Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-01-01
Loss Of the Mayflower.
Statement Of tie Passengers

CLEVELAND, Dee 10.
We left Buffalo at halfpast 10 o'clock
on Monday evening the hight was clear.
but cold, and ,ho wind fair TO the north
ward About IL clock it changed to the
northwest, and we met the full force of
the gale; and such gale vas never BE-
fore felt on this or other waters. Tie
cold was intense, and the mist so thic'l
that nothing could be seen. We ran ~
the Lake till half past 3, when the storm
became so furious, and the ice was col
.ectlng n such quantities forward that it.
was no longer safe to breast It. We then
turned and ran down she Lake before the
gale until I o'clock, when the CAPTAIN,
fearing that he might get too far down,
a am tUrned and stood up under easy
steam, hoping that it would soon clear up
and give some landmark but the mist
packed more closely upon US while the
storm o. hail and snow increased Then
commenced the arduous duties Of tbs
Captain and his crew through all that
dreadful day and night
Capt Van Allen and his mates kept
the deck. Neither the storm nor intense
cold drove them an instant from their
post. Covered with ice, and their hands
and feet frosted, they met every cmergen-
cy with that coolncss courage and skill.
TO which, in the end, we owed our live
Au instant Of indecision ut times would
have hurried us into eternity. About
o'clock Tuesday morning heavy sea
struck the boat, and parted her rudder
chains, and she preached to and lay at the
mercy OF the waves, which seemed to strike
with the force Of rocks, hurled against
her. The second sea parted ler larboard
log chain, and for five hours she lav
pounding in the trough of the sea, it max
ing q clean breach through her eang-vays,
we believing every sea would break in her
lower works. Her lower guards were an
der water and her baggage room gave
way.
/ Finally, her crew got ropes to tackle
her rudder, which, owing to the ice that
covered the ropes, was a work Of great
suffering The mate and crew froze their
fingers Now, we were only able to work
the rudJer about two and a half feet
Her first mate, Mr. Cayerly, took his
stand 1T the steering tackle and working
IT with chains from above, remained there
until we were ashore She was now brought
against the storm. working to the south
ward
/ 1t was now o'clock, and the gale hal
increased TO a hurricane. Still shut up in
,impenotrab.c mist, a heavy sea struck the
boat and carried away her larboard smoke
pipe anl nearly all her fastcnings The
Captain was prompt to meet this new
misfortune y man was stationed with
hose III band which was attached to the
engine, ready TO play on the first appear
ance Of fire, where lie stood until ne
needed him no more
The engineer, than whom a cooler or
better man does not exist, now put out all
tie fires but two furnaces. and worked
Lcr that Tie boat was now virtually "A
wreck, hcr upper cabin had started ana
she worked two feet forward and ait with
the sen. Captain Van Allen made up his
mind 10 beach her. as she could not live
out i'm the lake and eHdearorcJ to get her
before tae wind for that purpose; but she
VAS loaded with ice forward and The
scaEtiuos- Of the rudder and steam. that
it was found useless We now held oar
course :. 5. W. At : We struck a field
of Ice which stove ia her wheel house. and
started thc decks forward Size was now
kept on her course, as was supposed, for
Cleveland She worked at about the rate
of three miles an hour
~ Il - O'Clock, tie Captain had tho
5 lead cast 30 bottom was reached. and
ut | o'clock she struck, and soon. thoug'.
j she was p once hacked. was hard aud
+ fast ON She pounded badly, and was
immediately scuttlvd Size came ashore
{ half mile above Elk Greek, l5 mile.
G above Erie At daylight, We with assist
aucc from tie shore some two hundred
feet distant, got q life line out and made
/. fast to tcee. and we were taken ashore
+ by that Our hearty thanks are due 81
( Judge Miles fer bis timely a,d in getting
@ rs ashore In building fires on the beach
and for rendering every assistance in Ii,
e power.
i. 10 Capt Van Allen, bis mates, Mcszrs
e Cavcrly aud Robert Mahcr; his engineer
o Frauk Furner, under Providence, wc re
c peat we owe our lives, and as such pre-
servers, we shall always rcTard them -
Sc To the steward, G. " Corbet, our CRATE
s ful thanks arc due for his continued cz
y crtious fCr our comfort.
r Sigucd BY the passengers.
IT GIEARp, Dec 70
J. Captain Van Allen has just returnc'
from the boat and found her IL better COZ
G. dition than was expected Some pros
10 poets Of saving her are entertained, thous
$, light She is loaded with tons Of ice O
the weather side The cabins are wreel
d cd badly We shall unload her mail
lr which are f.ozcn. tomorrow. and also he
IA furniture II S. NICHOLS. Clerk.
: More ;han two hundred millions Of gol
= dust has been supplied from Californi
- within two years Much of il has gou
to England to pay for goods that shoul
. have been manufactured at home.
ia IvoEI-Ihere was a film of ivory 3
d- uecr in tie L. S Department If tie Grc'
Exhibition forty feet long by foot
en width. produced BY cutting the tusk Of a
oi elephant spirally, or snail Ike fashion
ID
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