, 1859-11-12
TERRIBLE DISASTER on LAKE ERIE.
Explosion Of The Propeller 0hio-~TWo
Lives LoAt--TAf11iin~ Details.


t&4t12 kAe AlI11A| AkEfAseIs a*fso o.l
Ths propeller Ohio, belonging to the Ameri-
eau Transportation Company, was completely
wrecked on Sunday morning last, By explosion
of her boilers, VIXEN On her Trip up from Buffalo
IT, Cleveland. From her Captain, Sickerson,
who was picked up by the propeller Equator.
o. the uufia!o 4ni Sanduskv Line, and brought
to thus city, nc gather the following pasticu-
lars:
The Ohio left buffalo on Friday morning. at
10 O'clock, bound for Cleveland, with . cargo Of
$50 tons merchandise. She put into Grareliy
Bay and lay till Saturday, 5 r. H., when sue pnr-
sued heV course towaraA Cleveland st II r.
u. she was abreast Long Point: weather good.
mornIoE, Captain Nickerson went below to tho
engine room, aad found about e. lbs head Of
stcam. At that time be calculated the propeller
was 80 miles above Long Point aud about 10
mlics from lAnd- She carried her foresail lih.
and was making about II niles Fer hour. The
Captain then went 10 his room, aud removing
bis coat, hat and boots. lay dnwu on the outside
Of bis bed to rest. lie had lain there about ten
minutes, assake, rben he WIS startled BY q
crashing report, like the explosion Of leary
ordnance. lie sprang from his bed, and With
out stopping to PIT on the cluthing hu had re-
moreI, FASTENED upon deck. An nwtul scene
met LII, view. There WAS nothing Of the pro-
reller above water but the hurricane deck and
hows, and I'LL around the struggling crew were
cliDging to pieces Of tile wreck, and crying
plai1,irely Tor help. Luckily one of the yx.ls
struck in the water right slc up, into which
tue Captain had just siine to step and push oil
when the wreck went down. lie wss thr last
caos1zeG.
There were seventeen persons on board, ali
told. OF these, fifteen were saved. The other
| Two, Thonas Corvctt, the second u1ate, aud MI
ci,ael Donegan, wheelsn,an, are missing, The
former was seen running att after the explosion
occurred. 1t is thought be got tangled in the
| wreck ana went down. The whee!sman was
not seen after the nccdeas. The captains son
lad Of about fourteen years Of age, was or
| bpard and was saved with difficulty. lie hat
but inst recovered from an attack of fever, anc
WINS weak, and consequently bus lily able Il
take care Of himself lie was caurlt uuder th'
cabin as it. toppletl orer, and would have beet
drowned had not the engineer reached uu:le
the wreck and pulled him out.
Into this sinslr yawl the fifteen SURF rlror'
huddled, and Laviag nothing for oars but piece
If tue wreck, they we're almost entirely at th'
mercy Of winds aud wares. They drittea u
the lake md saw twa,vesse!s hsioFe day1's
bound down, which passed not over ten rod
from the yaw|. Ill efforts to attrac: the atteu
ton Of those on board the vessels were il
vain. Il propeller and sail vessel were seen du
| ring the day, but they rscrcd oil towards III
land and soon passed ont Of sight.
Tne condition Of the shpwrecke,l men no,
became desperate. They we're scautiiy e'ae
not nne Of them hnr:ng either hat or shoes:
cold, northeast gale w;s blowing. and tie sea
we're rolling tcrTi6caily. Many Of the poor fc
low, considering their case hopeless, abandone
; themselves to despair. But their brave t2E
tain, undauntel, aud working with the eneri.
Of several men, with words Of hope aad encou
age,nent, stimulated them to renewed e1ertloi
: and all labored with their itnpromptu ours !
keep their frail bark from swatnpiug.
Uatkuess now tegsn to gathsr upon the llor
zou, and the s,outest hearted Of the desote
ii.:le crew began tn give way b7fore The a]nlo
certain prospect Of d wate.y grave Which start
them in the face. But !. propeller is seen
the distance bearisg .uw:lrd them. It neal
them, their sigma! vi distress IL seen. and the
are rcked up, a. about 5 7. H., oI Madist
Dock. Il, miles below Grand River, aud abo
u miles from land. The propeller proved TO
the Equator
VITA the pronptEess and humanity OF tr'
aud noble. e.llc:ricL saors, Capt. Hines aud Ii
officers and c:ew did everything il, their po"
: to administer 10 tie cuniort Of their shipwrec
! ed brethren. They supplied them With clof
: iu., and recruited Heir wasted powers with y
: best refreshments The Equator could afford. +
:; this disntersatc aud lunsane kindness, the
iicers au.l crew Of the Equator have the unfei:;
cd thanks Of those whose wants they SO pronf
~ relieved.
That IL common yaWf boat, in which VIC
fifteen persons, should ride out the sale O. su
day, seems almost 4 miracle. Clpt. Sick=rso
: vino is an old sailor, says he never saw Il tno
terrific eea ti,an tt,:,t which run between twel
= aud two O'CLOCK LIZ though: every surge Won
curry them down. TIE Equator stnppet
}icx them IN; sac ro}lc! 50 tremendously IL
i. was feared She wenld 20 I" pieces.
= The Equator reached this port yesterd
= morning auoet daylight. Capt. S,sSersou y
: the balance Of the survivors weat last By t
i i cars last evening. Tic crew will stup III C'es
u land. The captain aud his son will 90 on
:s Bu!lalo, where they r.s'",
= THE ca!s. Of tie cAr;,aion is unknown.
p tie time the accident occurrca, III. second !.
= .neer was engaged in o;lin:: the machinery. "a
H. thc fireman iu IT. iu:; the wafer, which le iuu
e. all right. The Ohio ia estimated to llaye bs
,: worth :,aout $1:iuo. She WAS not insured. I
y ergo was very vaia.bls: aud VAS r'ohao
Is must;v insured. Es?t< Nickerson lost $50
n-,rev, ..7e valuable glasses. L b1co9asfcr. II
y | about xat:l ,gutl III s:,Gtiliu.:.