The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-16

cause OF the Trio 1.-THE vessel whose light we first saw
not hearing US WAS on account OF the wind. IL was
attempting to get into ST. Joseph, and had got
within ten miles OF that place at the time In
question. And then after those on board had
gone to sheep she went round and went ON
her course again. As there was stir
way as not. forgot to say that saw two or three
men on the wheehouse, which kept turning round
and round-one Of the men being A. Burrldge, who
Co., wholesale dealers In fruit and general com
mission merchants. No. lis South Water street, Chi
cago.
STATEMENT OF NJ ROBINSON
M. Robinson, coored man, employed on the
rippoeampus, said among other things, that Mr.. A.
nuItiuge mentioned in Mr. Ryford's statement, was
~ the water at the time he himself was on piece OF
s. 1a, wreck He also saw him just before tho boat
went down, having just come out OF the captains
capn Win his coat OF. He also heard him after
wards shout, "For Gods help or am lost.n
In speaking OF the vessel going down Mr. Robinson
sdu, Sue went down stern foremost and made q
tremendous suctionn
The remainder of Mr.. Robinson's statement is es-
sentially similar to those made by Captain Brown
and MIR. Ryford, as given above.
STATEMENT OF CHARLES RUSSELL.
me lOlOWlng Is the statement OF Charles Russell,
Of Benton Harbor:-
l am one of the wheesmen OF the Hippocampus
On the night Of the disaster the sea rolled heavily
from the southwark yet the steamer rode well till
about quarter 10 three Tuesday morning, when we
were about thirty miles out. Wind then increased:
the captain ordered her 10 be hauled up half point
TO the wind ward, to bring her head more TO sea- !
was at the wheel. The wind continued 10 increase
until 1t blew almost q gale. Captain Brown and
wheelsman Morrison went below and reported no
water in the hold She was then rolling heavily.
Captain Brown ordered the cargo shifted to trim the
vessel, but before the order could be executed puff
of wind struck her, which caused her to careen TO
port. This shifted the cargo. At the same time
was ordered to put the helm hard aport and the cap
tain ordered the cargo thrown overheard Part OF
the cargo was got overheard. The vessel immedi-
ately went on her beam end and commenced going
down by the stern.
now left the Wheel climbing out Of the starboard
window of the wheelhouse and getting hold OF life
boat. The order had just been given TO clear away
the feboats l. with the help OF another, succeeded
in clearing one boat from the hurricane deck, and
when clear she lurched and Immediately filed with
water. jumped into the lake and treo to right the
lileboat. The after part Of the Hippocampus was
now under water. could not right the liieboat on
account OF persons cnging to her keel. Swan to
water cask. At this time there were number OF
persons in the water to leeward Of steamer. Find
ing the water cask would not sustain me- and see
ing an object some distance from me swan for IL.
Found 1t to be the hurricane deck with Mr. Cooley,
OF Chicago, on 1t. BY this time the steamer was out
OF sight. Soon after several persons got on the
deck. The cabin broke loose from the steamer az
soon az 1t struck the water From the time the boat
went on her beam ends to the time she went down
but two or three minutes elapsed. Eight OF us stad
on the hurricane deck till daylight, at which time
Captain Brown and two others came up near M on
portion Of the cabin. Remained near each other till
near noon, when we got the part OF the cabin and
Captain Brown, wheeIsman Morrison and George
Fuller on the raft Shortly after this Bloom the
clerk and a col0red deck hand came in sigh Of us
on another portion Of the cabin.
The sea now ran heavy, the wind blowing fresh.
We were soon out of sight OF them and did not see
them again TIL evening. when they came up to us
| manned board this raft till about four O'Clock
Wednesday morning, when we were picked by The
scow Trio Captain Johnson, OF Chicago. ] do not
think the steamer overloaded and know tina. the
entire crew did all they could to the steamer
had no idea OF her gong over until she was on her
brOadside. Captain Brown seemed very deliberate
and gave the order to clear away the boats soon
as possible. We had nothing to eat for thirty eight
hours.
STATEMENT or THOMAS y. JOHNSON (coLoREp), ONE
OF THE CREW.
