, 1860-09-12

cane out for Us; heard nothing said Of tho &C.
cldent until in the river, when the Captain said
the steamer WAS the Lady Egin, aud 900 or AGO
lives LOST can't say il he at first told nc the
steamers name; ne may hare afst learaed 1t
from tug that took us Up the river; sincs then
hays heard him say, on Sunday, think, It was
ri NJ full thing, 30 many lives lost. Wassworu
and oare testimony when the Captain made out
hi. protest. / have sailed with this Captain
since August 2o1h. Expected, in coming up, to
be in Chicago three dsyt; heard no word from
the steamer, aud saw no ons-
TasD1u Cumnssngs suorn.-l reside corner OF
Uuion md Wright streets, Chicago; am q po.
ceuan have sailed for nine years; WAS on
the Lady Elein the night she Wss lost; at the
time of the accident WIS sitting in the cabin
for9ard Of the wheel, about tve feet from where
the lib boom of the vessas came through I WAS
stt,ug alone shorli think it wAs about two
O'Clock: did not Bee 1he schooner before she
struck; tho easel was the Augusta Of Qswcso;
wens out forward, little before that time; it
was blowing lit'le fresh then, but not enough
to ock the poat much it was beam wind,
think in the northeast; think We we're steering
on the direct course for Milwaukee; va we're
about ten ulites from :he shore; it was pretty
dark night: it Was raining pretty ha7d; The
schooner struck us On the larloard side tried
10 70 sit underneath her jib boom. which made
q complete arch over the cabin; was sitting on
the btarboard side; abe made another plunge
after she s,ruck us fFst, and came through far
t. er. and brought her boom nearly acrosa the
cabin her boom s Gn
ced herself ont.
I went then Where Sis broke in, looked
through and could see the water; thea went
be!ow, after telling this passengers 10 keep cool;
the hands were trimming up the boat some
we're putting l1e cattls oh forward; Invent back
to the cabin and told the passengers to keepon
- Hntr
forward and found the dfes wero out and tho
engines stopped; the Captaia was very busy
but ca not tel wba: the crew were dong; I
tried to take of hatch aft Il the Ahatt; soon
saw abe was going; I went to the larboard aide
a.d me, ne Captain; be gave orders 10 lower
the boat End have her filed with men who could
man her and try to stop the leak; ssn there
was no use to try to stop the Iesk because the
men could not get to it.
Tie It7E toa. in eoaA9aeuck Of the e0kision.
and IntisAe,- saw nor heard Of any Other kak; I
rot into that boat; this was shout fifteen min
u:ss after the collision tha crew Of tho boat
attempted to stop the leak We made two efforts
to Get back to The steamer, but had but one oar;
we c.;,]ed for more oArt none we're sent to us
tho rscaud tune we came to, sou,c une threw an
oar hut ne couldn't getit as We were thro"n Oft
bv tie waves; after we found We could not get
back to the wreck, We had TO put the boat b.
for= the wind to keep from tipping over; there
were thirteen in the boat; We all got to shore;
it was abant q q7arter past two when We left
the boat; we got ashore Rbout hElf-past slx or
seyen O'Clock Saturday morning.
The schooner stzuc1 right straight on us the
motion OF the steamer turned the schooner
round after ehe struck u after We got in the
boat, We saw light which proved 10 be On q
vessel about three miles CT; didn't see the
schooner after she struck US; nil the lights On
the steameT were well trimmed 2ud burning;
the schooner must have been sailing from tho
land vixen she struck us; tAs schooner toos net
III k<r course and WAS running with beam wind;
there is rule that boAtB gong down must keep
the stsrboard side Of vessels they pass; the
schooner should have kept the inside; when
collision was apparent in such bretz:, think
aschooneg could have got ont ofthe way, twenty
Of q vessel; if tho schooner had been three OF
four times her length of, aud the helm lad been
nut hurd up, no dAmaga would hare been done;
"a far ss know. the schooner made no exer-
tious to saTe passengera.
| think that the helm OF the schooner must
hare been put hard down when she found her
self 40 near the steamer; tue schooner could
heye lsid to easily within mile after 1he
struck: I think an anchor would have held
there neither wind nor weather would hay g
prevented tbs schooner from rendering US as
si*tance; after collision the engineer blew tbs
whiatte two or three times; after left the
boat The bell was ruEg; there vas no squali at
tho time; did not hear Capt. Wilson order the
boat back; think the schooner would have
beeo s.fe lBying to With her head. gear zone; I
think probably lbe sehooner could not hear the
bell ring.
