The sinking of the Mohawk off the coast of New Jersey claimed the lives of Professor Herdman Cleland, and Williams seniors William Dwight Symmes, Lloyd Houghton Crowfoot, and Julius Palmer. The group was bound to the Yucatan for a geological expedition. Three Williams students survived this traumatic event. One year and one day later, the Symmes Gate was presented to the college by the parents of William Symmes in honor of those who lost their lives.