Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-14
LOSS OF THE SEA BIRD.

lars of the loss Of the Sea Bird:
The Sea Bird belonged to the Three
Rivers, Manetowoc and Chicago line Of
steamers. She had made four trips this
season, and was on the fifth when she
met with the terrible disaster reported
this morning. When off Waukegan,
about halfpast six this morning, fire was
seen issuing from a lot of miscellaneous
freight slowed around the after guards,
under the ladies' cabin, and in ten min
utes the stern Of the boat was wrapt in
flames. From the statement Of one of
the rescued, it appears that all on board
became demoralized, even the officers,
no effort being made to lower the small
boats.
The only survivors, as far as known,
are G. A. Chamberlin and Edward Hen
neberg, passengers from Sheboygan.
The latter makes the following state
ment: There were in all about one hun
dred persons on board, including eight
or ten ladies and seven or eight children.
About 5 o'clock this morning saw
smoke arising on the main deck below
the ladies' cabin. There was lot of
tubs and some straw lying near, and the
fire got among them right away. | cried
fire, and the crew and passengers rushed
from their rooms. There was great
confusion, and the FIRE spread so rapidly
as to convince me that il had been burn.
ing long time. Within five minutes
the after part Of the boat was in flames /;
do not think that all the ladies had time
to get out of the staterooms, and some of
them and the children must have been
burned. An effort was made by por-
ton of the crew to reach the small boats,
but failed.
Mr.. Chamberlin states that about half
past six he was looking over the side of
the steamer, and saw the porter come out
of the ladies' cabin with scuttle of
Goals and ashes, and, going to the bull
warks near where quantity of miscel-
laneous freight was stored, threw the
contents overheard, and in about a
quarter of an hour heard the alarm of
fire, and saw flames issuing from this
pile of freight 1t seemed not more than
ten minutes before the whole after part
Of the steamer was in flames. In his
opinion, when the porter threw the Goals
overheard, the wind drove some of them
back into the freight. He heard no ex-
plosion, and thinks that if the fire had
caught from boiler explosion it would
have been discovered sooner.
Captain Yates, of the schooner Corde.
lia, states that when off Waukegan he
saw burning steamer; was distant from
her four or five miles; bore down on her
and succeeded in rescuing two passen-
gers, one of whom was in the water, the
other on the steamer; thinks it not pos
sible that any others were saved (;
learned from one of the survivors that
after the steamer took fire the helm was
lashed hard aport, causing her to whirl
round and round as long as the engines
worked. The Cordelia did not leave the
wreck until it burned to the water s
edge
James H. Leonard, the third survivor
from the steamer Sea Bird, makes state
ment, of which the following is the sub :
stance: About clock yesterday morn
ing went upon deck and cenversed with
first mate of the steamer in regard to the
distance from Chicago; learned that it
was about 20 miles; then went to wife
stateroom and soon afterwards heard the
alarm of fire; went out to ascertain the
cause and found the boat on fire, and the
flames bursting out near the stern, and
close to the stateroom that l just left; l
Immediately rushed in to rescue my wife,
but was prevented by the flames, which
cut off communication with the state
rooms; did not see or hear of his wife
after he left the stateroom when the
alarm was given. Mr. Leonard agrees
with Mr.. Chamberlain as to the general
description of the catastrophe, but thinks
there were not more than thirty passen-
gers on board. A large number got off
at Milwaukee, much larger he thinks
than the number that embarked at that
port.
Finding it too hot to stay on the boat,
and realizing the fact that her destruc-
ton was inevitable, sprang into the wa
ter, and, being vigorous swimmer, got
hold of board, and soon clambered upon
piece of the paddle-box near. He
clung to this, and drifted with the waves
to southwest, landing three miles north
of Evanstown, between and 8 o'clock
last night, after being upon the fragment
of the wreck twelve hours; was drenched
to the skin, his clothes frozen, and him
self more dead than alive after his per-
ilous ride of not far short of fifteen miles.
Mr.. Leonard Law and about twenty
passengers jumped into the water; some
swan around for some time, and some
seemed to sink almost Immediately. He
saw no woman jump overheard, and he
did not see any women in the water.
He believes there were about ten women
on board, all Of whom must have per-
ished in the flames. An attempt was
made to launch the steamers beats, but
the rapidity with which the flames
spread rendered it impossible to accom-
plish that object. The sea was not very
high, and boats could easily have lived
if they could have been launched; from
the best evidence which Captain Good
rick, the owner of the Sea Bird, has
been able to obtain, no effort was made
to stop the engines until circumstances
prevented its further motion.
The belief Of those who ought to know
is, that had the progress Of the steamer
been stopped at the first alarm, the boats
could have been gotten out and all
saved.
The Steamboat Inspector Of this Dis
triot has decided 70 issue an order to
engineers Of all steamers on the lake,
their assistants to stop their engines on
a ;-,,ort of q fra alarm withont await