Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-09-14
APPALLING DISASTER ON LAKE
MICHIGAN.


CHICAGO, Sept. 8.-.The steamer
Lady Elgin, of the Lake Superior line,
which left here last night, was run into
by the schooner Augusta off Waukegan,
at half past two o'clock this morning,
striking her abaft the wheel. The
steamer sunk in twenty minutes after
ward in three hundred feet of water.
There were between three hundred
and fifty and four hundred persons on
board, among whom were the Black
Yagers and Rifles, and several fire COM
panies from Milwaukee, who were On a
visit to this city, .,..
Colonel Lumsden, of the New Orleans
Picayune, and family, also on board,
and supposed to be lost.
At the time of the accident the
schooner was sailing at the rate Of eleven
miles per hour. 'ai a -
H. G. Caryl, the clerk, makes the fol-
lowing statement: The Lady Elgin
left the port of Chicago at half past
eleven o'clock for Lake Superior
Among the passengers were the Union
Guards, of Milwaukee, composing part
of some two hundred and fifty ex-
cursionists from that city. About half
past two this morning the schooner Au-
gusta, from fOswego, came in collision
with the Lady Elgin when about ten
miles from shore. The vessel struck
the steamer at the midships gangway on
the larboard side, the two separated in
stantly and the Augusta dropped by in
the darkness. At the moment Of the
collision there was music and dancing
in the forward cabin. In an instant af-
ter the crash all was still, and in half
an hour the steamer sunk. passed
through the cabin; the ladies were pale
but silent. There was no cry nor shrek;
no sound but rush of steam and surge
of heavy seas; wether they were not fully
aware of the danger, or whether their
appalling situation made them speech
less, l cannot tell. The boat was low
cred at once with the design of going
round upon the larboard side to examine
the leak. There were two oars, but
just at that moment some person pos
sessed himself of one of them. and we
were left poweless to manage the boat.
We succeeded once in reaching the
wheel, bat were drifted and were thrown
upon the beach at Wineteka. Only two
boats left the steamer, one Of them con-
taining thirteen persons, all of whom
were saved; the, other bore eight-but
four reached the shore alive, the others
being drowned at beach, Before I left
the steamer the engine had beased to
work, ths fires having been extfngdished
and within thirty minutes the Lady
Elgin disappeared, Tie force and iFdi-
rection of the wind wassuch that boats
and fragments of the wreck were driven
up the lake and would reach The shorein
the vicinity of Wineteka. % E
AS I stood upon the beach ihopelessiy
looking back along the route wes had
drifted, | could see in the gray of the
morning, objects floating upon the wa
ter, and sometimes l thought human
beings struggling with the waves.
.ESigned1 III. G. CARYL,
-'',"- s'..- Clerk of the Lady Elgin.
No accurate list of the number of
persons on board can be given, but the
following estimate is nearly correct
Excursion party, 800; regular passen-
gers, SO; steamers crew, 35. OF these
but SO were saved. $50.
All the survivors unite in according
to Capt. Jack Wilson, the commander,
great praise for his bravery and daring
throughout. He was foremost in con-
fronting danger. Hewas drowned within
a hundred feet of shore. Nearly one
hundred persons arrived within fifty
yards of the beach, but were swept back
by returning waves and lost .'' -, '1
Up to nine o'clock tonight only
twenty-one bodies were recovered, most
of whom have been recognized by friends
as residents of Milwaukee. o. "@
Vermont Election.
The election in Vermont came off on
Tuesday week, and the returns show an
increased majority for the Republican
ticket of ouer foe thousand votes. Well
done, for little Vermont! .-|T' E,-s-
The Cincinnati Gazette, of the 11th,
says: T. 1..1a.E s1s-.Y.-s .7-.
"In claiming a Republican gain of
5000 in Vermont, our figures were
much too low. The reported majority
for Gov. Fairbanks, is $4,000. Last
year, Gov, Hall, his Republican prede-
eessor, had majority of only 1856
This shows gain of over FIVE THOU
SAND! That will do for the opening gun
IF tbo c,unairn