Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-15
Propeller Sunk in Lake Michigan.
The Passengers Thought TO be Safe.

MILWAUKEE,, Oct. IA private despatch
from Racine says boat with eleven men had
just arrived there from the propeller Lac La
Belle, which loundered about twenty miles off
that place, this morning. The passengers by
the boat think all the boats are safe, and but
few, if any, lives lost. The Lac La Belle be-
longed 10 the Engelmann transatlantic COM
pany.
Later,--Another private despatch from Ra-
cine says another boat from the Lac La Belle
has arrived, including the captain, H. W.
Thompson, and the puTseT, VIM. SandersOn,
Four or five boat loads and one raft left The
wreck Two of the boats started to the south
ward, one 10 the northward, and the course OF
the others is unknown. One of the boats was
filled principally with ladies. The vessel sprung
aleak at midnight and went down at two p. NJ.
She was heavily laden with -four, grain and
pork,
MILWAUKEE, Ocl 14-A dispatch from
Racine dated ten o'clock tonight, says another
boat with persons saved from the wreck OF the
Lac La Belle has come ashore all right. Two
boats are yet to hear FROM having probably
come ashore out of reach Of the telegraph. The
report that some Of the passengers embarked on
rails is erroneous.
ENGINEER's STATEMENT.
RACINE, WIS, Oct. IA The second engineer
OF the Lac la Belle, who was in one Of the boats
which has arrived here, gives the following ac-
count of the disaster: They lett Milwaukee at
nine O'Clock last night; about midnight the
steamer sprung aleak and made water rapidly.
There were about twenty-five passengers on
board, including seven ladies and three children.
The crew worked hard all night to prevent
the vessel from sinking and threw considerable
of the cargo overheard, but all to no purpose.
Finding tn steamer about TO sink, they prepared
to fake 10 the life boats, Of which there were five.
Into one OF these five OF the ladies were put,
with good crew TO manage ii. The men were,
however, tired, having worked all night with
nothing TO eat, and suffering from the cold.
When the last boat left the steamer, saw five
men left in her; when she went
down l saw four Of them in the
water, and one of them clinging TO piece OF
timber l think they must have been lost, as
we could give them no assistance without dan
ger of swapping the boat Two of the five
boats dTilted toward EenOsha.
STATEMENT OF THE CLERK.
W. Sanderson, clerk OF the Lac La Belle, says:
We left Milwaukee at o'clock Sunday night,
having on board nineteen iull passengers and
two children, with a crew Of thirty-two men all
told. About midnight, when about Is miles
off Racine, the sea running heavily, we shipped
heavy sea amidsmps, which put out
the fires and stopped the engines Ii
was blowing hard from the north when
the vessel lost her headwav. The wind swung
her round and the heavy sea strained open the
seams, through which The water rushed with
such force that in spite of all efforts OF the crew,
it gained rapidly upon us, and ut about $50 A.
NJ, 1t became evident that the steamer would 70
down. There were FIVE boats in all-two tueL
boats a yaw and two small boats. We got all
the people into these boats with the exception OF
five or six men, who refused to leave the vessel,
and who, l think, drowned. When she went
down had in my boat seven persons. Potter
Weller, M. Warner and wife, Robert Fogg, Louis
0. L. Chester and RebCcca Campbell. We land
ed six miles south OF Racine, at six this evening,
having been over twelve hours on the water.
During the forenoon propeller with two smoke
stacks passed quite near us, but made no re-
Spouse to our signals, although | am confident
she saw u.s.
Two of the Eve boats have arrived here-mine
and the one commanded by the second engineer.
The engineers boat had ten OF the crew, includ-
Ing tine first and second cooks, night Waterman,
one passenger and bOy-twelve persons in all.
The captains boat, which is reported as arrived
at Milwaukee, had four persons on board. She
was a very small boat. Two boats, with ten
persons, were seen by the engineers boat, max
my north toward Milwaukee. Sandelson thinks
they were picked up by schooner. Ii not, they
will land somewhere between Racine and Mil
waukee.
OF the fifth boat, which, according to the
statement OF SandersOn, must have contained
thirteen persons, there are as yet no tidings.