Live at Chicago. Have been employed on the
ltt.nnn ataf.n tNF. fhQ dnRE hnn nd hnF
were seven colored men on board-hve deck hands
and two firemen and seven white deck hands.
Helped to load the HippocampuS ON Monday night
last with peaches-seven thousand five hundred
baskets. In the hold were ten cords OF wood for
| fuel. The balance OF the space was filled with
peaches. Between decks WAS also loaded with
peaches-all that could be slowed away. On the
promenade deck there were about four hundred
boxes aud on the hurricane deck were about one
hundred boxes. l slowed the feboat With about
| one hundred and fifty boxes. There was nothing in
| the small boat. Was ordered by the mate fiji the
| lfeboat. Got through taking on cargo about half
| past pine 7. M. About half an hour afterwards
made loose and steamed down the canal in tow of a
| tug the only one IN the place. On coming out
| of the canal she touched ground several times.
| The tug left before We got over the bar, ON which
| Coming down the creek abe was much onesided.
and before leaving the dock she dipped water in the
| aground. Several OF the hands, Including the mate
made some remarks about her being 100 heavily
loaded. me mate said she had all she could carry
Mr. Burrdge the shipping agent, told them TO load
her up with all she could carry. The mate said il
she couldn't carry them she could drag them.
The sea was quite calm on getting out beyond the
bar. There was no swell. She Oschlated from side
TO side NJ Intervals but did not pitch any. DO not
nk that the ca rRO shifted to any extent had been
out about half hour when the breeze sprang: IL
did not amount 10 much al first, but gradually in
| creased; did not make use of the sail; was
running from nine TO ten knots per hour:
felt alarmed at the manner in which the
vessel was ladep and spoke to Charles Morrison
the wheelman, about IL: he SAID his father would
| not have taken on so much cargo; I Told him
II gale sprang up We would be lost before getting
10 Cicago. nc said Ine boat was overloaded, but
he could not remedy the matter. The gale steadily
increased until she went down. There was some
thing peculiar about the action OF the Vessel. bid
not see the captain from the time len Benton
HarbOr until minute or two before she went down.
she went down at three O'Clock on Tuesday morn
ing. Just before she sank the captain and Charley
Morrison examined the timber chains and said there
was no water In the hold. When the captain came
up The vessel mad careened over very mnch. The
captain said:-'Charey, get your men and wen
right her up" Most OF the fruit on the promenade
deck was on the port side, which made her lean.
tied down on her beam ends. The after gangwayr
filled with water, winch ran into the engine rooms
The steam rushed out Ia volumes while she was
going down.
In the meantime the passengers got up anu rushed
wildly out OF their berths had taken on my over
coat and boots ten minutes before and was waiting
TO See what would turn up. Was sitting on the
pilot house steps. When She went down Charley
and went overheard. on getting TO the surface OF
the water tried 10 get the lIfeboat but failed To
do 70. When she sank the water ana air lifted the
cabin from TIE hull and II aoaied 4 on. Many OF
hold OF 1t myself, but WAS pulled of by somebody
The screaming was terrible. After was pulled OF
the mast kicked myself loose from the man VINO
had hold Of Inc and swan To the hurricane deck
which was about twenty yards away. There was no
one on the raft when ! got on. In q few minutes
afterwards crowd or men swan toward
me, and ten OF them got ON. When go many
got on ! was AFRAID n would 70 down. I
Jumped into the water and swan To a piece OF
the cabin which was floating near. The clerk
swain TO II few minutes later. ! helped him on IT,
lie was quite exhausted. Both RATS noateJ OF to-
la aib ran
driited faster than ours, and We became separated
AT this time schooner passed-the one that we had
passed before the propeller went down. We yelled.
nut received no answer. The vessel went ON her
course right through the wreck. We kept I'm sight
OF each other on tne RATS until daybreak when a
fog arose and we were shut out OF the sight OF the
otner raft. We noated In sight OF each other all
day. About three O'Clock In the afternoon hoised
a signal to the Dunbar. We had a sheet aud table
clotn which we holsted on pole. The Dunbar did
mol see us The clerk and myself later IN the after
noon rugged the sheet "a TO catch the wind ana