The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-07-19
Wreck of the Sunshine and Standard.

The Buffalo Commercial of July 9th gives the
following particulars OF the loss of the barks sum
shine and STANDARD:
The bark Sunshine, Captain c. McNeal, sailed
from this port or the 3Oth day OF June, with four
tons OF general merchandise bound for Saginaw
for load of lumber to Chicago. She had a
crew, all told, of twelve men. The captains
wife and three children were on board. Satur-
day afternoon, az quarter past two O'Clock,
about the middle OF the lake. between Port Stan
ley and Fairport, just as the crew had finished
taking in all sail, preparing for squat. heavy
gust from the southwark and westward struck
the bark, and rolled her bottom upwards in an
instant. The spars, it is supposed, took the bot
tom of the lake, and the fore main-top-mast and
mizzen-mast were carried away. The vessel then
righted TO, and remained on her beams end. Ii
was then discovered that Captain NcNeal, ms
WIFE and three children, Marx Graham, first
mate Jeremiah Sweeney, Marshal Logan and
Frank Larkin, seaman, and Joseph Watson, cook,
| had disappeared, and were supposed to be lost.
The survivors, Alexander Elton, second mate,
| John Gordon, John Wilkinson, James Martin,
Dennis Daley and John Cossick, succeeded IN
saving themselves by climbing upon the vessels
side, which pretty well out of water after
she had settled. They soon heard signals, a
| knocking from Tue CdbIl, WHICH liiSN dus"Situ,
and were replied 10 in the same manner. They
set to work and tore out the balkhead Of the
break to the deck, and cxtricatei Mrs McNeal
alive. She must have been drowned sool, how
ever a. she had only space for her head between
the side aud the water, which was raising in the
cabin. She was III her night clothes, having
been seasick. The seamen, noble fellows, cloth
| ed her with their own garments, each one spar
| ing something, and her night robe was used tor
signals When the vessel capsized she was in
bed Her children were in the cabin. The wa
ter rushed in rapidly. She placed her little ones
on the cabin table. which, being solidly fastened
10 the floor was how inverted, and sustained
them and herself.
| The lurch, when the vessel righted TO her
beam ends. threw the children beyond her helps
sick and weak as she was, and et,ciente, and they
were drowned She then climbed into the gal
lev, and made the signals which attracted The at
tention of the crew As we have stated, the
generous fellows clothed her as well as they could,
and placing box to winlward 10 keep the sea
from washing over her, themselves stood around
her the better TO protect her from the water and
| chill night air Thus they remained all night
| At eight O'Clock SUNDAY morning the schooner
| Nebraska, Captain Richmond, bore down and
took them oil the wreck. They were made com
Portable, and taken into Farport, where the I'M
fortunate survivors of the catastrophe were hos
pitably entertained by the people and kindly pro-
viicd for. Captain McNeal was about forty years
old, and lived at ST. Joseph, Michigan, where he
had little property. For Mrs McNeal the cir
cumstance was peculiarly melancholy. At one
sweep of the wind she is childess and a widow,
and in delicate health. We are told that she i
almost if not quite mad. Poor woman, Mark
Graham, the mate. lived on Folsom street, in thu
l.tt, "A MD wit oh ID
ThC .c--eI va, IL nrsI CLASS oar
of 5l5 tons register, four years old, and was
owned by Jesse lIoyt & Co, and j. Il. Bently.
| The tug Relief went TO her on Monday.
The same morning that carried the Sunshine
to sea, saw the bark II. A. STANDARD, of Clevc-
land, bound for the same ports quite light, sail
! ing westward. The same squall that capsized the
Sunshine caught her five miles oil Rondcaux
Point under single recfcd topsail, settled away
on the cap and turned her bottom up The
mates were drowned