lb hammer. There was two such hammers in use there; the other one was swung by his brother, Simon Keating. This was heavy work, and it took a very strong man to do it, and it paid extra. His brother Simon stood 6′2 in his stocking geet and weighed 220lbs.

After a couple of years, Pat Keating quit his job with Mr. Greene and left Frostburg for Fort Duquesne — now Pittsburgh, Pa. — over the old Braddock’s Road in a heavy old-time jolt wagon with his wife and child through the wilderness of the Allegheny Mountains. Pat was a man with vision and plenty of nerve. Coal was just coming into use, and he started the first coal yard in Pittsburgh and made a lot of money quickly. Then he quit the coal business and he and John C. Keating went into building new railroads all around the country. They spent about fifteen years at railroad building, made plenty of money, and spent and lost money. After that John C. Keating went to work at the New Hope Mine as coal inspector (or dock boss).

After building the house [183 McCulloh St. in Frostburg], the family moved from the little farm. Your father [John W. Keating, 1871 - 1941] was about fourteen years old when we moved. All of the family were born there except the oldest girl, Jerry Counihan’s mother.

John C. Keating was always on time for all his duties or appointments in life; he never missed one. He kept his word at all times; he was very quiet and reserved. He was not only a Catholic, but he lived his religion. He went regular to all his duties, and all his family had to join him at 9 P.M. each night to recite the holy rosary. He never bought anything on credit. He could look the whole world in the face for he envied not any man. I have pulled back the curtain that (illegible) his life and found no dark spots or skeleton in his closet. And he is surely gone to heaven.

Reunion Flyer

This deed made this 29th day of March in the year One thousand eight hundred and ninety seven by Katie Counihan and John Counihan her husband, Mary E. Cronin and Patrick Cronin, her husband of Allegany County in the State of Maryland, Julia A. Keating whose religious name is Sister M. Euphrasia of the town of Seattle in the State of Washington and Theresa G. Keating, whose religious name is Sister M. Cyprian of the City of New York in the State of New York and Julia Keating the widow of John C. Keating, late of Allegany County, deceased, parties of the first part and John W. Keating, Thomas P. Keating, and Agnes C. Keating of Allegany County in the State of Maryland, parties of the second part. Whereas a certain John C. Keating, recently departed this life, intestate siesed and possessed of the seal estate hereafter described, and leaving surviving him a widow the said Julia Keating, and the following heirs at law. Katie Counihan, Mary E. Cronin, Julia A. Keating, Theresa G. Keating, Thomas P. Keating, Agnes C. Keating and John W. Keating to whom the said Real Estate descended, and whereas the parties of the second part have agreed to purchase from the parties of the first part all their interest in and to said Real Estate. Now therefore this deed witnesseth, that in consideration of the premises and the payments by the parties of the second part to the the parties of the first part of the sum of One Thousand two hundred Dollars ($1,200.00) the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged the said Katie Counihan and John Counihan her husband, Mary E. Cronin and Patrick Cronin her husband, Julia A. Keating, whose religious name is Sister M. Euphrasia, Theresa G. Keating, whose religious name is Sister M. Cyprian and Julia Keating the widow of the late John C. Keating do grant and convey unto the said John W. Keating, Agnes C. Keating, and Thomas P. Keating.

All their right title and interest in and to All that piece or parcel of land situated and lying in the town of Frostburg, Allegany County in the State of Maryland which is particularly described as follows: All that piece or parcel of land lying and being in Allegany County and State of Maryland and situated near the town of Frostburg, it being a part of a tract of land called “The Hotel” and was[?] particularly described by and contained within the following courses and distances to wit: Beginning at a stake standing on the Southwest side of the road  leading from the National Turnpike to the “Allegany Cemetery” and also of the end of the first line of that part of the “Hotel”, sold by the said Thomas G. McCulloh Executor to Robert C. Paul and running thence with said road. North twenty five degrees West one hundred and thirty three feet to the intersection of McCulloh Street and with it North sixty nine feet to the Alley intersecting with said street thence South twenty nine degrees West four hundred and ninety feet to a fence standing on a line of that part of the “Hotel”sold by Thomas G. McCulloh Executor to John Bone thence with said fence South sixty one degrees East one hundred and fifty eight feet to the end of the second line of the aforesaid Robert D. Paul’s Lot and reversing said line North fifty seven and one half degrees East four hundred and sixty four and one half feet to the place of beginning. Containing three and one tenth acres.

Saving and excepting from the operation of this deed all the large vein of coal which may be under the aforesaid lot or parcel of land as heretofore sold and conveyed by George McCulloh andthe aforementioned Mary McCulloh his wife and being the same piece or parcel of land which was conveyed by Thomas G. McCulloh Executor to John Keating, by deed dated June the Seventh One thousand eight hundred and seventy four and recorded in Liber J. L. No. 43 folio 40, one of the Land Records of Allegany County.

Together with the improvements thereon and the rights and appurtenances thereto belonging or appertaining. So have and to hold the above granted property unto the said John W. Keating, Agnes C. Keating and Thomas P. Keating as tenants in common their heirs and assigns forever in fee simple.

As witness our hands and seals the day and year first above written.

State of Maryland

Allegany County to wit: I hereby certify that on this 29th day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety seven before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace of the State of Maryland in and for Allegany County personally appeared Katie Counihan and John Counihan her husband and Julia Keating and acknowledged the aforegoing deed to be their respective act and deed.

Benj. Jenkins

Justice of the Peace

Source: Allegany County Circuit Court (Land Records) [MSA CE 78-75] 82, pp. 0338-340. Printed: 05/13/2008. Image available as of 01/25/2005.