Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-11-03
LOST ON TEE LAKE.
Shipwreck of the Schooner Levant-Six
Men Drowned-Narrative OF the Only Sur


Men nDrowned-Narrative of the Only Sur
vivor. i
Peter j. Thornum, a sailor, and the
only survivor of the crew of the schoon-
er Levant, which was wrecked on Lake
Michigan, on Saturday night last, ar
rived in Chicago on yesterday, and
gives the following account of the ter
mble disaster:
The Levant left Chicago on the after
noon of Saturday, October 7. and pro-
ceeded to Manistee, where she took on
board cargo of shingles at Briggs
mill. The schooner was owned by Mr..
Owens, Of Chicago, and was considered
sufficiently seaworthy for the lumber
trade. The Captain was Patrick Lyons,
of Toronto, and the mate Robert Brown,
of Chicago. Beside these and the stew
ard, German named Kloss, living in
Chicago, there were four sailors-Bill
Shills, Peter Brant, man whom we
called Charlie, and myself-in al, seven
persons on board. All day Saturday
the wind had been very stiff from the
south-south-west, but after dark it in
creased to furious gale. At about
9 o'clock at night, when we were about
midway between Sheboygan and Port
Washington, squall struck the schoon-
er, which was water-logged and cap
sized in an instant. The men, who
were all on deck working ship, ran for,
the side, and all hands climbed up and
Iashed themselves to the rigging. The
sea was running very high, and the
water was ice-cold. For two hours we
kept in the rigging, and at ii o'clock
we sighted vessel to the leeward, not
more than $50 feet away. All hands
set up a loud cry of distress, but it did
not. seem to be heard, as the vessel
passed on without noticing US. About
II o'clock the mate, Brown, became de-
-lirious, and letting 60 his hold, dropped
down into the water, and was drowned,
although he was still fastened to the
rigging. About an hour later Captain
Lyons and Bill Shills both lost their
senses, and were washed overheard and
drowned, their bodies hanging to the
wreck. At about 4 o'clock in the morn
ing, Kloss, the steward, lost his his
senses, and was drowned, leaving only
three of us alive. Twice during the
night propellers passed within hailing
distance of us, but the noise of the gale
was so loud that they couldn't hear our
cries for help, and they passed on and
left us.
A little after daylight the schooner
D. P. Dobbins hove in sight. This time
our cry of distress was heard, and they
made preparations to lower the boat
By this time Charlie and Brant, though
still alive, had both lost their senses. 1t
appeared that the Dobbin's boat had
been stove in, and she stood past us
about a mile in order to fix it up, and
then put about and come back to us.
When abreast of thewreck her boat was
lowered in charge of the mate, John
Bolin, and they pulled over to us.
1t was found that Garlic and Brant were
unable to help themselves, and so Bolin
threw line to me, and tried to tie it
around Charlie, but he got entangled in
the rigging and was drowned before our
faces and in spite of all we could do
| then managed to get their line united
from Charles body, got it around my
self, cut loose from the rigging, and was
hauled into the boat nearly dead with
cold and fatigue.
AlG0r S0VeIdl OhOl 10 w SOo viz
line to Brant, who was out of his head,
and hung there and stared at us with
set and CLASSY eyes, Bolin finally made a
lasso, and threw it over his head, and
hauled him into the boat. It;was no
use. Poor Brant was so far gone that
he died in the boat in ten or fifteen min
utes and before we got back to the Dob
bin. I want to say something about the
skill and experience displayed by John
Bolin in his efforts to save the survivors.
He is a brave sailor and a noble-hearted
man. also want to mention the kind
treatment and care which received
from the Captain of the Dobbin after |
was taken on board. Brant's body was
taken into Milwaukee and left with the
authorities. Shills and Charlie were
both married men, and lived in Chi
cago.