, 1872-10-15
Loss of a Steamer on Lake
Michigan.
Thrilling Story Of the Sinking Of
the Steamer Lac La
Belle.
Escape and PeriIs of Suryivors--.Six
Lives lost---Story Of an
Officer.

4UeE7Ak IedpHLEH ~ 4fAE tH&CA30 4T1UHHEs
! RACINE, Wis, Oct. IA, 1874 painful e1.
citement was caused this evening by the arrival
Of life boats bringing survivors from the
steamer Lac Ia Belle, OF the Engleman Line,
! Captain II. ". Thompson, Clerk Sandereon,
which sunk off this port last night. She Loft
Milwaukee on Sunday night with a cargo Of pro-
| visions. The story Of her loss is told by two
officers Of the unfortunate steamer, who we're
in the ife-boats.
Two of the five boats have arrived hare, q boat
commanded by the clerk, sanderson, and one
commanded by the second engineer. The former
boat had seven persons in a1l On board. The en-
gine9r'a boat had ten of the crew. including first
and second cooks and night-watchman, one pas
senger, and boy, twelve persons in a1l.
The Captains boat, which is reported ar
rived in Milwaukee, had four persons aboard.
She was q very small boat. One Of
the other two boats, with ten people, Was seen
by the engineer's boat making north toward Mil
waukee. Mr. Sanderson thinks they we're
picked up by schooner, if not, they will land
somewhere between Racine and Milwaukee.
OF the fifth boat which, according to the state
ments Of Sanderson, must have contained thir-
teen persons, there is as yet no tidings, though
we'll as the rest in wonderfully fortunate es-
cape. The following is the
STATEMENT OF TIE CLERK.
": sanderson, Clerk OF the Lac Ia Belle, says ::
Hd 1oAt Aun6uho6 u1u6 U Cl0CA u1EQt
having on board nineteen full passengers and
two children, with crew Of thirty-two men, all
told. About midnight, when about twenty-five
miles OIL Kaclne, sea running heavily; We ship
ped eran heavy sea s4aa anidships, which put
WAS blowing hard from the north and when the
vessel lost headway the wind swung her around
and heavy sea strained open seams through
which the water rushed with such force that in
spite Of all efforts Of the crew, it gained rapidly
har mn aE57 liant
the steamer would go down.
There were five boats IN all, two life-boats, the
yawl and two small boats. We got all the peo-
er Or six men Who refused to ieave tie vessel, and
who, think, we're drowned when she vent
down.
I had in my boat 2 persons, Peter Wetter,
II. Warner and wife, Robert Fogg, Louis
landed miles south of Racine at O'clock this
evening, having been II hours On water. Dur
ing the forenoon propeller, with two smoke
stacks, passed quite near us, but made no re-
sponse to our signals, although am confident
she saw us.
TEE ENo1NEERs STATEMENT.
They left Milwaukee at . o'clock, last
night. About midnight the steamer sprung
aleak and made water rapidly. There we're
ing seven ladies' and three children. fhe crew
worked hard all night trying to prevent the
vessel from sinking, and threw considerable Of
the cargo overheard, but all to no purpose.
Finding the steamer settling fast, thsy prepared
we're five. Into one OF these, fve Of the ladies
were put, with good crew to manage it. The
men we're, however, tired out, having worked all
night with nothing to eat, and suffering from
cold. When the last boat left the steamer, I
saw five mon left On her. When she vent down,
Baw four of them in the water, une c1inging to 4
piece Of timber. Think they must have been
lost, as We could give them no assistance with
out imminent danger Of swamping our boat.
Kenoeha.