Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-12-07
From the Erie O6serrer.
A DISASTROUS GALE.


tor many years in the lake region, has
swept by. Ii commenced blowing hard on
Thursday evening the 18th about O'Clock
accompanied with rain, but before morning
changed to severe cold, and on Friday night
commenced showing, and SO continued to
The end ofthree days, the wind all the while
blowing with ceaseless, unabating and re-
lcntess fury direct from the west We pre-
sent below melancholy list Of disasters to
human life and property on the lake, chief
ly copied from the Buffalo Commercial.
The schoohers j. II. Lyon for Buffalo.
Emely for Cleveland, Chippewa for Maui
mee, Reindeer, for Cleveland, Chesapeake
and Merchant, made this port in safety, the
TWO latter only sustaining slight damage in
rigging and rudder, and anchoring in the
roads, were towed into the bay by the steam
er Rochester, Capt. Folger. The steamer
Chicago, Capt. Edmonds, was in the most
perlous situation imaginable during the
greatest violence of the gale, and was
source OF extreme anxiety with our citizens
until her escape from wreck was learned on
Sunday. She had left port on Thursday
for Chicago with about forty passengers,
ten ot'whom were females-besides q large
cargo of merchandise and castings. She
was struck by the gale few miles above
Conneaut, SO suddenly, and with such vio-
lence as to render her incapable of making
head, or OF rounding to in safety and riding
before 1t to sale port. In this situation
she was suffered to drift stern foremost, and
by Friday morning had reached the lower
point OF the Peninsula, opposite this port,
hoN e h., 81;
was expected the wind would soon abate
and she would be able to make port, and her
anchor was accordingly dropped The wind
continued however, ii any thing to increase;
In short time her other chimney was car
RED away and soon after her chain parted
leaving nothing but the weight of the chain
10 hold her bow to the storm, and she COM
inenccd drifting slowly as before. The
Gutter was IN port, and her gallant and
humane officers attempted to go to the
vessel, but the attempt was soon found
to be certain destruction TO all, and she
was left TO her fatc-to utter despair bv
those on board, save the brave Captain and
crew-and melancholy sight to those on
shore, who followed her with strained gaze
as she slowly recedcd from view. She was
last seen from this place through glass, at
four in the afternoon about ten miles dis
tant-at one moment hid by the intervening
waves, and at the next apparently swung
nigh IN ma air. She was again seen off
North East, fifteen miles down, about dark
nobly struggling to bear up he precious
charge from the gulf which yawned to swal-
low them every moment. About midnight
1u int a., I
the sea and carecned fearluly. when her
deck loading principally castings, was
thrown over board, and in this situation she
continued nearing land until she struck a
sand beach, about Saturday noon, three
miles below Cattaraugus creek having drill
ted over one hundred miles. The passen-
gers and crew reached terra irma in safety
as the waves reccded alternately, without a
soul being lost. \ more remarkable deliv-
crence from what seemed to be inevitable
destruction is perhaps scarcely on record
TO have went ashore at almost any other
point in the whole distance. would have
knocked any vessel to pieces in a few
minutes. The boat was not injured much
when the passengers left, and the balance
of the cargo salc.-Ga:cNe.
AT Buffalo, says the Commercial. .littlc
injury was done other than to inundate the
flats and odstruct navigation on the canal"
Here follows melancholy list of disasters
above that place, reported in the CONNER
cal of Saturday last.
The schooner JEFFERSON, Capt Dougall,
went ashore at 6 o'clock last night, about
three miles above Buffalo light house. and
is total wreck, accompanied by a melan-
choly loss OF liIe-one entire family, hus-
band, wife and five children, together with
young woman, and one of the men be-
longing to the vessel hayingperished! Capt
DouSall, from whom we have the painful
recital, says that about two hours after his
vessel beached, the companion,way washed
oil, and the children and young woman,
drowned in the cabin and fore, castle. A
portion of the crew had got ashore in quest
OF help, and were cndcayoring to rescue the
family.
The mate wrapped his overcoat around
the woman, and tried to keep her warm bv
walking her to and fro on the beach. but she
soon became exhausted and incapable of
motion, and was placed in the boat which
was washed up, where she died in short
time. Her husband was deirious on reach
ing shore, and attempted to escape into
swamp near by, but persisted within a short
distance. One of the hands belonging TO
the vessel. named James Bruce. got into
the swamp and was likewise lost The ia
mily were from Hartford, Ct-names I'M
known-the children aged from eight years
downwards. The Jefferson was owned by
5. ". Ransom Of Chicago, and was bound
for that port, with a cargo of 500 bbls. salt,
40 tons iron, and some merchandise. " hicb
Will be mostly lost-shirped by J. Murray
x Co. of this city. The crew succeeded
IN getting on board the brig Olive Richmond
about midnight beached below them, in
greatly exhausted state.
When our renOrter reached tho rossol