, 1860-09-10

steamers liehts, both red and bright, srp:
posed to be from q quarter to = half
mile distant, and steering bstween North sca
Northeast. RaiLing very hard. We kept
our vessel on her course E. By s. unti! W saw
collision was probable. when wsput helm hard
up. Struck ths steamer in shout two or
tt5res minutes, Just abatt the paddle boz Oh
her port side. The steamer kept on her course;
engine in full notion, heading the Augus:a
aruond north alongside Of ths steamer CT
separated from the st-au1er in about = minute,
when the Augusta fell e into the trougbs Of
etc we're carried away. Took ia all sal,
And cleared Away IN anchor, aupposiug he
vessel would ill. Los: sight of tao steamer
within 6ve minutes after the collision. Afte:
clearing up the wreck, got up forestays sal, +,
(duding the vessel was MOI leakiu9) and ma,.e
Efforts 10 get the vessel before tha wind and
sa7e the masts, IS all the head stays were gore,
except one forestry, but WAS Obliged to hoiat !
Part Of the foresail, Whsn We succeeded In get
ting before the wind aud stood in for the land
When within about three miles. stood down
aioog the shore and arrived eff Chicago harbox
about It O'Clock 4. n, september8. 8.
STATEMENT OF y. ". DEEMAE, Cd MATT.
Capt Wilson on wa!ch-she Captain BY tho
tide Of the pilot houte, and On the main deck.
About o'cleck and Is minutes the squa!f struck
us, ana in i've minutes more VIC saw the lixh's
OF the weasel which atruck Vi. She WAS po,rt
of our port boN- / sang out to the wheelsme !,
aard.a portl" aud tho Captain gave the same
order 1t tho Bame time. The vessel seemed to
psJ no attention to US; she struck "a just for
ward the paddle. box On tue larboard SIDE, teaz-
ing of tho wheel, cutting through the guards
and into the cabin and hull. We ~efe steering
EW By n, point to the wind1ard .: our
course Wind Ut that tsnaz u. II After str:k.
ing us, the vessel hucg On moment, but soon
aHun9 of acd got cl=ar. went below to sea
what damage WAS done, and whsn got back
ahs was gone.
boat on the statbard side, and row around to
the lssboard and see Whist damage Was done.
I assisted TO lower the boat, aod the at mate
aud myself got ill., When the boat first struck
the water she was dashed under the guards and
filled While baiing her out, fifty or more pas.
jun, in. II avoid being sunk y til, % i
We dropped assern until ~e c.uid xe* ta4 boat
clear. she partly capsxed two or three tim.s,
add ~ we're kept busy IN bailing. We had but
two oarr. and with these we tz1ed to pull back
to the Elgin, but were unable to do 81. The sea
wss running heartily ard the wind Was against
us. We continued our eGosta until We saw bY
to disappearance Of ,he lights Ii II .he s,eamer
had Koue down. Meanwhile Nc saw man
awimmiug near US, and we picked him up be
was Eddy Hogan, deck sweeper. There we're
in tie boas betdes myself. the l.t mate, man
,A1s1 EHAsB. IN AuCt7er Miiwaukes man
whom tlu not lnoH.
tie excitement, aa1 We did not suspect the fa:al
character OF the blow. TIE collision was &C.
we're, but we had no ida that she was going
down. Capt. Wilson was somewhat alarmed,
but behaved a. y man ehould with that great
responsibility upon him. The night was at
thar time intensely da1k. The rain Aas falling
in torrents. The lightning was vivid and the
hfr 1rNn
thing from the El 4in until just before she DIS
appeared, two screams met our ears. We were
al no time perhaps more than q quar:er Of I
mile Away. We only knew that she had gone
down oy the disappearance Of tho tights. AZ.
ter Ill WAS over, We kept as near the spot as we
could, in hops Of picking up some Of the pas.
seogers or crew, but We saw nobody. When
daylight came, We found we had dr,i:ed ling
way IN towards the shore. We Landed near
Wyoetka- Striking the surf, We we're upset aud
Edert -- and the stranger drowned. 1vss
washed out from the kho1e two or three times
By the retiring Waves; but at last managed to
ascend the oAnk.
STATEMENT OF II. E. SMITH, OF ONION
AEON.
Was asleep in the mates rccm when the col
liRion took place; hus aTak ned by the 1cud
cr&sb, and went On deck as soon IS possible.
