The New York herald., 1871-10-23
SI1<KING OF A LAKE PROPELLER.
Details of the Disaster 10 the Steamer Co
4

~ NkR burn-sftny Lives Lost.
We nave already prefiy announced In Our marine
columns that the steamer Coburn was lost OH Sagl-
nav Bay III the Wild night OF the 14h inst. 1he De-
troit Tribune furnishes the following narrowing
The Coburn left Saut Ste Marie on her way down
rom ron Duluth TO Buffalo on the morning OF saturday,
the i4tn inst. Her officers were:-
SOnmdnder-GilberI DemOnL Of Detroit
FIRST Nate William simmons, OF Detroit.
rrst Sa, Eng,nie1-A = Robinson, OF Marine CITY
Clerk-D. Major. OF Fr0m1eld, Ont.
SSte,c.ard.George Westcott, Of Marine Guy;
Besides the above onicers she had on board crew
OF about thirty persons and, as nearly as can be
ascertaned, about iorty passengers, seven OF whom
sisted OF about nfteen Thousand bushels wheat aft,
$500 barrels OF nour forward taken on az Duluth
for Bnlalo, and thirty barrels Of ore from silver
lset Mine taken on at the Sault Tor The Wyandotte
Silver Smelling Works. She proceeded on her
voyage not lar IN rear OF the propeller Empire until
latter put into harhor and repeatedly heard the
whistle OF the Ooburn ~ she passed outside, evl.
aud the wind was blowing fresh from % The west The
Empire therefore lav In the harb0r over night but
whether the Coburn sought to get into lhe harbor
known. At all events she proceeded on her
Journey. the wind meantime increasing in
blowing fierce gale. There was no staying
on deck. and those on board began 10 feel
this city Saturday night was terrific one. as
any person can testify VINO was abroad in 1t. So
ierceiy dld y shake dwellings that many sleepers
were aroused from their beds and prepared theul-
selves for fight But strong 1t was here. 1t swept
with vastly greater force over Lake Huron. par
dreaded by navigators as one or the toughest pas
sages on the chain OF lakes, The CoDurn struggled
four O'Clock Sunday morning, when she unshpped
her rudder, and Was hencclOrth entlrely unmaaaxe-
able she soon drited IN lhe trough oi the sea, and
Though her engines We're kep: gOing sne was unable
to make any headway against the wind or TO hold
her course across Che waves. soon her snoEestack
blew down anl came crashing through the roof VI
the CABIN. whether any persons were seriously
Eounded BY this accident Is not known. Already
NAMED IL nsir gooa ssasesooms "' praying anu the he
agony or despair. Tue wuings and lamenta-
tiens tnat went up from the cabin on that awful
night VIII ring In the ears OF the Survivors 70 reir
dJins aag rac bargss W silver on Jae aaIg .ieek
trough aia being u great weight knocked holes in
ald tue water rushed In VI the hOes IN ner sides ana
poured down the nremens gangway, nlling tne
tb0rabe to he shifting OF TINS part Of ner c5rgo.
About seven O'Clock on SUNDAY morning, when
about twenty to twenty-nve miles on Point aux
Barqucs, IL beca ne evident to Captain Denl0nt that
the steamer must De wrecked, and the order was
given ~ stand by the boats. She carried five boats,
probably Of sufficient capacity to take or all the
people on board In smootn sea; but III such y gale,
which u stalnch steamer could not Withstand There
person The Inflated steamer expected to escape
alive However, their Only hope was IN the small
boat, ana one was lmlnediate launched. None OF
the women OF children cOad be got Into 1t, as they
would not leave the cabin, and several OF them wele
in their stater0ons aud seemed unable to get out.
II was almost impossible To stay out Oh the deck,
SO tercey WAS the WIND blowing Ut the time.
