Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-09-11
THE RECENT TERRIBLE MARINE
o.. -s .r.H SLAUGHTER.


r rie- fta SLAUGHTER.
The Disaster on Lake HIIchiean-Partlcu-
lars of the Cntastrophe-stateme of
she Surviving Passengers.
The telegraph has already furnishedan ac-
count Of the late disaster on Lake Michigan,
but by our mails we have particulars of
the melancholy event:
THE ATTEMPT AT RESCUE.
The work of rescue did not pause in the
agony that wrung the hearts on shore. Men,
residents of Winetka and Evanston, stripped
off all superfuous clothing and, with ropes
tied about them, held on shore, dashed nobly
into the serf, and only by such peril wrested
the saved of the wreck. Where many wrought
SO we'll we can not here particularize but we
accord the universal sentiment of the day in
the assertion that the theological teachings
of the Garrett Biblical Institute must include
a liberal amount of "MuscuLdr Christianity"
for Messrs. Spencer and Coombs of that In
stitution were foremost among the heroes of
the day. .lfs -.r--F..t ..g
Thenceforward the scene on the shore un-
til two P. NJ, when the last survivor was
drawn out of the surf was scene which the
lookers-on will never forget. OF its nature
the best proof is the fact that the from forty
10 fifty persons saved were less than one
third of the number that came in from the
lake to pass the fearful gauntlet of the line
of breakers, several hundred feet Of shore,
where, under the very eyes, and almost
within hail of those on shore, we saw the
majority perish. The RATS would come into
the line Of surf dip to the force of the waves
and then turn completely over. Again and
again would RATS, containing from one to
FIVE or more persons, gradually near the
shore and then be lost where a stones cast
would reach them, yet really as far from
human help as if in mid-ocean. a.
RELATION OF A PASSENGER.
Lieutenant Hartsuff relates the following:
All around me were numbers of persons
floating on pieces of the wreck, until it be-
came daylight. When it became so light
that could see some distance, discovered
a large mass of the wreck little distance to
the windward of US, covered with people. 1
then got on quite o large piece of wreck
which was floating near me, and which con-
tanned no other person, and no person got on
it after | did. The large mass to the wind
ward, Of which have just spoken, now be-
gan to separate. ID
then left the piece was on and got on a
large piece of the hurricane deck, on which
there were four other persons-don't know
who they were. On this fragment l re-
manned until we reached within about a
QudIJeT OI u Illlt OI IIlt SuOT6, WHcu our
RIFT broke up, and two of the four on it with
me were washed off and drowned. A mo-
ment after the remainder of our party were
washed off by heavy sea, and one more oi
our little party drowned. Ny remaining
companions contrived to regain the raft, and
l again took TO life-preserVer which found
afloat, and on this | floated to the shore just
below the bluffs. E
From the time was swept from the rail
I a1,al H. alA,a Il 81
times buried deep under the waves. When
close in to the shore, was thrown from my
life-preserver and went to the bottom, and
although the water was not more than three
| or four feet deep, | was so exhausted as to
| be unable to rise, and crawled for some dis
tance under the water until l reached dry
land.
Early in the morning, discovered a frag.
ment of the wreck, O short distance from me
on which was a woman and three men. She
| was so much exhausted that she seemed un.
able to keep from dropping to sleep, although
the exertions of the three men were contin.
ually in use to prevent it. She was finally
drowned, while remaining on the wreck
being unable to keep her head from the
water. Her body remained on the fragment
of the wreck as long as it was in sight.
saw many pieces of the wreck, containing
from two to four persons, capsized, almos
| invariably drowning all that were on them
To avoid the capsizing of our frail bark,
instructed the men. with me so to sit on i
as TO keep the edges under water. This pre-
vented us capsizing, and at the same tim,
enabled us to float fasster, we having il
this way passed many of the other RATS.
/ saw one woman alone, floating on din
| ner table, and short time after discovered
the table capsized, and she disappeared undel
water for several seconds, but finally reap
i peared on the surface, clinging to the table
and eventually, by great exertions, she re
| gained her seat upon the table: When las
saw her she was near the shore, and as
heard of a woman being saved shortly aftel
was taken to house near by, presum'
she must have been the one.
BY my instructions, our party most OF tht
time turned our faces from the shore, anG
thus faced the waves, and in this way wer'
enabled to watch the breakers as they CAM
toward us, and be prepared for them. Ii
this way we were several times saved from
being washed off, while almost every on
near us were carried from their frail bark
and perished. Under one piece of the wrecl
which was floating near US, were four deaf
cattle fastened to it. On this were two o
three persons.
The buoyancy of the dead bodies of tn
cattle kept this piece of the wreck almos
entirely out of the water, and when Las
seen, this peculiar life-boat was very nea
the shore, and the persons on it were doubt
less saved. t
When passed through the cabin on m
way to the pilot-house, immediately afte
the collision, there was much confusion Their
Many of the passengers, owing to the scarcit
of berths, were asleep on the floor, and whe
the collision took place, the vessel listed s
much that all rolled in a pile on one side
the cabin.
This caused much confusion, and whe
persons from above commenced passing dow
iife-preservers, and those below commence
pulling down the door and other foatin
material, the anxiety to obtain these PR
servers was greas indeed. About daylight
, saw one boat badly stove, bottom up; six
seven men clinging to it. Whether or n
they were saved, ] can not say.
STATEMENT OF ANOTHER PASSENGER.
Mr.. NJ. E. Smith, passenger, makes
statement from which we clip the followin
} The vessel with which we collided had 6
clear OF US, and Capt. Wilson was giviI
orders to lower boat TO ascertain the exte
\ of the injury but when down, the DO
' could not get near the Elgin by reason of t
waves and wind. Iassisted in rolling freig
N the starhoard To list the boat over, 81