The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-11
FIRST Edit o N
DISASTER.
Another FrightfuI Calamity ON Lake
Michigan.


Eight years ago yesterday, on the 9th of Sep.
tember, 1860, the steamer Lady Elgin, loaded
with q merry excursion party OF some 400, went
down off the shore of Evanston, in stormy
night, and over two hundred of her passengers
perished. Five months ago to-day, on the 9th
of April, 1868, the Sea Blrd, early on a rough
spring morning. caught fire, burned, and sank
with some seventy-hve untort1nates. Between
the time of those two terrible disasters, and
since then at intervals, sail boats have been
capsized and sunk near this port, carrying down
one or more of their crew, but no disaster has
occurred in our waters in any degree so appa
ling or general as that which met these two
noble steamers. But we are called upon to-day
to record q terrible calamity, somewhat similar
to these. although of much less magnltude-the
sinking by night of heavily loaded steamer.
in mid-lake, with all on board involving the
sudden loss, it is feared, of over hity souls.
The propeller Hlppocampus, small steamer
plying between this port and the opposite side
of the lake, left Benton Harbor, mile or two
inland from st. Joseph, Michigan, about halt-past
10 o'clock on Monday night, having on board,
as it is believed, some thirty-dve passengers
and a crew of sixteen, and being heavily loaded
down with peaches Tor this market, besides
other frelght-there being 5000 baskets and
boxes of the fruit on board, slowed away IN the
hold, crowded upon the main deck ana pied
high upon the hurricane deck The day had
been q pleasant one, and many residents OF
st. Joseph and Benton Harbor, as well as some
citizens of Chicago, had taken passage ex-
pecting a sound nights rest and safe arrival
Steamng down the river from Benton Harber
the boat made for the lake, but ran aground on
bar at the mouth of the harbor, and was de-
tanned half an hour or more. She finally got Off
about eleven o'clock and put out into the dark
ness, the night having by this time become very
stormy. This is the last that has been heard of
her, although she should have been at this port
early yesterday morning, and numerous boats
have crossed and recrossed the narrow channel
of sixty-6ve miles between the two shores OF
the lake.
+ho
which left ST. Joseph on Monday night, ald
reached here last Tuesday morning, reported
the Hppocampus aground on the bar, but sub
sequent dispatches reported that she lett as
stated. About midnight, a sudden and violent
squall struck the Comet, but her size and
staunchpess prevented any injury, though her
freight shifted so that she ran all night with
only one wheel in the water. The little propel-
Ter, however, naturally inclined TO careen, and
top-heavy as she must have been with 1000
baskets OF peaches piled upon her hurricane
than ever before, doubtless capsized in an
instant, and weighed down with the fruit,
which will sink like bullet, planged heavily
to the bottom of the lake with her sleeping
passengers.
As yesterday forenoon wore away and the
boat did not arrive at her dock the agent began
to fear disaster and to make inquiries about
her. The steamer Dunbar arrived from st.
Joseph, and bringing no news of the missing
boat, was sent out 10 search. three tugs also
beiIg 6 chartered for the purpose. Up TO noon
to-day. however, no tidipgs have been received
from the regular and special boats traversing
the lake, and there is no reason to doubt that
the boat and all on board have gone down in
the deep wafer.
The names of The persons on board are not
vet aC curately known, but the captain of the
Dunbar reports that there were thlrty-hve, and
it is probable that several were citizens of
Chicago.
The Terrible Storm i'm South Jersey
Loss $65O,OOO.
o. ha rti iopo IF
jersey was visited by terrible storm, creating
treshet which damaged property to the extent
of at least $650,000. The owners of mill pro-
perty are the heaviest losers. their loss being
variously estimated at from $3.50, 600 to $500, 900.
About o'clock on the evening Of the 81 the
rain began to iall in torrents. and continued to
pour. with scarcely an lntermisson, during the
whole of the night. Three countles-Camden,
Salem, and Gloucester-Were thus visited, in all
of which great damage has been done. So sud-
den and so uninterrupted was the tall of rain that
mill owners were unable to open the fiood-gates
OF their mills in order 10 save their property
from destruction. The loss in Camden county
is estimated at fully 100000. without taking
into consideration the expenses necessary to
put mills in working order, and the loss
Sustained by the cessation of work. In Salem
county the loss cannot be less than $l80,000,
while il Gloucester county the damage Is
estimated at $l00, 600 an aggregate OF $4,000,
to which should be added the expenses OF
necessary repairs, and the loss cannot there
fore be less than $65O,OC0. The Wllliamstown
and BlackwoodtOwn turnpike, in Camden
county, was swept away for distance of about
250 yards, involving damage TO the extent of
$500. Communication was entirely cut Off in
some sections OF this county, and the roads tn at
were barely passable after the storm continued
in a wretched condition, everywhere bearing
marks of the visitation Only two mill
dams are LETT standing in the county.
Among the number damaged are those OF
Joel Kirk bride. at White Horse; Tomllnsons, at
Clemento wn: Stevenson's L. Cheeseman, Benja-
min Prosser Jesse Turner, and John Prosser ut
Good Intent and Sheldon and Pickett, at Bethel.
In Salem county much heavier destruction OF
property is reported Among the mill-dams
destroyed in this county are Watson's, B. W..
Miller's, Elwells, and Diaments at Alloway.
town, and BallingeI's, at Daretown. Only three
miles were left standing on Alloway's creek.
Fences, sheds, outhouses, etc., were removed
bodily, and roads were greatly damaged. The
bridges in the county were mostly all swept
away by the rushing water. In Gloucester
county affairs are almost as bad. Not mill dam
was left undisturbed on Mantua creek. The Gull
vert at Mullca Hill, which has withstood the
storms of seventy years, was Swept away, as
and on the Mullica Hill tarOplke. ALI the cul-
Verts on the Westville and Glassooro' turnpike
were washed away, and the railroad embank'
ment over the meadows at SWeedsooro' was
similarly treated The mill-dams destroyed in
this county were those OF Messrs. Clark, Driver
Jessup, Wines, ana Diament. william Moore
while watching the destruction OF mill-dams al
Good Intent, was swept away and drowned
Last year freshet occurred IN this section o
the State, and many of the dams then swept
away and since replaced were destroy ed on this
occasion. The loss then was much less than
that caused by the storm Of last week. The
work OF repair is already in active progress, anC
in a short Time the mills will be replaced.
----4a~-
The Lincoln National Monument.