, 1865-08-17

vivid Account by a Passenger on tl,s
Meteor,

Especial Correspondence Of the Detroit Fsee
STEAMER METEOR, St. Mary River, Apg. 10.
I left Detroit Tuesday e7enipe. Auaust8th,
let5, on the Meteor, CAPTAIN Wilson, at ID
o'clLcB, bound for Lake Superior, Touch}nr
a. seycra! points on the St. Clair, It was 7
O'Clock p: m., Wednesday morning, when
Te entered upon the dark deep waters: Of
Laso Hu5on. The boat moved along With
strong propeller. directed by experienced
and careful seanlen. After ten MUSIC wns
started In the cabin. Oae cotilllou was
finished aud another forming, when, q: 8K
ociccs,. some ten mlles of Thunder B1y
Light, the engine bell was ruug, aud then, IN
moment after, was heard & fearful crash.
and or noble steamer was stopped 80 sud.
denly as to cause all on board to reel. ana
many to fall In the direction Of the boat.
bow: The wfitc- Of this article was thrown
on BITS bands and knees from the claIr in
which h. was sitting:
VIXEN the crash Game, a Wild scream w.s
hca15, several ladies tainted aud BECAME in.
sensible, ard tor several moments we were
thfs atened with panic which, had It mt
neRn a. once chs cked by the cooler heads.
night hare caused the crazy md thoushtless
70 fnsh tnad1y to Destruction. With others.
l ttarted immediately TO ascertain accu'
ratt1y the extent OF what We felt was fear
Jul calamity. It required but q glauce to see
that the Meteor had come In collision with
another propeller--the Pewab:c, of the same
line, and also IN excellent boat. It was eyi-
dent, toe, that the Pewabic mas 30 badly
shattered as to he In sinking condition. ths
Meteor having struck her side some thirty
feet from her bows. In three minutes aftsr
the colllticn the Pewabic was nd more. bnt
down, down. IN the dark waters Of. Lake Hu.
ron ene rank, IN over forty fathoms, cateytur
with her, to their last sleep, come loo to 16
human beings, Of all ages mud bath scxes: M a.
the clefk'a books, papers and money; e1-
press noney about 800 tons Of couner mad
Iron. valnec at over 810o, coo; besides other
property, and the b3as, valued nt 500 90.
but iueuIt for $50. GOO.
Tie heavy weight Of iron aud copper Was
probably the cause Of the Psicn6tc sinking so
euddtnly. As ahe vent down her hurricane
deck. Has forced up, and aeated upon the
Fattl5 with pieces Of wreck of all kinds
In. the 1uine. ttarfuliy mixed with men, Wo-
ncn and children who had not been carried |
dorm with ths hull, all struggling for lie,
help as to drown the ueise Of the waters
roar, md ill the steEnest hearts With terror, /
Ona leok Of the terrible scene suflced aud, /
unable to render assistance to the strusslfug |
and dying. turned frcm the aad sight to
quiet lhe fears Of those who feared the Ntteor
case, owing to the light work about the bows
beiug sWeps aWay.
Some few jumped from the Pewsbic to the
Meteor when the collision first occurred. The
Meteo,'s boats, were Immediately lowered,
when Capt. Wilson, bis crew, and other SEA,
faling men, worked: molly TO rescue liG. a
fast as possible they picked up all who coujd
Keep themselves adoat; but many, chilled
By the cold waters, were buried In the desp
before hnmsn aid could reach them. IthinE
there must have been two hundred. nas,en.
gers and c!ew, in all. and that any or six:y
were ~saved.> One boy jumped from The p.
wahlc and struck bis head against The sfde |
ot ne Meteor, and than went down to bis
sold, damp grave. But no one can describe
the heas tzending scenes; women wera
ragged from the ruins nearly naked. looS.
pg wild and llcless, as the ladies On the
Meteor wrapped them In blankets aud
sheets- A Mrs. Wells, OF Ann -Arbor, was
brought On board, but all efforts to kRyu her
proved nnasailIng. It Is supposed She re-
:ei7ed an Injury On the heau which caused
'er death. One lady Was picked up who was !