Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-09-14
THELAKE MICHIGAN CALAMITY.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE
LADY ELGIN.
,.a,n u. 0hieaao Jo.rnal Of Satrriau Eg.nina

From the Chicago Journal of Saturday BgsHiHg.
The steamer Lady Elgin, Capt. John Wilson, assOca-
ted in thousands OF minds with memories Of pleasant
hours and pleasant friends Of music and moonlight Of
VOYAGES out Of sultry and breathess Summer into the
clear cool regions Of Lake SUPERIOR OF everything but
the of business and anything but sorrow, went
down last night of WauSegan, with hundreds on board
and-for we write ithundreds that did not see the
reluctant dawn Of this dark morning.
Last evening gay party of excursionsts from MlWau
| kee $50 in number, and including the "Union Guard,
was in this CITY, Greetings had been exchanged friend
ships had been pledged; it was as merry as wedding
At II o'clock ali we're board the Lady EigiH; laugh
ing "goOd nights sAid hearts and steps were
light there we're music and laughter, but not shade of
/ sadness.
were many Of them widely known all ofthem
warmly loved by somebody who will wait for them in
vain The lines were oil, the band played lively
air aud the gallant steamer, ghttering with coored
lights aud humming like hive IN JuHe, moved down
the river passed out into the open sea ana the dark
night and was lost TO sight then, and forever.
Our reporters who went upon the Milwaukee road TO
Wnetka returned to the city in the hapast one train
They tgaversed the beach for three or four miles
The Lake in every direction filed with fragments
of the wreck to which some fifty sixty human beings
we're cliuging when reporters hrs. arrived. Only
few Of these reached shore. The surf iearuly IN
shore and in almost every instance when the rats came
within few eeLof the shore the heavy rollers would
ctpszs them within sight and hailng distance OF those
on shore.
Edward Spencer, student of the Garrett Biblical In
stitutc, especially prominent in his efforts, and
plunged into the surf with rope tied around his body
| thus re,cuiug several from watcry grave
The saving Of David Eyston and wife, OF Milwaukee,
created the greatest The gallant fellow was
seen some distance out upon the top OF the wheclhouse
holding his wife by arn and cnging with the other
70 his ira ark As he reached shore fearful surf cap
sz his ra and its burden out OF sight for several
aeconds When they rose the wife at some distance
from the raft The gallant fellow left it and swan to Ills
wife, seized her Gnd again rcgained the wheelhouse-
All shore held their breath while they approaohed-
instant they appeared high IN air and at the next
were buried out OF sight beneath the terrible surges
A. last the wheelhouse grounded some distance from
the beach, when the man, with bis wife in his arms jump
ed of and commenced wadng TO the land He had pre-
ceeded Only short distance when he sank exhausted,
but caught by Spencer, mentioned above, himself
/ hacburied in the surgeS and drawn ashore.
Those who were saved speak in the highest terms OF
the conduct Of Capt John Wilson, commander of the ILL
fated boat On board he ali GOODNESS aud bravery,
always nesectug himself and caring for the safety OF
the othcrs lie early this morning only a few
rods iron shore, standing upon raft surrounded by
several other RATS encouraging and cheering Them and
advising them how 70 proceed While IN the very act Of
encouraging Others, heavy roller struck him and wash
ed him OIL the ra in sight Of the survivors and crowds
on shore.
During the day, Yesterday BY the orders of the city
authorities the old City Aarshas Offices in the basement
of the Courthouse, placed at the disposal OF the
Coroner and By his order used TO receive such bodies as
/ should be recovered. ....
Thither either sngy or in greater numbers, began by
the middle Of the afternoon be brought the recovered
remains Of unfortunate victims of the great casualty aud
about its doors for hours hung hundreds Of eager and az
/ oniEed inQuirers after friends among the lost.
About O'Clock p. NJ, Coroner James mpanneled his
first Jury and nquess began to be held upon the bodies
as fas; as the could be identified As the bodies
we're nearly all those of residents of Milwaukee, and
friends here anxious to recover the same for inter
ent the purpose of the earlier Gquests simply and
briefly of identifcaOn-the finding being in each
that the deceased his her death by drowning
in a collision betSeen the steamer Lady Elgn and a
sci supposed be the schooner Augusta the night Of
Friday, &c Ono Of the future inquests will include
strict investigation before the jury to the and
origin Of the disaster.
STATEMENT OF LIEUT.. HARTSUFP
Mr. Hartsuifis Lieutenant in the United States Army,
! and is stationed at Fort Mackiuaw.
| / was on board the steamer Lddy Eigin when she
cOded with the schooner AUGUSTA asleep in my berth.
| Immediately jumped from my berth, and saw the
schooner floating away. Did not think any serious dam
age had been done at first but discovered that the
settling. immediately left my BERTH which
was in the after cabin and toward the pilohouse,
| where found Capt Wilson on the hurricane deck.
asked him il ne thought there any danger and he
replied tina. he thought she would aoat. He told me
where there epreseryers the hurricane deck,
and went and passed them down 10 the passengers in
the cabin till they about exhausted, when took
! one myself and waited the hurricane deck. While
! here, quite a number the deck, only few of
whom females, but how many up could not
say Il was very dark. From quarter to half hour
alter she struck she broke up the hurricane deck
floating of aud the hulk going TO the bottom with tre-
mendOus noise. As she broke jumped with my life
board six eight feet long, and about
Wide-into the water, which at this time only few
feet below us and pulled with all might 10 escape from
the OF the wreck After the confusion had some
what subsidized heard the voice Of Capt Wilson cheer
ing and encouraging the people the wreck telling them
that the shore but few miles oil, and that If they
kept calm aud obeyed his directions, they might all be
| saved. heard him speaking in this manner for per-
haps ten minutes and then had separated far from
the hurricane deck on which the Captain and large
number we're, that heard no more All around me
numbers Of persons floating pieces of the wreck
until It became daylight When il became light that
/ could see some distance discovered large of
the wreck little distance to the wndWard Of u.s.
cd with people then got on quite large piece Of
wreck which floating near me- and which contained
no other person, and no person got on It alter did
The large TO the WindWaTd. Of which have just
spoken, began TO separate then left the piece
on, and got large piece 81 the hurricane deck,
on which there four other persons-dont know
who they were. On this fragment remained until we
reached about quarter of mile Of the shore when
raft broke up and two Of the four on with me were
| washed of aud drowned. moment after the remain
der Of our party washed of by heavy sea, aud
one more Of our little party drowned. Ny remaining
companion cOntrived regain the raft aud again took
life preserver which found ahoat and this foaed
70 the shore Just below the bluffs From the time was
swept from the raft, until reached the shore,
several times hurled deep under the waves When close
in to the shore | was thrown from my fepreserver and
although the water than three or four feet
deep, was so exhausted to be unable to rise, aud
crawled for some distance under the water until reach
ed dry land.
Early in the morning discovered a fragment of the
wreck short distance from me, on which woman
and three She much exhausted that she
seemed unable to keep from dropping Sleep although
the exerons Of the three continually in use 10
prevent it, She finally drowned while remaining on
the wreck being unable to keep her head from the water
Her body remained the fragment Of the wreck as long