The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-04-16
APPALLING nISASIEB.
STEAMER su1 doS l. ncH
cAs--osE - -

STEAMER ~ NEAIoN IZ-K
GAN--ONE rNnfED - ~
An appalling s.sd wAsh cast dep
shadow upon Chidgo. 3ccurrN n this dsornpg
about six O'Clock on LSSs Michigsn, off Wake :
gan. about twenty Eve miles north of this port
At thas hoars the steamer Sea i,nat -TrasiniDes
between this port and Nanitowoc. Wisconsin,
and which left the latter port yes'erday alter
noon about foar o'clock, with not hr from one
hundred souls On board. Eas discovered 70 be
on fire and in ten minutes was one sheet Of
flames. add every person on board, win two
exceptions, pe,ished, either in the flames or by |
drowning. The names Of the saved are Albert
c. Chamberlain, of Sheboygan fahs, aud Ed /
ward Hannehury, = sailor foH, sheboysan city, |
and was on his way to this city 70 get employ
inent in his calling. The following IS Mr. dam |
nerbury's statement. which covers the whole /
ground: Il went on board the Sea Bird, Capt. /
Morris, about four O'Clock There were eight
or ten others beside myself, who LEFT Sheboy
gan There were in all, about one hundred
persons on board, including the crew. There
were eight or ten ladies. and seven or eight
children among the passengers. There was
considerable Of cargo. About tive O'Clock
this morning LEFT my berth. had been up
about one hour when saw smoke arising on
the main deck. in the stern quarter. just below
the ladies' cabin. / hardly sav the smoke,
when the FIRE began to blaze. 1t seemed to
have heed kindled right on the deck. There
were a lot of tubs and some straw lying near,
and the fire got among them right away. I
Immediately cried Fire. The crew rushed on
deck; the bell was rung. and the passengers
who were not up, came tumbliug out from
their berths and state>rooms. Instantly there
was great confusion, and the fire increased so
rapidly as to convince me- that it must have
been burning long time before it was diseov
cred. The flames spsaDg up and spread all
most instantly into the ladies cabin. In FIVE
minutes the after part os the boat on fire.
do not think that all the ladies had time to
get out of their cabin, and several ladies and
children 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 failed to reach them.
was perfectly cool all the time. knew the
boat was gone up, but, somehow, felt that
I was all right. In about ten minutes, with the
assistance of others, 1 showed the gang plank
! overheard, and in a few moments the engine
| stopped working. All the, passengers were
crowded into the bow and were crying, wiring
ing their hands and moaning piteously.
/ 1 waited till the gang plank had foated past
the wheelhouse, and then jumped overheard
and swan to the gang plank, and ten or fifteen
others followed me. There were so many ou
the plank that it sank, and we had hard WORK
to keep ourselves above water. l got along
pretty well, until three or four. seeing that
was holding my own, got around by me and
took hold of me. l shook them all off except
colored boy. He put both arms around m )
neck, and l could not choke him off. 1 then
helped him on the plank, and also one man whe
was about twenty five years old. helped two
or three others on the PLANK. We struggled
hard, but not a man said . word. l could see
around me men havi ng hold of boxes, chairs
tenders, and two men saw clinging to a bag o
wool. There was heavy sea, and after ",
had been in the water fifteen or twenty min
utes the plank was capszed by wave, and al
who were on it, except myself, were WASHED
away and were seen no more. The water wa
almost at freezing point, and l was nearl,
chilled through, but managed to get thu
plank, and was all alone. got hold the gang
plank ropes, and steadied myself with then
while stood on the plank. l had no though
of death; the same confidence all along ha.
felt in being saved, still chung to me. locke,
about me- and could see the surface of the lax
covered with peices of the wreck, to many o
which men were clinging. About half mile
away a woman was clinging to fender. Sh
soon disappeared. The wreck was all the tim
Il drifting toward the west shore. About twent,
minutes after had left her, saw the passen
gers gathered on the burning deck. Many G
the men were stripped to their shirts. AM
nearly all had life perservers on, or were lashe,
to tables, planks &c. This was about the las
i saw of the boat. No screaming or crying wa
. heard. The waves deadened all that.
watched her until she was burned to the water
edge. -.5., r. f.-., .-+ --. g
! cat about nine o'clock I saw . schoone
bearing south about two miles away, and un
, der full sail; and although am sure they say
me and the burning wreck, it kept straight o.
and offered no assistance. About 10 O'Clock
: when was about ready to give up, I saw
schooner four or five miles to the widward. !
bore down toward me, and proved to be tn
= Cornelia. She sent out her small boat and frs
= took eff Chamberlain from the forward netting
III where he had dashed himself, and then too
me aboard about IL o'clock. I was nearl
frozen, but was soon made comfortable
AS have stated, Hannebury and Chambe,
lin are the only ones saved out of one hundre
souls. @4
= The Sea Bird was fine steamer, ranking
No. 2, and about 500 stuns burden, vained !
s7o,ooo. She had no insurance. She belonge
!, to the Goodrich Line. sz
The Sour APPLk TRKx.-The Me-
- York Herald warns left Davis 10 q