Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-04-16
STEAMER BURNT ON LAKE
MICHIGAN.

t'--'
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
CHICAGO, April 8, 1868.
An appalling disaster, which cast a deep
shadow upon Chicago, occurred this
morning about 8 o'clock, on Lake Michi-
gan, off Waukegan, about twenty-five
miles north of this port. At that hour,
the Steamer Sea Bird, running between
this port and Manitowoc, Wisconsin,
and which left the latter port yesterday
afternoon about four clock, with not far
from one hundred souls on board, was
discovered to be on fire, and in ten min
utes was one sheet of flames, and every
person oil board, with two exceptions,
perished in the flames or by drowning.
The names of the saved are Albert @.
Chamberlain, of Sheboygan falls, and
| Edward Hannebury, sailor from She
boygan city. The following is Mr..
Hannebery's statement, which covers
the whole ground: ~ went on board the
Sea Bird, Capt. Morris, about 4 O'clock.
There were eight. or ten others beside
myself, who left Sheboygan. There
were eight or ten ladies', and seven or
eight children among the passengers -
There ewasconsiderable ofa cargo. About
5 o'clock this morning left my berth. /
had been up about one hour when / saw
smoke arising on the main deck, i'm the
stern quarter, just below the ladies' cabin.
1 hardly saw the smoke, when the fire
began to blaze. 1t seemed to have been
kindled right on the deck. There were
lot of tubs and some straw lying near
end the fire got among them right away.
1 Immediately cried "Fire!" The crew
rushed on deck; the bell was rung, and
the passengers who were not up, came
tumbling out from their berths and state
rooms. Instantly there was great confu-
sion, and the fire increased so rapidly as
to convince me that it must have been
burning long time before it WAS dis
covered. The flames sprung up and
spread almost instantly into the ladies'
cabin. In five minutes the after part of
the boat was alf ON fire. l do not think
that all the ladies had time to get out of
their cabin, and several ladies and chill
dren must have been burned.
"All rushed to the forward part of the
boat. Some of the crew tried to get at
the small boats, which were aft, but fail
ed to reach them. In about ten minutes,
with the assistance Of others, L showed
the gang plank overheard, and in few
minutes the engine stopped WORKING
All the passengers were crowded into the
bow and were crying, wringing their
hands and moaning piteously. ESQ
" | waited until the gang plank had
floated past the wheelhouse, and then l
jumped overheard, and swan to the gang
plank, and ten or fifteen Others followed
me. There were so many on the plank
that it sank, and we had hard work to
keep ourselves above water. | got along
pretty well, until three or four, seeing
that was holding my own, got around
me and took hold of me. l shook them
all off except colored boy. He put
both arms around my neck, and / could
not choke him off / then helped him
on the plank, and also one man, who
was about twenty-five years old. l help
ed two or three others on the plank. =
We struggled hard, but not q man said q
word. could see around me men s3lav-
ing hold of boxes, chairs, tenders, and
two men saw clipging TO bag of wool.
There was havy sea, and after we had
been in the water fifteen or twenty min
utes the plank was capsized by wave,
and all who were on it, except me, were
washed away, and were seen no more
The water was almost. at freezing point,
and l was nearly chilled through, but
managed to get on the plank, and was all
alone. Igot holdthe gang-plank ropes,
and steadiel myself with them while l
stood ON the plank. l had no thought
of death; the same contidenceI all along
had felt in being saved, still clung to me.
Hooked edabout me, and could see the lakes
; surface covered with pieces of the wreck,
10 many of which men were clinging.-
About half mile away | saw u woman
clinging to q fender. 1 soon saw heg
disappear. The wreck was all the time
drifting toward the west shore. sAbout
twenty minutes after L had left her.
saw the passengers gathered on the burn
ing deck. Many ofthe men were strip
ped to their shirts, and nearly all had
life preservers on, or were lashed to tables,
| NIL Ne fnl,ia ahAtf tha tnaf
saw of the boat. 1 did not hear any
screaming or crying. The waves dead
ened ali that. | watched her until she
was burned to the water's edge.
"At about 0 o'clock / saw schooner
bearing south, about two miles away,
and under full sail; and although am
sure they saw me and the burning wreck,
Ii kept straight on and offered no assist
ance. About 10 o'clock, when l was
about ready to give up, saw q schooner
four or five miles to the windward. 1t
bore down toward me, and proved to be
the Cornella. She sent out her small
boat, and first took Off Chamberlain from
the forward netting, where he had lashed
himself, and then took me aboard about
IL o'clock. 1 was nearly frozen, but was
soon made comfortable"
AS l have stated, Hanneberry and
Chamberlin are the only ones saved out
or ABOUT one nunureu Souls.
The Sea Bird was fine steamer, rank
ing A No. 2, and about 800 tuns burden,
valued at$70,000. She had noinsurance.
She belonged to the Goodrich Line.
Mr. Chamberlain states that about
half-past six, as he was looking over the
sido of the steamer, he saw the porter
come out OF the ladies' cabin with scut.
tie of Goals and ashes, and going to the
hulwarks, near where quantity of mis-
celaneous freight was stored, threw Its
contents overheard.
In about quarter ofan hour we heard
/, an alarm OF fire, and saw flames Issuing
from the pile of freight. 1t seemed moi
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 explosion, and thinks that IL fire haC
,. caught from the boiler II would hav'
|, been discovered sooner.
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