Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-04-16

the 10th, third survivor of the disaster
made his appearance at Evanston. The
following is his statement as published In
the Chicago papers OF the 18th: got on
board the Sea Bird with my wife, at Man.
itowoc, on Wednesday morning, to go to
Chicago. l do not think, after we left Mil
waukee, that there were more than thirty
or forty people on board, besides the
crew. good many more got off at that
city, than got on, l remember. went into
my state-Toom with my wife, and we re-
tired for the night about ~ O'clock. got
up about 6 O'clock in the morning (Thufs-
day. and went out ondeck. Irnet thefirst
offic and had some conversation with him.
asked him how far it was to Chicago. He
said IL was 20 miles, and that we were then
just off Lake Forest. Soon after went into
my state-room, where my wife was just
rising to dress herself | had hardly
opened the door when | heard some one
cry "Fire" went below on the main
deck to find out what the mstter was, and
l saw the flames in the back part of the
boat already making up into the main
cabin and out through the portfolios
Just then the steamer headed toward shore,
and the IRE and smoke came bursting
through towards the forward part of the
boat. tried TO go up stairs to rescue my
wife, but the fire and smoke drove me
back. did not see or hear my wife, al
though everybody was crying aud running
from the fire. think my poor wife must
have persisted in the flames. The wind
drove the fire toward US a we drew for
ward, and / soon became convinced
that the boat must burn up. i was
rather afraid of an explosion, and jump
ed into the water. am good swimmer,
and | soon got hold of a floating plank.
kept this for while, and then piece
of one of the paddle-boxes came floating
past me, and L took that. The waves
drifted me toward shore pretty fast, but
the boat went in faster than did. l saw
| the fire gradually burning along the boat,
and saw the passengers jumping over,
one after another 1 should think about
twenty jumped over that l saw. They
swan around for time, most of them,
and then the waves would come over them
and could not see them any more. 9th
ers appeared to go down just like stones
l looked for them TO see them come UP
after they jumped in, but did not see
them. ! did not see any women in the
water, ard 1 do not think any women
jumped over. | think there were about
ten women, altogether, on the boat.
could see the people crowding further in
to the bow as the fire swept toward them
the wind now aud then blowing the smoke
and blaze right among them, which made
some jump over. / stuck TO the paddle
box, and was washed in shore. Twas in tht
water about twelve hours, and landed
about three miles north of this place (Ev
anston) somewhere about Z O'Clock las
j - Y - Oh hot
know it took me about five hours TO wall
down here (Evsnston), for | was almos
dead with the cold. think could not have
held out much longer, and l felt like Civ
ing up three or four times. Before
jumped into the water they tined to get tht
steamers boats down, but the fire drove
US away. The sea was not 50 very high
and the boats could easily have kept from
capsizng. OF those who were on board
knew George. w. Emery and Joseph Smith
of Manitowoc, and Mr.. A. G. Chamberlain
of Sheboygan Falls. i also knew some o
the offers and crew by sight.
The narrator of the above statemen
wept bitterly several times in the course o
his recital, as he thought of his own SUI
ferings and of his sad bereavement. Mr.
Leonard was more dead than alive wheI
he arrived at Evanston, but by dint o
kind care he was so far improved that yes
terday morning Q0tb) he was in com
paratiyely comfortable condition. ~