Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-09-12


0fthe Milwaukee Union Guards. Capt.
Best. forty one rank and file. not>six mem
bers. prlvates. remain alive; Of the Mslwau
kee City Band Of eleven musicians who &C
com panied them. there are but two survi-
vor-s OF the gay exeursionists. their fe-
male eompas;ons. wives and .xsei hearts,
how few survive let the brief let tell
The following are extracts from the ,
statements Of passengers Who were aboard
the "a fsled vessel.
STATEMENT OF LIEUT. JOHN HART
SCUFF.
Mr. Hartscuff j. Lieutenant IN the L
s. Army. aud j. stationed at Port Mack
nav.
| was on board the steamer Lady Elgin
shen she collided with The -chooser Au-
rustn, aslesp in my berth liinmedi lately
Jumped from my berth and saw the schoon-
er floating away. Did moi think any seri
Gus damage bad been done az fret. but
soon discovered that the steamer was set
Ting. immediately left my berSh, which
was IN the after cabin, and ran toward the
[ pilot house where found Capt. Wilson on
/ The hurricGne deck. asked him II he
though, there was any dagger. anil ~ r.
piled tina: be thonght -he would ,Ai---
He told me where lheie werc llir pr,srrscrs
on the hurricane deck. aud went and pas
sed them down TO the passen .sr- in the
cabin It'll they were about exhausted.
when | took one myself aud wait.
ed on the hurricane deck. While
Ia. ...ts 4. 4 L l..
few OF whom were females but how many
Came up. could net say, - twas very
dark. From quarter 81 hall al hour al
ter she was struck. she broke W the hurri
cane deck floating of, and the hulk going
TO the bott"ro. with N. mendous NOISE -
As she broke jumped with my lise pre-
seryer--a board six or eight feet long and
about one wide-inio the wafer. wAiel
pulled with all my might l. escape from
the mass OF the wreck. After the confu-
sion had some hat subsidized. l heard lh.
voice Of Capt. Wilson cheering and encour
aging the people on the wreck. tellinG
, them thaf the shore was but few miles of
I and that il they kept calm aud obey cd III
directions they might all b. saved.
heard hun 10 this manner Tor perhaps L.,
: minutes. aud then ! had separated 81 Ia
= Captain and large number were, that
heard no more. All around me- were mum
bers of persons hoaung on pieces Of ia
b wreck. until it became daylight When
became so light that could see some dis
lance. ! discovered large mass Of ia
II wreck little distance 10 the windward &
US. covered with people. then got 0
quite large piece OF wreck which wa
l. floating near me, aud which contained n
K other person. aud no person got on IL afts
did. The large mass 10 the wiDdwar,
, of which have Just spoken. now bega
4 to separate. then lett the piece was o
:, and got on large piece of the hurricar
Al deck, on which there were four other pei
sous-don't know who they we're On th
fragment | remained until we reachc
- within about quarter Of . mile OF the sho
Is when our raft broke up. and two OF the fo'
10 on il with me we've washed off aud drowi
ed.
> A moment after the remainder OF ~
party were washed off by heavy sea- az
- one more of our little party drowned. NJ
Or remaining companion contriyed 10 rega
= the raft. and again took 10 life prese
W yer which / found afioat. and on this
., flos,ed 10 the shore Just bslow the bluff
- From the time vas swept from the "a
/ until / reached the shore, | was sever
times buried deep under the waves VIII
- close into the shore. was thrown from u
l. life pteserver aud went 10 .he bottom. NJ
although the water WAS not more than thF
!. or four feet deep. was so exhausted as
" be unable 10 rise, aud crawled for some d
e lance under the water until reached Il
Z. land.
I Early az the noruing l dissovsrsd
n. fragment Of the wreck short distah
from me on which vas woman and TN
men. She was 80 much exhausted III
il: she seemed unable 10 keep from droppi
n 10 sleep, although the exeTli0ns 1.-THE thl
!. men were continually in use 10 prevent
~ She was fioallv drowned while remain
on the wreck. bong unable To keep
head from the water Her body remain
RI on the fragment Of the wreck a. long as
~ was in sight. | saw many pieces Of I
> wreck containing from two to four perso
'" cspsized. almost invariably drowning
n that were on them To avoid the caps
ing of our frsil bark. I Instructed the m
with me 20 TO ~, on II A. to keep the eds
under water. This prevented Us capslzt
)" aud at the same time enabled Us 10 n,
" faster. We having in this way passed ma
~ Of the other rats | saw one woman ala
~ floating on a dining table. aud n short Il
y after I discovered her. the table capsiz
'e aud she disappeared under water for ~
= erai seconds. but finally reappeared on q
&C. surface clInging 10 the table. aud cveut
" ally. by great sxertions. she regaIned
= seat upon the table When last saw
4s she was near The shore. and a. heard
~ woman being saved shortly after ! "
y taken 10 a house near 10y. | presume :
: must have been the one. By my instr,
- iions. our party most Of the time turn
- our faces from the shore, aud thus fac
the waves and in this way were enabi
:, To watch the breakers a. they came I
y, wards " ard be prepared for them.
THIS way ne We're several times saved fro
- being washed off. while almost every o.
near ~ we're carried from their frail bar
aud persisted Under one piece of Z
wreck which was floating near "a We
four dead cattle fastened 70 IL. o. th
were two or three persons. The buoy an,
OF The dead bodies Il he cattle kept IA
OF piece of the wreck almost entirely GU,
water. and when last seen. this peculi
lile-boa; was very near the shore. and 4
ID persons on X were doubtless saved
When passed through the cabin on u
i, way u the pilo, house. Immediately aft
The collision. there was much confssi,
= there. MANY OF The passengers, owing
the scarcity Of berths. ~ere asleep on a
i. floor. aud when the collision took pae
the vessel listed so much that all rolled
y pile on one side of the cabin. Til
D. caused much esnfusion. and when pcrso
from above commenced passing down Il
preservers. and those below commence
as pulling down the doors and e,her foaiii
material. the anxiety - obtain these rr
servers was great indeed. About dsylig
be ] saw one boat badly stove. bottom up. :
~ or sever men ch angling 10 Il. whether
% not they we're saved cannot say
!. STATEMENT OF NJ. Z. SMITH. OF
oNTONA6ON.
! Wa asleep IN the nate room wh,
the collision took place. bot arskened
! The loud crasS. and vent on deck a. 80,
a. possible. 1s~ weasel ~ith witch
- colllied hsd got ciesr ~ - ard CAPITA
Wilson VS. giving orders "a lover b.