The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-04-24
Statement Of James H. Leonard.

statement OF James d. Leonard.
JAMES H. LEONARD, Esq. of this vii
lage, the only person of all those who en-
barke6 on the Sea Bird the last time she
left this port, who is now among the liv>
ing. arrived here on Sunday morning by
the steamer Orion. Mr.. LEONARD still
bears traces of the terrible sufferings he
| passed through, and the only wonder is
l.,ha. he survived at all. Below we publish
his statement of the calamity, which we
find ia the Milwaukee Neus of the 18th
inst. Mr.. LEONARD says the last person
he saw jump off the burning steamer was
JAMES LEYKoM. He also saw DoucErr
DENAHAE and PREFER, in the water, but
/ the others from Mauitowoc he did not see
after the alarm was given: fa..rasE
! The last that he remembers on board the
boat, there was general confusion and
alarm among the passengers, and efforts
| were being made to knock down the parti-
tions and doors of state rooms Acry had
been made to lower the boats and rush
was made for that purpose, but il was too
late Mr.. Leonard declares that there we're
four boats aboard and they we're located aft
the wheel house. They might have been
reached two or three minutes after the dis
covery of the fire but not afterwards. w hen
the alarm of FIRE was given the captain was
ahed and the boat was in command of the
first mate The captain Immediately ap,
peared on deck in his pants and est
There was cry from some ore at this time
| 70 head the steamer toward the shore and
he thinks the wheel was set for that pur-
pose and then abandoned. The steamer
started for the shore and then went rouud
in circle. He saw the captain and second
mate attempt to aid the passengers in get
ting over partitions and rubbish, after
utterly powerless to do anything further.
He believes the officers did all they could
under the circumstances, except that the
steamer possibly might have been stopped
on the instant of general alarm. Mr.. Leon.
ard put on life prcserver and left the boat
within ten minutes after the cry of fire. The
boat Was then covered with flames. and
he escapde by jumping to plank floating
in the water, with his clothes and overcoat
on. About that instan. piece of the pad
die box about eight or nine feet square
tumbled overheard. This he secured,
and taking his knife from his pocket he
cut two holes through it, and withthe small
rope OF his life>preserver he bound one o!
his legs to it. A little later he succeeded in
protecting himself from the cold by cut
| ting the cotton wadding from his overcoat,
which with the lining from his coat he
bound about his head ana hands. In thi,
! manner he first floated southward and then
| westward till dark, when be reached the
breakers nn the shore about ten miles this
side of Evanston. When the schooner Cor
nelia approached the wreck Of the Sea Bird
| Mr. Leonard was about mile away, but
was unable to attract her attention. though
| he made an attempt by swinging his hand
| When he reached the breakers he was
coated all over with ice, and IN order to
| reach the shore he was obliged to cut off
! his overcoat with his knife, when he
jumped into the breakers. found that he
could touch the bottom with his feet. and
| soon reached the dry land. With one leg
| partially frozen he clanbered up the bank
and wandered along the shore in search Of
| a human habitation but found none until
he approached Evanston.
| In explanation of errors in his previous
statement, MIR. Leonard desires to say that
when he reached Evanston he was utterly
exhausted and he has but faint recollection
ut anything further that occurred that nj ght
or next day. Body and brain for the time
| being seemed to he partially paralyzed He
says no person can describe the mental ex.
c,temept and suffering he endured that long
| wintry day with the icy water dashing over
him and with faint hope of final rescue.
These and the reaction which ensued are
| sufficient to explain ell the indcscrepancies
in his first account He has no recollection
of speaking OF his wife, tho she was upper
Tmost in his mind throughout the perils he
encountered. He has no recollection of
| many other parts of that statement some of
| which are without foundation. He did,
however, have a conversation with the
mate about half past six in the morning
and about fifteen minutes before the alarm
| OF fire. in WHICH the mate told him they
| were about twenty Eve miles from Chicago.
| Mr.. Leonard is tweDty-seven years of age
| and has lived in Manitowoc since 1854,
where he was clerk 10 the store of George
) Glover five or six years. During the
war he was member Of the Fifth Wiscon-
| sin regiment. and when going to Chicago
on the Sea Bird he was on bis way to take
possession of a grocery store he has recently
purchased there. In all respects he is
respectable citizen, and all who know him
will rejoice at his singular and extraordinary
escape from the fire and food