Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-09-24

AN APPAtIINl DISASTER.

4 Fifty Lives AOft-aaIllat of Thirty
ave Of her Passengers and Crew All
thus fax AseeRtnined.
From The Evening wlsconain Sept. 10.
Our city readers win remember the lit
tie propeller Hippocampus which last sea
son ran between Milwaukee and the Eas-
tern shore. Lately the boat has beef run
ming between the Eastern shore and Chi
cago, and to-day COMES the report that she
has been lost with all ON board.
The lIippocampus was propeller OF
about ninety tons measurement. She was
built in st. Joseph, Mich, two years ago,
for several parties in that place, since which
time she has been plyingin the Milwaukee,
Chicago and St 10. trade. She was very
strong vessel, her machinery powerful and
in excellent condition. The II. left BEN
ton HArbor, near ST. Jo., about half-past
ten O'Clock ON Monday night last, having
on board, as it is believed, some thirty-Ave
passengers and q crew of sixteen, and being
heavily loaded down with peaohssand 9TH
er freight. The boat grounded off the
mouth of the river aud was detained about
Thirty minutes She got off about IL
o'clock and went to sea, the weather being
very stormy, This is the last that has
been heard of her. The steamer Comet. Of
the Goodrich line, which left St. Joseph ON
! Monday night, and reached Chicago last
Tuesday morning, reported that the wealth
CT was stormy and that about midnight a
violent squall struck her, doing no dam
age She saw the Hippocampus on shore.
Several boats have arrived at this port and
Chicago since Monday but they bring no
tidings of the missing propeller A dis
patch was received yesterday from Benton
Harbor, on the Eastern shore, as follows :
BENTON HARBoR, Mich, Sept, I'D Chap
man; Send a tug to look for the remains of
the Hippocampus, BURRIaE q 90, Z
From which 1t would seem that fears are
felt that the boat has been lost.
The boat is usually commanded by Capt.
Morrison, of Benton, but he being indis-
posed on Monday, she sailed under COM
mand of Capt Brown, also of Benton, and
formerly master of the propeller Skylark.
Mr. ]. b. Bloom, and two of Capt. Morri-
sons sons are all, in addition to those
mentioned above, that are as yet known by
name to have been on board. The boat
was valued at S22, 1000 and was insured for
$4,000.
The steamers which arrived last night
and this morning say that the utmost anx-
ety is felt for the safety of those on board
the Hippocampus. 1t is believed that she
was top-heavy, having 5000 baskets of
peaches on board, most of them being on
the upper deck. When the squall referred
to above struck her she must have cap
sized and filing, sunk at once. If such is
the case il seems impossible that single
soul out of the fifty persons known to have
been on board could have escaped, although
it is to be hoped that so dire calamity is
not to be added to the many which have
already taken place on the lake this season.
LATER.
1t seems to be generally settled to-day
that the Hippocampus has gone down with
all on board. We obtain the following ad-
ditional particulars: J
HOW THE DISASTER OCCURRED.
The most natural supposition is that the
boat, carrying nearly twenty tons more
cargo than on any previous trip, and with
the entire weight Of her cargo disposed on
or about her main deck, was capsized in a
squall II, the disaster occurred in this,
manner she must have sunk Immediately, /
and the fate other passengers was a speedy
one.
WHEN SHE WENT DOWN.
On. Tuesday morning, about l o'clock,
there was heavy squall, and this, it is
supposed, decided the fate of the unfortu-
nate boat and of those on board. This
squall was SO violent that q number Of YES
sells on the lake we're damaged, among
others, the steamer Comet, which, from
the shifting of her cargo, was partially dis
abled one wheel being useless for the re-
naming twenty-one hours Of her trip.
THE GREW.
The Hippocnnpus had crsw of about
twenty, most of them being colored men.
None of the employees on the boat were
females, although number of women are
supposed to have been on board. The fol- |
lowing is list of-th0 officers of the boat |
so far as known:
Caplain-H. W. Brown, ST.. Joseph.
First Mate-Robert Richardson ST. Joseph, |
Cerk-JOhn p Bloom, st. Joseph.
Steward-Wallace Hanson, Benton Harbor.
First Engineer-Eugene Eustice, Chicago. |
Second Engineer William Brown, Chicago.
Cook Morris, Chicago,
Wheelsman-Oharles Morrison st. Joseph.
Porter-Cyrus RittenhOuse, st. Joseph.
There were five deck hands, whose names
are not known,
PASSENGERS af.
The following is list of the passengers
so far as is known. 1t is stated that there
were in all thirty-6ve passengers on board:
E. NJ. Hatch, ST. Joseph; W. Burridge,
John Burridge Joseph Higbee, @. G. Sut-
ton, B. G. Lewis, Alvin v Palmer, James
Trmble, James NJ SortOve, M. NJ. Cook,
Joseph Riford, W. S. Watrous, VIM.
Vaughn, W. Hathaway, Benton Harbor;
John Shrum, Rainbridge, Mich; A. p
Whitney, - Cooley, Chicago; - Gif-
ford, Three Rivers gHf
William Watrous was member of the
firm of ST. John Watrous, fruit mer-
chants, corner of Clark and South Water
streets; resided in Benton Harbor. He
was single man, and was aged about
twenty-eight. .sqa
Alvin Burridge was aged about thirty
five, and was dry goods merchant in Ben
ton Harbor. He was married, but had no
children. He was member Of the firm of
A. Burridge & Co., fruit merchants, South
Water street .t-L
A Palmer, aged about twenty-five, was
grocery merchant in Benton Harbor. He
was single man. rEj i.11
]. Riford belonged in Benton Harbor.
He was in the commission business on s.
Water street, and was aged about So He
was married.
W. B. Higbee was q heavy fruit-grower,
residing about five miles from Benton Har-
Dor. He was married man and leaves q
considerable familyes
A. P. Whitney was commission mer-
chant at No. 121 s. Water st. He resided in |
Chicago, and leaves wife and three chill
dren, residing Of No. 226 North Clark
street
J. X. Burridge, cousin Of Mr.. A. Bur-
ridge, was resident of Courtland, ILL., He
was a married man, and owned peach
farm near Benton Harbor, from which place
he was on his return. He was about forty
years of age An account states that Mr..
Burridge was accompanied by his family.
The captain of the Hippocampus, Mr..
John Morrison, was taken i'll about week
since, and is now confined to his home at