Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-09-10

The loss, by shipwreck, Of the steamer
Sunbeam, on Lake Superior, has been re-
ported. The Chicago Tribune has full par
tieulars Of the disaster, from the only sur
vivor, as far os knoEE, from all on board.
We quote the following interesting details
Of the fearful catastrophe:
ID The steamer Sunbeam left Superior at
o'slock Monday night, the 26th ult, reach
ed 0ntonagon q little before noon on
Thursdays and remained there till half past
six o'clock, P. H. When she came cut, the
wind was blowing fresh from the North,
and about three hours after they left-say
between g and 10 o'clock, the gale struck
them, the wind shifting into the N. N. E.
She rode the storm till next morning, and
81 about o'clock the captain attempted to
put her abOut, to face the gale, that being
his only chance for safety, as she had be-
come unmanageable, and all hopes ofreach-
ing Copper Harbor twenty four miles east
hRd failed him, and there was no barber
west that could be entered in such storm,
nearer than La Pointe (Bayhsld) At this
time the sea was so rough that it was only
occasionally they could sea the steamer
Michigan, then less than two miles dis
tant. Before attempting to turn around,
the boat was headed two points north Of
east, the wind little east Of North, stTi-
king her quartering. When they put her
about she fell into the trough Of the sea
end rolled terribly. Unable to move her
BY machinery, they run her iib up, but all
efforts were unavailing. She failed to
come up or pay away, and the jib was
hauled down. Her engine was still in
motion, but doing no good. The engineer
came up on deck, but Frazer did not hear
what he said. The captains reply was
"Get up Gil the steam you can, and try
thatp This effort was unRVailing-the
jio was hauled up second time, to try for
the shore, but she could not be made to
right up, into the wind The sail filed
from the stsrbOard side, and had she got
wind enough, would have run her ashore.
But she could not be got out Of the trougbs,
and listed, or careened over on her side.
The Captain had all sent below, and tried
10 trim her but when she careened he told
those on board he could do nothing with
her-fhey had better come on deck This
is the last order that Fraser heard the
Captain give. About this time she ca
reened, her pilot house lying fat with the
water, and was held in that position by
the gale, and the successive waves beaEing
against her with such force as to break her
to pieces, and she soon dlled with water
and sank The Captain told Fraser to
stick tc the wheel and do what he could to
turn her, il she righted again, but when
Fraser saw no hopes of her coming up
again, and the mad waves running over
her, he broke the window on the upper side
Of the pilot house, and made his way as best
he could, to the small boats. OF these
there were three-a yawl and two life
boats. Frazer saw but two boats, both
filed by passengers and crew. Tie got in
to the yaWl, in which was the Captain and
several Of the crew. A woDan-he thinks
she chambermaid, and probably the only
lady on bOsrd-Feached out her hands and
begged TO be taken aboard. As Fraser
only had standing room, he jumped out up
on piece Of the hurricane deck, and the
woman was taken aboard The yaWl Fra
ger saw the flagstaff floating near him,
with signal halyards attached. With these
ne tied himself to his raft portion of the
hurricane roof and soon afterwards pick
ed up demijohn, which be secured with
the ends of the rope.
When Frazer left the wreck the upper
cabin had all been swept off, and she was
AOundoring badly, her bulwarks gave
way, she soon rolled over, gradually set
tied, and sank bow doWnwards. The sur
qivor thinks some who did not hear the
Captains order to come on deck, were
still on the boat when she sank. About
ton minutes after he left the boat he saw
two persons with life -preseFvers or floats |
but thinks no others had time to get them !
after they realized the danger.
Frazer saw the ysWl sink beneath tho
waves and those who had been in her
floating in the water. A few minutes af-
ter he got upon his raft, he SOW the life |
boat upside down, and two men on her |
bottom, lying crossHise, clinging to the |
sides. The next wave swept them out Of |
sight y Z q on
Mr.. Frezer was on the raft from eight
0cloes on Friday till two O'clock on Sat
friday afternoon. When he neared the
shore it was at the base Of the iron
bound shore" an almost perpendicular
clif Of red SANDSTONE rocks. TIE waves
dashed his frail raft to pieces upon the
rocks, cutting his forehead and bruising
his knees and shoulders; he fell back into
the Water-the next wave threw him
against the rocks, when he caught upon q
shelving projection, and crswled into q
small cavern washed in the sandstone.
There he remained for about eight hours
fer the wind 70 subside and the sea 10 20
down, before he dared TO move He then
craWled up on shore with great difficulty,
being SO weak and benumbed from cold
BE was now about thirty-fVe miles from
Eagle River, and from twelve TO fifteen
miles from Portage, (across the cOuntry.)
He remained here till three O'Clock on
Monday, when a party in a small boat
coasting along shore from 0ntonsgon es-
pied him, answered HE signals, went ashore
70 him, and administered to his hunger so
far es their lunch would appease his hun
ger. Thus, all the nourishment Fraser
had for four days, was the demiiohn Of
Port wine, from which he drank as be
could between the surging Of the waves.
He was taken to Houghton, Portage Lake.
where he was found by the officers of the
Planet, and brought to this city.
At the present time, we have no account
Of any being saved from the Sunbeam, ex.
ospt the Wheelsman, John Frazer he was
seldom below, and is not confident as to
the number Of passengers but thinks
there were only four or i've on board be-
Hides the crew, which embraced twenty
one persons as follows
captain William DOHssall, whose friends
I'Tsqe a. " Htaipe:.sisO, Indiana.
> Gardner, Clerk, from Sparta,
Wisconsin. w-Er
Thomas F. Healey, 1st engineer, of De-
tFoit.
Patrick O'Donnell, 1st mate, and ]. o.
Donnell, ID mate, (brothers) from Detroit.
NJ. II. Collins, Of Chicago, saloon keeper.
Ta,.or kfrUoIa ~ Ohioe0o cabin hnv