Nevertheless the small boat was nlel with passen-
gers ana was safely launched and drfted away
uwar,! the Canada shore aud was soon out OF sight
A second boat was then launched and nlled win
passengers and GREY. This boat was under the
charge OF Captain John COniun. who Was to 60 on
the CoburL AS second mate ON her next trip. lie Is
an experienced navigator and largely through his
skill ana discipline thus boat was enabled to keep
aiOat. She was picked up the same afternoon, with
all her occupants-ten In numDer-ny Canadian
schooner, which transferred them to the keweenaw,
by whom they were landed here Last evening. We
are indebted to Captain COndOn 1or the blowing
particniars:.I got into one OF the lleboais, the
second that was launched, rs soon as she could
be got ont alter the Orucr was given. On
Launching her she got half mll Of wafer, but
the boat wlin lne-nve cOored lncn and four
white men. When We got our boat baiied out We
sd 20 e n 10 70 e We S o
way. Wc had all we could do to Keep our boat
anoal Daillns ~ az 1pe s.qe Myself AMI 9nY!nsr
Mlau steelel the boat and II was all We could DO 10
Keep her before the sea- as the waves were running
mountain high. We mo,nentariiy expected TO be
swanped. We saw the boat that was nrst iannched
drifting away to the eastward, and watched her for
time. There were nine persons IN her. mostly
passengers ana they were provided with lifc pre-
servers. lido nul know what became OF her after
wards, she soon passed out Of sight. A third
boat, with nlteen persons in It was launched soon
after we got on. We Only Saw her lew minutes,
and what became Of her do not know. A fourth
boat was the davlis filled With people, and was
being launched when the Coburn gave heavy lurch
immediately sank out OF sight. Tic small boat
niled with people was swamred, and we asterward
saw them in The water. When the Coburn went
down ner npI er abin was burst or and we after-
wards saw II nOaiing away, covered with people.
VIVA, oeeame o. or ao not n, s9W ors as soon
saw Captain Demunt standing on the starooard
arcn, when large wave struck MIN Ia anu threw MN
was 1oatIng near him. but he soon Sank again anu
disappeared. All the women were IN the cabin OF
staterooms and went down with the boat. We
dl1ltcd before the wind until about three O'Clock
sunday afternoon when we were picked up by the
lone. We were then sbreast Pine Brook, Canada,
anu wltnin . short dlstanc Of tue shore. We were
taken on board IN a fainished condition and Chilled
through, being wet from the breakers con-
unuaiy rushing over our boat We were
provided with dry clothing. and a warm meal
was set for us. We were treated with
great kindness by the ofllcers and crew OF the
Gastin, who Will ever be held in grateful rcmem-
DetOnr she met the Keweenaw, to which we were
transferred, and by which We were brought to this
@ ,n.Sn on S. soo 70 escape WIN our lives
Survivors rescued py the GaSln, so far as could De
ascertaned, are as IOllOws:-Captain John Condor,
man passenger, 0t ST. Mary's, Ont. rhis man had
his little finger cut on while throwing nour over
board; Spencer ChuTchweil, Henry Mumford and
Jonn Young. The three last mentioned are colored
men. Young Was thrown distance OF aDOGt
fifteen feel when lhe deck burst up aud was picked
up by the boat. IL Is mol positively known VINO WAS
lost, as 1t is possible many may nave been picked
mp rom the other boats and from the wreck OF the
CABIN Dy passing vessels. From the circum stances
narrated ABOVE cernng the captain, IL Is almost
certain that he was droWiel. Engineer Robinson
Kept his engine going ami stood by II unui the
vessel went down, so that 1t IS almost crlain that
he was lost The second mate, whose name Is un-
known, Is also supposed 10 have perished The clerk,
Mr.. MAJOR, Is considered lost. In one Of the boats
when got OF there were known 10 be William
Walker, OF cleveland; Two gentlemen named
Rnodes Of the Garrison House, Detroit; Fred. Mum
fora lcolored) James turner, OF Canada tcolored),
deck-hand, and two watchmen. other persons
known 10 nave been on tile toDurn, but whose rate
Is uncertain were lniian Agent smith and his wife,
VI thl~ city; Captain Atwood, OF Fort Gratiot, and
another military officer VINO had been attending a
court martial ~ The Saut; George s. Wesicott and
wife who were last seen in the cabin; brother Of
captain Demont and Robert Hutcnings OF TINS city.
The Coburn was owned many by captain EDer
Ward, OF TINS city. Charles II. Westcott her
builder; Jonn M. Nicol. OF St. Ciair, and
Thomas Arnold had also an Interest IN
her. She was first class passenger ana
freight propeller, sou tons burden. Her null
was buiit AT Marine City in the most
thorough aud substantial manner. she was nfted
up W lin paatial elegance Tor passenger puslncss
and was popular VITA travellers. she came oui
entirely new IN July. 1870, and has since run regu
larly on The Lake Superior route between Duluth
and Buhao. she was vaiued Al $4,000 and was IN