The vessel with which ne cofIided had cot clear
OF u and Capt. Wilson Vas giving ORDER To
lower boat to ascertain the extent ct the injury:
but when down, tue bout cJu:d not get near The
EiSin BY reason Of the wa7es and wind. | as-
sisted in rolIiug freight to sbs starboard, to list
the buat over, aud also in getting crerboa.d d
some cattle for the purpose Of lighting uo. But
the water seemed to be coming in so iu4t. that
the Captain ran to The pitot house 10 rec how
shs was beading Being told = VI est" be said
That's rlgh', boys, ge. her in 10 had if gou
cao. lie then ran back to the cabin and en-
rn4 ~
On ths hurricane deck. Many Of she st4,e
room doors we're fastened, and be b1eke
them in w4sh an axe. exbortiaQ the
sleepera, many Of whom I'D been drinking q
| good deal, TO rouse up and sure themselves
a few ut them refused to leave their besths
out A'er little time, greater part OF The
passengers had got to the upper deck Tht
Captain told e4cn man and Woman to get !
plank Lite psessrTer lin which loops IT rope
wete tied1 and prepare for th: worst. Tuers
| appeared 10 be plenty Of these, and some ws.e
passed down the sky ls7hts INTO the tabirs. fol
tho use Of those who would not come out,
Aossof the passengers were caol and collected
fnl words and BY assurances that the deck
would carry Us all ashore. At length-surely
net ns.re thin fifteen tn;nut<s f,ana tie frs
at1rn-the EIgin began to s-ttle and reel as il
for the hnal plunge. A few loud screams arose
aud few frantic passengers jumped over.
board in hurry to meet their fate. Just
st the moment when the boat went down, ,
| sea struck her upper works, aud they parted
| fram the hull aud foated of in s:yeral pieces
This WAS u trying monent- The shock SC d iii
/ force Of the waves swept or several Of ou1
| number; bus thes MI ght was dark, and ~ al
lights were Foon gone, We could cot see who
was jet Ga:a, and Who was Rone- tound nv
self On . peee Of The wreck, P rhaps 15X3t
-Apoftlou OF the upper deck, tho boarls anf
ribs, or carsins to which they were nailed. Ii
company with me were from Is to % persops
| aud We aad nothing to do but suffer ourselye:
to be doa ed toward shore. Among the pieces
Of wreck We found few cabin doors. Thss.
we secured. and setting them and our pieces o
| pls1k upon end, hEoadside to the wind, mad
ther serve as sa1ls. Soon after setting out OF
our perilous journey, Ne discovered anoshe
piece OF the deck, more deeply loadsd thai
ours Capt. Wilson was On it, with ~,
or three others, be came to our foat, and con
unued With NJ, keeping Us IN heart by hi
words ofgood cheer. After daylight, he busiet
himself III providing for The general sa'ety, b.
fastening loops to the c4Ellu8 By which vi
might hang On when We came to the surf
There were with Us four or five women. One q
these had child ab ,ut six months old, for tn
| safety Of which the Captain was exceediusly 50
licitous. he held It when not otherwise em
| ptoyed. He had given 1t up but 4 moment, I,
attend to sonne matter, when vave swept
|
autit was gone This child and man and
woman were ali We lost. We spent the night i
comparative comfort. The storm vas eeyere
but Ne did not suffer greatly trou, the cold Th
w2ter WIS warm.
About st O'Clock we neared the shore at wv
netka. About 20o feet from the shore, our frs
eraf was lifted BY the surf which was rn1
The raft was broken BY the 'orce Of the waye
Capt Wilson; Mr. II aldo, Of the National Mn,
ootonagon; Ar. Geo. Newton OF Superior G.,
Aod mJseif clong to one piece Of the dec. hu
sGaan striking tire surf were again caps'zed. au
III thrown into the suEging w4ves- / manage
TO strlks tho wreck again, and LII. Waldo go
on another piece, but Mr. Newton and Cap
Wilson vera eeen no roFs. After much exc,
ton and appalling aAnger, gained tha laue
VI the tWen'I eight on our raft, only eight
seven men and one woman-were s3yed. Tt
rest went down within sight and sound Of safi
| / want to say that Capt. Wilson behaved q.
bly, from begiuring 10 the iatai close Th,
.5y a1e saved exec tt those who came of in Il
boats il due 10 him.
STATEMENT OF DENNIS GILMORE.
Dennis Gilnore, nevsboy, who was amcn
the saved, came mp on the cars, aud WAS pc
tectly hes iXed IA he moved along the street, t
those making inquiries Of him He SAYS th-
/ AVAs NAl~A&u NEAHCCA Az Auu IL CICCAt IL
when the accident happened we're about hftee
miles from shore. The Egin hsd some 900 ca
tie On board, besides lot Of stovea and 9TH
freight. But for this the vessel would not ha,
sunk Ii soon a. she did. When the eolliaic
happened, they Ill made rush, and the vese
sunk In twenty minutes. The top of tha upp,
cabin aoa.ed of, and breaking in TWO was COZ
yerted into = couple Of rafte.
got On one Of The RATS. There wrre thirt
or forty on each raft Oa our raft the.e We,
only nine savep. saw O4k!ey, the livery ma
clinging to the other rafts D3u't know wh
ther hs was saved: Capt. Wilson was lost.
good many started from the vessel in the bos
| 0f the ateaner. When cana Away theY HeJ