The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-11-02
AN AWFUL LAKE DISASTER.
The Wreck Of the Steamer Coburn in
Lake Superior---Upwards of Sixty Lives
Lost
From the Detroit Post. |

From the Detroit Post.
The Coburn left Sault Ste. Marie, or
her way down from Duluth to Buffalo. or
the morning of Saturday, the 14th inst
Besides her officers, Gilbert Demont Of
Detroit being captain, she had on board a
crew of about thirty persons and about
forty passengers, seven of whom were
women, and three children Her cargo
consisted of about 15, 900 bushels of wheat
aft, 5000 barrels Of flour forward, taken
on at Duluth for Buffalo, and 80 barrels o
silver ore from Silver Islet Mine.
BY 10 O'Clock Saturday night it was
blowing fierce gale, and there was nc
staying on deck. The Coburn struggled
gallantly against the winds and waves un.
til about four o'clock Sunday morning
when she unshipped her rudder and was
henceforth entirely unmanageable. She
soon dritted into the trough of the sea
and though her engines were kept going,
she was unable to make any headway
against the wind or tor hold her course
across the waves. Soon her smokestacb
blew down and come crashing through
the roof of the cabin; whether any per
sons were seriously wounded by the acci-
dent is not known. Already the women
were paralyzed with fear, and remained
in their staterooms, praying in the agony
of despair. The wailings and lamenta-
tions that went up from the cabin on that
awful night will ring in the cars Of the
survivors to their dying day.
The barrels of silver ore on the main
deck rolled from side to side as the vessel
rolled in the trough, and, beng of great
/ frbt -nl ~, I,,J ,,t-
She was loaded down very deep, and the
water rushed in at the holes in her sides
and poured down the tiremen's gangway,
filling the hold. Her laundering is be
licved to be largely attributable to the
shifting Of this part Of her cargo.
About { o'clock on Sunday morning.
when about twenty or twenty-five miles
off Point aux Barques, it became evident
to Capt. Demont that the steamer must be
wrecked and the order was civen to stand
| by the boats. She carried five boats prob
ably of sufficient capacity to take off all
the people on board in u smooth sea but
in such a gale, which a staunch steamer
could not withstand, there was little hope
for 4 frail yawl-boat. At that time no
person on the Inflated steamer expected to
escape alive. However, their only hope
was in the small boats, and one was i'm
mediately launched. None of the women
or children could be got into it, rs they
would not leave the cabin, and several of
| them were in their state-rooms and SEEM
ed unable to get out 1t was almost i'm
| possible to stay out on the deck. so fierce
ly was the wind blowing at the time
Nevertheless the small boat was filled witt
passengers and was safely launched, anC
drifted away toward the Canada shore
and was soon out OF sight.
A second boat was launched and filleC
with passengers and crew. She wa;
picked up the same afternoon with al
her occupants-teni in number-bya u Cana
dian schooner.
A Capt. Conden, who had charge o
one of the life boats, says
''On launching her she got half full o
water, but we bailed her out. There
were nine men in the boat with mc-ivt
colored men and four white men, We
had all we could do to keep our boa
afloat, baillng all the time. Myself and
another man steercd the boat, and it wa
all we could do to keep her before til,
sea, rs the waves We're running mountain
high. We momentarly expected to be
sWampeI. We saw the boat that wa,
first launched drifting away 10 the east
ward, and watched her for some time,
There We're nine persons in her, mostly
passengers, and they We're provided witt
life-preservers. A third boat, with littecr
persons in it, was launched soon after we
got off. We only saw her q few minutes
A fourth boat was upon the davits, tilleC
with people, and WIS about being launch
| al vuhn fba 4 NalN
medately sank out of sight The small
boat filled with people was swampcd, anC
atterward saw them in the water When
the Coburn went down her upper cabin
was burst off, and we aftcrward saw hel
floating away, covered with people
Before the Coburn went down | saw Capt
Demont standing on the starboard arch
when a large wave struck him and threw
him into the lake. When he rose ht
caught Il barrel that was floating ncal
him; but he soon sank again and diSap
peared. All the women We're in the cabin
or staterooms, and went down with tn,
boat. We drittcd before the wind unit
about , o'clock Sunday afternoon, whcl
we were picked up by the Canadian bark
Robert Gastin.'
The names of the survivors rescued by
the Gastin, so fur as could be ascertained
are as follows: Capt. John Condor
Thomas Derrin, of Buffalo, deck hand
John Bridgman, passenger, of st. Mary's
Ont Spencer Churchwell. Henry Nun
ford, and Jno. YOUNG. The three las
mentioned are colored men. Young was
thrown a distance of about fifteen fee
when the deck burst up, and was pickeC
up by the boat,
1t is not positively known who was lost
as it is possible many may have beel
picked up from the other boats and TIL,
wreck of the cabin by passing vessels
Engineer Robinson kept his engine going
and stood by it till the vessel went down
so that it was certain that he was lost
The second mate, whose name was I'm
known, is also supposed to have perished
The clerk, Mr.. Major, IS considered lost
In one of the boats which got off there
were known to be William Walker o
Cleveland, two gentlemen named Rhode
of the Garrison House, Detroit, Free
Mumford, colored, James Turner of Can
ada, colored, deck hand, Charles Miller
colored, deck hand and two watchmen.
Other persons known to have been OF
the Coburn, but whose fate is uncertain
were Indian Agent Smith and his wife oil
Detroit; Capt. Atwood Of Fort Gratiot
and another military officer who had beel
attending Il court-martial at the Sault
Geo. S. Weseott and wife. who We're las
seen in the cabin; a brother of Capt. DE
mont, and Robert Hutchings of Detroit.
Bedford County, Tennessee, was recent
ly the scene Of a summary punishment
inflicted by the indignant citizens upo
two negroes, who had been discovere
while attempting a villainous outrage VI
on two white women. After their arrest
and while being taken away for trial. tn
constables and prisoners were suddenl
surrounded by q party of mounted men
twenty-five or thirty in number, who wor
no disguises, but were unknown to til
officers and other persons present. Th
strangers demanded that the prisoners b
surrendered to them, which was refuse
until lit became evident that further OF
position was useless, the strangers al
nouncing that they were determined
have them, no matter what the cost {
} consequence. At last, obtaining posses: