The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-11-25
A SAD DISASTER ON THE LAKE.
Burning of the Propeller BelIe-LosS
of Life-FOur of the Survivors Ar
rive i'm Chicago.

!
port that all hands had persisted. NJ
George Dusold, resident of this Village
was passenger on her, and the wheel:
man, MIR. Charles Menfus also reside
here-thus causing an intense excitement
Since then we have received full particu
lars, with the sad account of the loss G
MIR. Menfus, who leaves a wife and tw
children here to mourn his untimely fate
Mr.. Dusold was saved and taken to CHI
cago, fact which was gladly received b
his family and friends here who at on
time were pretty sure he had persisted
Below we give an account Of the disaste
as given by the survivors of the burne,
boat to the Chicago Tribune:
1.-The propeller Belle, owned in Mil
waukee, and engaged in trade between
that city and west shore ports, was burn
ed off Port Washington between 6 and
o'clock on Saturday evening. Their,
were fortunately but six persons On board
two of whom were drowned in their en-
deavor to escape from the burning wreck
in yawl boat. The survivors, who ar
| rived In thisport on the brig G. l. Hutch
lnson, relate story of terrible suffering.
When picked up by the brig they were
completely bcnumbed and exhausted.
len minutes more of the ordeal to which
they were subjected, and there would not
have been survivor left to tell the story
OF the catastrophe. The Captain, Patrick
Barnes, and the wheelsman, Charles
MENUS, became victims of the sea. The
survivors are Captain G. n. Myers, act
ing as first mate, of Milwaukee first en-
gineer, George Wall, of Milwaukee; sec
ond engineer, Rickler Tutkln, of Mil
wauke and George Dusold, a passenger
from Manitowoc. The Captain was also
a Milwaukeean, and the whcelsman lived
at Manitowoc, where he leaves wife and
two children.
According to the testimony of the
first mate, the propeller left Manitowoc
for Milwaukee on Saturday at noon, with
a cargo of wood, shingles, and lumber.
Between 6 and I O. clock, while the night
was dark and the weather bitter cold, the
sacond engineer discovered the vessel on
fire. and sprang into the cabin to inform
his shipmates of their danger All hast
ened to the scene and found the hold,
about the stove and smokes stack, all on
fire. 1t is believed that the fire caught
from the smoke-stack. 1t was apparent
to the men that no efforts in their power
would suffice to extinguish the flames,
and measures were instantly taken to
lower the boat. The engineer was Or
dered to stop the engine, but he could
not approach it again, owing to the fire,
which was now burning briskly all about
it. A stiff breeze was blowing, and the
propeller was going ct the rate of eight
knots an hour. After some trouble, a
boat was lowered, but at that moment
the wheelsman left his post. and the pro-
peller was thrown with her stern to the
wind, which drove the smoke and flames
in the direction of the boat in such vol
ume that the position had to be speedily
abandoned. The mate then entered the
pilot house and brought the propeller
about to face the wind, which enabled his
companions to get back to the boat. The
Captain broke in the door of the cabin
to procure some valuables and shortly af-
ter the first engineer called to the im-
provised pilot that all was ready He
had to pass through sheet OF fire to
reach the boat, and was considerably
singed. The steamer was going at such
a rapid rate that the efforts Of the men
to enter the yawl half filled it with water
As there was nothing with which to bail
it, the mate attempted TO step upon the
propeller to procure pail. This maneu-
yer capsized the boat, and threw the
men headlong into the water. The boat
rolled over and oyer four times before it
could be righted, As it came right side
up the second time, the Captain was
seen to be in the bottom, but he seemed
to be powerless, as if entangled among
ropes As it rolled over the third time,
the wheelsman scrambl ed upon the up
turned bottom, but in moment it rolled
over again, and he disappeared forever
from sight. The others chung to the boat
with tenacity as can only be exhibited
by drowning men. The boat rolled over
more than dozen times, but the men,
though chilled to the bone by the icy
water, chung to their only hope with the
desperation of despair. In the course OF
ten or fifteen minutes the boat was right
ed permanently, and both engineers got
into the boat. while the mate held fast al
the bow and the passenger at the stern.
Thus they foated along for a considera
BILE time. When despair was at its height
they espied the C. 1. Hutchinson. The
moaning and lashing of the sea almost
drowned their feeble voices, and they
were nearly run down before being OBJ
served. When the situation of the un
fortunate men became known on board, {
boat was quickly lowered. and they were
taken on deck. The body of the Captain
was found at the bottom of the boat, en-
tangled by ropes, which held him fas
to the frail craft, but did not suffice tt
save his life"
Mr.. MENUS was an old and respected
resident of our village, and his sad fate
has caused deep SORROW among his