The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-12-23
From the Cleveland Herald, Dec. 4.
Terrible Gale-wreck Of the Schooner Omer.
Life Losi-Perious situation o. fine Crew.

LJe L0Sf-PerHOuS situation Of he CTeU.
At one o'clock this morning. in attempting
to enter Cleveland harbor in Q driving snow
storm, the schooner Omer, from Oswego, laden
with salt, missed the channel, and went hard
on upon the stone, and between the half
broken piles of the west pier.
The persons on board were Alphcsus Keich.
of French Creek. Captain his brothers Mil
ton and James Keich James Burr; Henry
Landon and James McCarty, Of OswegO,
cook.
At eight O'Clock very heavy sea was set
ting in, the crew were gathered upon the lore
castle, and an attempt was made from the end
Of the new west pier, some 400 feet from the
vessel, to send out the Government life boat,
but it was stove upon the stone and plos, as
was the life boat Of the propeller California
The sea increased in force. drenching the crew
as it swept over the schooner and at ii o.
clock, line having been secured from the
head of the foremost to the west pier, James
Burr attempted upon it to reach the shore.
Hand over hand, he proceeded short pOr-
tion of the distance, when. benumbed and weak
he vas Enabled to so on, and at length fell
some forty feet, into the water. For five min
utes he chung 10 pile, and then washed off by
the sea, struck out for the East Pier, but was
drowned.
Soon after another line having been secur-
ed from the head of the foremost to the pier,
Milton keich fastened a sling to it, and at
tempted passage. Arriving at a spot where
the rope had been spliced, he was unable to
pass II. ana hung suspended and powerless.
For fifteen minutes the crowd upon the East
pier stood mute and anxious, almost sure that
no power could save the doomed Sailor. At
length his brother, the Captain, climbed to the
mast head and cut tlfe line. thus severing
what seemed for those on board the only hope
of safety. Milton dropped with the line into
the water, and was drawn in safety upon the
pier.
At two o'clock this afternoon. efforts were
being made to save those WHO remained on
board. and the Cleveland Ii ght Artillery were
preparing to fire lines over the vessel. and
thus secure communication with the shore.
AT daylight the schooner Pearl went ashore
west of the pier. She is safe and will be got
off with little damage.
AT noon the schooner Monsoon and the brig
Roscius came in handsomely amid the hearty
and heartfelt cheers of hundreds of anxious
watchers.
AT two o'clock the brig Alvin Hunt of De-
troit, and the schooner Champain Of Detroit
came into port handsomely
The men upon the Omar were seemingly in
good condition, although every sea was max
ing clean breach over the vessel. They were
wrapped in thick clothing and oil cloth coats.
The east pier was crowded by thousands of
people.
The propeller Paugassct is firing up and
will so along side the Omer, to take off her
crew. We are not now confident of their safe
ty.
The Paugasset has been to the vessel, but
failed to get the crew off. One of them at
tempting to get on board was drowned
The Propeller will make another attcmpt to
| rescue the crew.
STILL LATER.
CLEVELAND Dec tsp. NJ.
The propeller Paugasset, about eight o'clock
made an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the
crew OF the Omar. Two ofthc schooner's crew
were drowned along side. aud one man from
the propeller. said to be Capt. Watts, of the
steamer Ohio. left on board the Omar. About
o CLOCK. she put ont again, and succeeded in
saving the remainder Of the crew and Captain
Watts-fvc in all!
The schooner Charles Brooks from Oswego
to Toledo, with a cargo of car wheels and 300
DDS S SAT- went on the breakwater near the foot
! OF Erie Street, bctwo"n ."l .hio VI. Iuv
crew were saved; vessel doubtful.
The schooner Virginia went ashore at o.
clock west of the pier. The crew were saved :
vessel badly damaged.
| The schooner j. J. johnson went ashore at
Grand River last night; crew all lost.
| The schooner Stur@is went ashore on the
sand at Black River this morning crew safe !:
vessel lies easy.
This evening the propeller Paugasset sunk
IN the slip. from injuries received in rescuing
the crew of the Omar.