The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-21

AS-~>~f-%'----
AND SAVED,
from the Detroit Tribune, Nov Ill
Shipwreck snd loss Of life always possess enough
ofirterest to demssd from those saved stsssusas
Of facts and herewith submit for publication suoh
Is nov occur to my recollection. The propeller
Bucephalus left Chicago Nov. T. With IA 900 bushels
kie. After leaving that place we encountered Goa
slant succession Of gales, until Sunday tina l3sa.
when, after leaving Pressure Isle with apparent
fair weather, the wiad suddenly chsnged from west
showed no iDdi alton OF gale until p NJ, whom
it began 20 fall rapidly, and furious sasw storm
set in Immediately.
AtsP. n: the wind had increased to . gale,
showing and freezing hard The sea rising "a oid;y
caused us to secure everything for severe night on
Saginaw bay. At g p. N. the head OF the feremAst
went over the sade. Shortly after, both forward
gaDgwa's were stove in, the cargo apparently shift
Great quantities Of water came ON deck, and I at
once decided to throw over the deck load OF grain
and seed in bags, in order. possible to right tho
propeller Bsfo.e we had accomplished this, the
ait gaDgwsy was steve In, and in few minutes a.
tar the MIDDLE one gave way. All the gang Ways on
the lee side being out, aud the decks cOmpietaly
noQded with water dete rDined, AZ our only hope,
to Jun before The sea TIL we could secure the gang
ways again.
By great exertion the after one (bslng small) was
secured, but the Others from their greater length
could not be fastensd up. Up to this time (eight
+. 81 j the propeller haa not made mu 81 water he
matches being we'll secured and the wind lulling
little, and another propsuer near by bound down,
our deck load mostly Ell Oh, thought We might pos
s,bly reach ST. Clair river. But when We kept up
ON our course, the sea yet run ming heavy the list VI
corstsntly rushing in the lee side. tdat ths pro-
peler would not steer After keeping the helm hard
port some time. the violent rolling Of the boat
srsnng her very mu h, every sea lifting the guards
srCund the stern from the hull-thereby lettiDg in
ige quantities Of water into the FIRE hold planly
cav that our only salvation was to keep before
the ami take our char ce for the Charity Island
% Pott An Barqnes. The helm was accordingly put
ryurd before the wind, which at this time was blow.
8 Almost hurricane, with hail and snow, and the
b sv,sst SEA ever saw on the lakes. At thls
time again saw the propeller previousy noticed
the propeller MAJ fower) We had not been be-
fore the wind more than half hovr when, ct about
midnight, hearing an unusual noise at the storm,
found on examination that our rudder had entirely
disappea AIRED, and that the fuader posi- WAS hanging
at an anglo Of fifty degrees aft the motion Of tho
wheel thrown 8 it and the rudder (Which must have
been still hanging BY the chainsl into that posi-
Ine Doss Is once nr4acasd -, the sea TOOK every
guards and pouring In torrents OF water, although
the pump worked by the pony engine, and also the
one by the main engine, we discharging large
quality Of water every minute. But the violent
manned but to get the boats ready. the Grew and
passengers divided off under the charge of compe-
tant officers and to await the proper time TO launch.
maud Of Mr.. Stoddayd, the first mate, his number
heing nine leaving seven for each of the other two.
Mr.. Shoemaker, German, took charge Of the other
quarter boat, and with him the deck hands, who
were Germans, and one wheels man. were to 60.
Blu kets, oars axes and all things necessary. were
lAshed in the boats.
then took Mr.. White, the second ficer, and went
70 the top q the cabin where our ifs beat was lssh
ward deck, an undertaking attended with great
danger from the heavy rolling 81 the propeller. Ny
crew consisted Of two boys, the cook and two deck
fever) We finally GOT our boat forward, ami almost
Immediately the propeller sunk. TIE large boat
was launched WELL but filled about half full of wa
ter which was soon baled The boat u0der charge
was filed and when Mr.. Stoddard got his boat bail
ed out and attempted to go back to assist them he
found II wholly impracticable from the heavy sea,
and was, therefore, compelled to keep directly be-
weak and neficiens crew, our fate was we'll nigh
sealed. The propeller sunk stern foremost. The
awful Crash Of cabins az the soa came rushing for
ward, seemed to paralyze all but Mr.. White and my
under projection Of the cabin deck, and a. the
IoIelIer sunk took the end of the boat down with
it, filing 1t complekl ~ full Of water It was mi
racle taat We escaped being ergulphed With :he
the boat foul Of the wreck, succeeded by supsrhu.
man exsrtiops in getting her clear, and NO found
ourselves holding on to boat completely under
water.
rR over us every moment. There was no alterna
tive left but to get out and hold on to the sides of
the boat till she could b, bailed out. This, most
were 10th to do, until White set the example, wheu
quite exhausted We succeeded in getting her above
the surface. Our hopes re rived. We bailed With
ncre ased energy and our iron eggsheu (called life
boat) was once more af0at-. We now unlashed our
INIT 6o kn khAnn nNt k0~n
crew. White and myself, with an oar at each end,
aged to keep her before the sea, until the boys
had practised an hour or so 80 that they could pull
quite well. The sick man baied at the water that
constantly came pouring In, while the cook was 90
completely paralyzed tnat he could do nothing.
After pulling about two hours, we saw laid directly
ahead. Well knowing the danger Of landing any
where about Point an Barques with such fa-
Shortly after. this we discovered . bright
light on the shore, and all said at once that
tie other boats had landed, and that the light
came from their fire. tried to explain TO them
our certain fate if we attempted to land on coast
where reefs extend two and three miles into tbs
lake, but trey. we'll nigh dead from cold and wet,
had least OF al fear Of or care for reefs snd break
ers. therefore finally concluded TO drop in; taking
ore car, the deck hand and porter the other, we
started for the breakers. The first one we passed
without injury, but the next completely engulphed
and capsized our boat, and felt myself fast sink
but my boat was botton up and no one in sight.
succeeded in reaching the keel and with great effort
turr I'd her over. The sick man and porter were
in r. having held on to the seats while under her.
Mr.. White had been pitched from one end to the
other, aud also ded in holding The other
boy beirg swimmer, reached the boat and was
helped in, bat the cook and John Viewer, the deck
hand, were gone We were low in q worse coudi.
ton tlan ever--about half mile from shore, oars
and bucket gone, and every breaker completely bu-
rying us beneath its angry crest.
We were fortunate, however, in recovering one
oar with which we could keep our boat partially be-
fore the sea until we reached shoal water, where /
got out, and with the help OF the porter, dragged
OF TT. gu BArques light house. Men were on the
look ont for u.s. as Mr.. Stoddard had safely landed
about IN hour before. Bot Shoemaker and his
beats crew must have persisted near the wreck -
there seemed to be lack Of energy and frmness in
launching their boat. The following are the names
Of those lost
Peter Shoemaker, late second officer, Peuysburg,