The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-09-24

"~SSA - s~c Ss10M0r Se"esto40A on Lake
prom the Milwaukee Sentinel Sept. col
a severe gale from the northeast set in on Monday
night and the sea rolled into the bay in huge waves,
threatening destruction to everything afoat By mid
night the gale increasing very rapidly and have
70 record one OF the worst disasters which has oc-
The steamer sebastopol Capt. Thos. Watts left Bu-
70 on the 18th inst, and after lying on the ST Clair Fiat
tor twenty four hours to her destinAton-the
upper lake ports-having board full and some
sixty Passengers besides full and valuAble cargo OF NOR
cande large portion oil belonging to parties IN This
city and State The night very dark, aud there ap
pears to have been lights upon the government piers
the boat Either the lights upon the schooner Rockwell
(Which Is ashore the sebastopoD, or lights from
houses on the shore, were mistaken for the per gnt
and the doomed steamer, after the captain had twice
rounded to- followed the decefn light and soon struck
the ground about three miles south Of the government
The storm increased in violence until long after daylight
and the board described - being fearful one
the huge waves striking and dashng clear over the
steamer, making her frame culver throughout. arg
portion Of the passengers were women and children
About daylight the so-salled life boat-a small copper
boat-was got down. with line aboard and Cant Watts
with several OF the crew. put off in the dangerous at
tempt to get ashore So far could learn the boat
had only reached about way (the steamer lay about
five hundred feet from shore when II was unset by
and three OF it's drowned. Capt Watts
and the others got ashore and with the aid of persons
who had made their appearance the bank carried the
line up the steep handsome fifty feet-and hauled out
from the steamer cable, which made fast to stump
We have another this part Of the story to
the eject that two boats came ashore and that two
other and that Capt Watts came ashore in the yewi
One OF these boats brought the line We believe that the
captain and four others were in the yaw and brought
the line ashore.
Messengers sent of to the city for the life boat
and for other assistance and the hours away amidst
anxiety and terror the part Of the passengers
til help came Meantime had succeeded in get
ing ashore b. c!ingng to an Ear and another by the aid
Of the line whAe two or three in attempting to reach
the shore, were drowned We found 1t very difficult to
obtain the acs and in regard the correctly
as great number Of the crew, who not engaged 10
the attempt to HE, drunk to know ther
own names much less to tell those OF Others
When we arrived at the scene at about az A. N. no
aid had yet come and found Capt Watts in tho Held
overlooking the wreck in sta 70 Of great anxiety the
more pognsnt that his wife and four children were on
board At his request We drove back to if his
town met Captains stewart Sherwood and Others with
the boat On wheels urging their horses along rapidly
~ possible ny the time The boat reached the ground
there were two three hundred people at hand ready
render assistance and the boat under the direction OF
Capt Sherwood, was speedily lowered down the bank
and in the water. The anchor OF the Rockwell was
brought by stout hands and Gxed to steady the cable
and the life boat, with her gallant pushed of on
Capt Stewart Of the Nebraska and two Of his crew.
Thomas Pierce and Charles Blae, Capt Porter OF the
Kirk White; Capt Taber ner Of the cramer; Capt Jack
Carefully guided by the cable but Using and falling in
the heavy the boat proceeded reached the steamer
upper deck the and children were being lowered
in sings into their ark u safety After about dozen
were ON OOaru the boat put OIL Tor shore.
Muc apprehension felt for It's safety appr0ac-
ed but hundred men were In the surf up TO their
pits and lifting the boat carried II safely shore whence
the passengers were lifted from hand to hand up the
steep bank ard takcn into houses by where they
were kindly cared for till they could be sent to town
Not life lost after the feboat reached the spot
Steadily and constantly did the gallant perform
their good work did they when every
sale on shore they next endeavored the horses
OF which some forty were board and did seven
or eight and then went to work AT the baggage Some
twenty or thirty trunks were got ashore most of which
were taken to the sheriff IS Office waiting owners The
Messrs LAWS sent down sufficient supply OF omnibuscs
and from other stables carriages in abundance
bring the drcnched and chilled passengers the city
Mr.. Williams Of the Central hotel and Mr. Warner of the
Merchants hotel requested that number should sent
to their houses by twelve O'Clock all of the passengers
and crew were ashore in safety.
DhowafD-fwo German passengers whose names
not known are thought to be drownedone TO be
certainly iost-concerning the other accounts vary
Total passengers saved, 60; lost q
Morris Berry, I'd mate; Frank I'd engineer; William
James, cook; waiter Bradley Davis and the wheels.
man. james Clark we believe the only Of the
crew lost.
Total crew saved %; drowned, s.
REcArrulsnoE-Total saved, 49, total lost, /
The clerk Of the steamer informs that the bills
lading were in the safe aud that the part Of the boat
containing II breaking up as he left so that ne
could not get at the safe,
There were nearly 400 tons Of merchandise for Chi.
cage
Messrs. Dousman & Co, TO whom the steamer was
consigned and who have spared efforts to life aud
property furnish us with the list OF consignecs from
duplicates forwarded from Buffalo.
We regret 70 state that disposition to plumber mani
tested itself in the afternoon A guard set In the
night to protect such goods had already should still
come ashore.
The gale seemed to continue with no abatement las
night and fear that shall have many disasters to
record
The ebasopol was built At Cleveland last winter and
owned by Messrs Moses and Captain
Watts, and valued at s65 COO We understand that Mr.
Moses was not insured but that the other