John Jervis, being first duly swozn Oh lis
oath, deposes aud says:
I reside in Mitwa{Ese, between Main aa1
BnG 10 st1eets. w2s On board tha Lady e.
piu at the time of tbi late disaster. Just be-
iora the schooner struck was standing at the
middle gsuE1ay On main deck. Had lain do~n
few minutes during the evening; was sick
aad went down to gangway; saw the schooner
about two minutes be:ore she struck; struck
about one-balf minute after left the gangwa5;
could not see her eaiis; it WAS too dark; ap-
peared to be coming towards US at an angle
about one half minutes bsfore she struck waa
AFRAID Of collision md loft Gaagway and passed
arouud engine room, between 1t aud the pipes
to the oppositc side Of the engine room, 10 at-
ter gaugway on larboasd side; When tue coiis,
| iun took place think | Was just behind
The engine room. Capt. Wilson was In the after
g4ngway when got there; be WIS standing on
| tue stern side Of the gaogway. reor the ropes.
Immediately after l came round, be asked some
| body on tie vessel if sill hands wanted TO CONS
| aboard the boat. Answered from the schooner
that they did net think they we're injured, and
would 8t1y H0e1e aue4 "eIe. ~ sAe ufAe $bs
| Cantaio uiedo inquiry, the schooner was swing"
| ing round, and dropping aft, and came SO nea1
tha, could have jumped aboard her. Ths
| nadships of the vessel was then I think Just
agains tbe after gangWay. Saw light on ths
| schooner Just before she struck; saw none at:
| teryards. Don't know where the light wss OF
| the schooner; don't think it was On the mast
| The cabin was lighted at time of collision DOM
know whether lights were up on the hont OF not
saw nothing more Of schooner after saw her
dropping ait; It was very dark; The boosf
went through the pantry; between the engine
room aud where she was struck there is an opeu
space on lower deck, and pes's in variou'
| places about; After she struck the rubbish
was 70 thick that could not have climbed ovel
il in less than ten minutes. then vent back
round the Way had left; Had before been VI
into the SAlooo; Then went down to coal bunk
ers and saw water coming in very fast; Step
ped from coal bunker to the break, and stew
ard was there trying to stop leak with mat.ras
fes; Boat had been listed npi. Men wer
passing mattresses down: Held Light 40,
matt1a.ses into breal from outside
Capt, Wilson was there; Ee asked the engineer
If they could not rna any longer; they sA,d
"no. 1hsre was no more steam;" I turne
round and went b-ck in the cabin AZ quickly a
could, the hold being half full of water; va
no more On the lower deck after this; tod til
l
to lea7e the cabin; they would not 80, aud th
| Capt. in then came dowu nnd did all be coul
to hive the LADIES' aud all the passengers 20 O.
| the hurlicaue deck; my wife and sister-in-las
would ros 90; d1sssed them partly and cal
ried my Wi,e up, and mv ssster-in. law
Agnes ksosh, followed; told Evernton and vii
Twas going to the hurr1ctae deck left EFersto
aud wife IN stateroom No. 81; reached th
hurricane deck with my wife; my sis.er,ia Ia,
| and Capt. Wilson wero close behind US; Cap
Wilson wanted NC to help get up more ladies
few we're then coming up; I aided all cou!
with ore hand; did Whist little could thin
We gut up from 90 to Is ladies'; then tho he
began to get up pretty fast from the other sid
the ladies' would not get up anJ faster than tho
c,uld bo pulled up; SONG man on deck spok
to Csp.. Wilson. and asked him it te was Eoin
| to leave the wreck-a'zo atady asket him it b
was going to leave them; the captain said j
substance, "No, will die with yoa;" thin
there were between twenty and thirty childre
On the forward part Of the husricaae deck;
think; the whistle aud bell were going I,
+ ee,her for ten or fifteen minuies-; Il
bail commenced ringing almost ut ont
after the col1ision occurred, and Il
whistle began at the same time; tho boat san
IN about III minutes after the lady spoke to It
Captain; rot my two ladies' on to The top
tbs pilot house, and was there when tho bo,
| went down; it seemed Is II the upper works q
spread out when Tie boat sunk, cabin doors an
boxes all came up together, aud soon after ca
tie and passengers; the pilot house capslzE
amost at once after tue boat went down; IN,
| self and my wife and Agnes sunk at oncs; Ii
wifs lid bar arms around tue, and her eist,
was hanging on to her; soms way, I don
how, my sister-,n. Law, Agues keoGh, got awa
'. from nv wife, and my wite and came up Al
rot On to the pilot house again; the water vi
. | covered with cattle, women and children an
1nan ac1aaminr End airkInQ. il NJ