St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-09-20
Terrible Steamboat Accident !

That ravoritc boat, the steamer
" Lady Elgin," owned hy J. I. Spen-
ccr 4 Co., aud running on the route g,
from Chicago to Lake Superior, lett
thc wharf in Chicago on Friday eve
ming, 18th inst, at half past II O'clock !
ON her usual trip, with about 500 pas ,
scngcrs besides the employees, a large i
portion of whom, about $50, were
composed of the Union Guards, and
an excursion party from Milwaukee
on their return home.
At about half past two on Saturday
morning, when north of Winetka ana
about ten miles out in the lake, the
schooner Augusta came in collision
with the Lady Elgin striking her at
the midships gangway, on the lar
board side and Immediately dropped
astcrn. At that time there was mu-
sic and dancing in the forward CABIN
in an instant all was still, and III
| half an hour the steamer sank IN ooo
feet of water Two boats only lett
the steamer containing q persons,
of whom were drowned in the surf.
Among those on board and lost, were
| +. \. Lumsdcn, of the New Orleans
Picayunc, wife and two children ; the
proprietor of the London News, Her
bert Inrraham NJ. p, Hon. b. +. Hall,
of Bank of Aurora, H., and family,
and Capt John Wilson of the Elgln.
The books and papers of the steamer
were all lost.
1t is stated by all that the Captain
acted in noble manner throughout
the trying scenes. One of the MARIA
tors. who was on the raft with him,
tcstifcs that he laborcd unrcmittlng-
", to encourage and assist the suffer
ers. Another states that he saw him
on the boat at the time of the sinking
: and that he did everything III his
power to save those about him.
Those who live near the scene state
u that next morning there were full
" hundred to be seen floating on piece
, of the wreck, but as they reached tn
breakers they were swept off.
'. The Lady Elgiu was ten miles froI
~ shore at the time Of the collision, an
l" about five miles north of Point VIII
nctka. She was staunch, thoroug
"" built craft, and one Of the most sc;
i" worthy vessels on the lakes. ST
- was insured for $34 600.
The inmates Of the houses in IL
- vicinity were very kind, and provide
" all the ncccssarics for the recovery
- the exhausted ones who were rescued
:" d. NJ. MaIoty, master of the schoont
" Augusta, gives the following versio
-, of the catastrophe
,;r The Augusta took on a cargo ,
- lumber about three miles below Po
Huron in st. Clair river, and sale
thence about four o'clock =. NJ, of Il
tic LIST of September. Nothing matcri
ch occurred during the voyage until Il
ofI evening of the 9TH of september.
At ABOUT tnrCC O'CLOCK, TOOK Il ircu,
.. squall from the north, and vcss
M preached to. Lowered away fore an
H. mainsail about half way, took in jibs
OF and were running under these sail
in when we discovered steamers lights
- both red and bright, supposed to b
IL from a quarter to half mile distan
H. and steering between n. and n.
I'd Raining very hard.
ot We kept our vessel on her cours
~ Z. by S. until We saw a collision wa
" probable, when we put helm hard N
ne Struck the steamer in about two {
II, three minutes, first abatt the paddl
box on her port side. The stcamc
kept on her course engine in flu
10 motion, heading the Augusta aroun
north alongside Of the steamer. &c
, separated from the steamer in abol
N IA minute, when the Augusta fell o
1. into the trough of the sea. All OF
is head gear, jib boom, staunches, etc
|, were carried away. Took in all sd
;. and cleared away an anchor suppo
IL ing the vessel would ell.
a. Lost sight of the steamer with
~ five minutes after the collision. a
r. ter clearing up the wreck, got II
= forestaysail, (fnding the vessel wa
= not leaking) and made efforts to &c
the vessel before the wind and say
the masts, as all the head stays wcr
Is gone, except one forestry, but wa
c, obliged to hoist a part Of the forcsai
Of when we succeeded in getting bcfor
=. the wind and stood in for the lane
, When within about three miles, stoo
&c down along the shore and arrived o
ct Chicago harbor about halt-past 81
j. o'clock a. NJ, September 6th
Tuesday Of last week was observe
in Milwaukee as day Of humiliation
" mourning and prayer. Places Of bus
II ness were closed and the miltar
. were ont attending funeral service,
IL \ requiem mass was celebrated in til
l. Catholic cathedral, and services az
C. propriatc TO the occasion took pIac
Al in the other churches of the city. TIL
: wailing Of sorrow was heard in ever
street, and the habiliments Of mourn
ing were every where visible. BY
- vote Of the city council, the chambc
- has been put in mourning for fort
! days, aud resolutions adopted expire!
-, sive Of the feelings Of the body on til
momentous catastrophe which ha
bcfallen the community.
-. CATTLE DISEASE The Delhi New
y, says that singular mortality is no