Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1856-10-23
Burning of the steamer Niagara
ON Lake Michfgan.


wood line. was destroyed by fire near
Port Washington, on Lake Michigan, at
a o'clock, p. M, or Wednesday, Sept.
24tb. The particulars are as follows:
The Niagara left Collingwood on Mon
day afternoon al 2 %c'cIotls, IN place Of the
keystone State, the regular steamer for
that day. She started with from one
hundred and fifty to one hundred and
seyeuty-fve passengers, twenty-five or
thirty Of whom she landed at Sheboygan,
the greater portion Of whom were steer
9 passengers. AT about 2 o'clock, p.
M. of "Wednesday, the Niagara left She
boygan, and about two hours afterwards
was discovered 10 be ON fire. When the
fire was first discovered there was but
Iittle sea ON, and the wind was about
southeast, and light. AT this time the
Niagara was from three TO four miles off
North Point Washington, and some ten
miles or more this side of ~Sheboygan.
AS soon as the fire was discovered, Capt.
Miller, who yes asledp. was called, and
the steam-puhps Set 70 work. A few
moments after this, the passengers be-
came aware that the boat was ON fire, and
! scene ensued, which, said a passenger,
"beggars all descrip.ion-consternation
seized upon almost every one, and men,
women and children rushed TO ard fro
about the boat, shouting and crying. Not
half-a-dozen passengers gave any aid to
the crew, and but few attempted to make
provision for their own or friends escape.
1t was but a short time from the first dis
covery of the fire until the whole upper
cabin was in flames. During this time a
large number of passengers had jumped
overheard without anything to support
them in the water, and in a few moments
sank. Mothers threw their children into
the lake and wildly sprang after them.
The water was intensely cold, and none
but the hardest persons could live in it
more than a few moments. A large
number of passengers, before the steamer
stopped, in spite Of the appeals Of the
mate, got into the stern boat and lowered
it, when it instantly swamped, and all in
it were drowned. Another portion of the
passengers filled the starboard quarter
boat, and lowered that also, and all found
a watery grave.
Before the upper cabin was in flames,
a portion of the more self-possessed of
the passengers wrenched the state-room
y doors off and threw them into the water,
sssssher with tsblsSs chairsr stools &c.
and upon these many of those in the
water saved themselves. After it had
become useless to remain on board any
longer, the second engineer, carpenter
and a portion of the crew, together with
a number of Observation-Disclosures per.
sons in all-lowered away the larboart
quarter boat and pulled to the shore
where the passengers were landed, ant
the crew returned with the boat TO render
any assistance they might be able. Capt
Miller, with a number of others, saved
themselves by clinging to the wheel, ant
; were picked up by the boats.
The steamer Traveller, propeller IL
%linois, schooner Dan Marble, and twc
, small schooners and the life-boat at Por
, Washington, came to the assistance of thu
Niagara, and made every possible exer
! ton to save life. Their boats were al
, manned and lowered as soon as the.
came near enough the burning wreck t
i, be of any service, and kept at work unit
nearly 8 o'clock at night, when all tn
persons who could be found in the water
3 after thorough seaching for a considerable
a distance round the wreck, were carries
! into Port Washington.
> The propeller Illinois picked up som
E thirty persons, and landed them at POI
G washington, but when the Traveller lei
e it was impossible 70 obtain their names
: 1t is supposed that but two women wer
i saved, thoughthere We're some twenty o
n board. There is little doubt but tha
5 nearly all the crew were saved.
! All the baggage of the passenger
was lost. There is a runor that the boa
was set on fire, and that soon after tn
fire was discovered, a keg of powder eA
e ploded, blowing the flames in every d
J = rection. The latest account state tn
number of the lost at sixty-six.
Terrible Railroad Accident.