The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-11
RaCAGO.
Particulars 0fihe Loss or he Steam
er sea biFd-' tatfmeht ~ One Of
he SufYiYOFs-A Ter le Catas-
trOphc.

~ NPmtH
CHICAGO, April 1O.-Ja-. ST. Leon
ard, the third survivor rom the
steamer Sea Bird, makes a atement.
Of which the following is the sub
stance:
At about z o'clock yesterday morn
ing l went on deck and conversed
with the first mate Of the steamer in
regard to the distance to Chicago. and
learned that it was about twenty
miles l then went to my wife's state
room, and soon afterwards heard the
alarm OF fire; went out 10 ascertain
the cause, an found the boat on fire.
and the flames bursting out near the
stern and close To- the state-rOOm that
be had just left He i'm Immediately
rushed in to rescue his wife, but was
prevented by the flames, which cut off
communications with the state-room;
dill not see or hear Of his wife after
he left the state-room when the
alarm was given.
Mr.. Leonard agrees with the state
ment Of Mr.. Chamberlain in the gen
eral description of the catastrophe.
but thinks there were not more than
thirty passengers on board. A large
number got off at Milwaukee-much
larger, he thinks, than the number
that embarked at that port Finding
1t too hot to stay on board, and real
izing the fact that her obstruction
was inevitable, he sprang into the
water, aud being a vigorous swim
mer, soon got hold Of a board, and
soon after climbed upon a piece of
paddle box floating near. He clunQ
to this, and drifted with the waves to 4
the southwest, landing three miles /
north Of Evanston, between z and s |
o clock last night, after being upon q /
fragment Of the wreck twelve hours
drenched to the skin, his clothing I
frozen, and himself more dead than 4
alive, after his perilous ride OF not far 4
from fifteen miles.
Mr.. Leonard saw about twenty pas /
sengers jump into the water, some Of /
whom swan around for some time.
aud others seemed TO sink almost i'm. /
lie saw no women Jump /
overheard, and did not see any women 1
N the water. He believes that there
we're about ten women on board. all /
of whom must have persisted in the
1ames.
An attempt was made to launch /
.he steamers boats. but the rapiditv
With which the flames spread render
I'd IL impossible to accomplish that
object. The sea was not very high.
md the boats could have been easily
yeathered it If they could have been
aunched. From the best evidence
which Captain Goodrich. owner of
he Sea Bird, has been able to obtain.
10 effort was made to stop the engines
until circumstances prevented It's
urther notion the result was. that
he helm having been put apart from
he boat, II began to describe circles
# nearly a mile in diameter. The
Delief Of those who ought to know is.
hat had the progress of the steamer
'een stopped at the first alarm. the
,oats might have been gotten out and
II saved. -
The steamboat Inspector of this
district has decided 20 issue an order
0 engineers of ali steamers on the
AXE and their assistants, to stop their
ngincs on the instant Of FIRE alarm,
TithOut awaiting orders from their
1perior officers, and not to start
gain without an order, delivered per-
Onaily, by the chief officer.
CHICAGO, April 10.-J ames III Leon I
I'd, of Manitowoc, was a passenger
o the Sea Bird He saved Himself
= clinging to the wheel house, and
anne ashore near Evanston, Illinois,
DoutZ o clock this morning