Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-09-25

toward the land. Most of the boats
filled with water and capsized in the
breakers, and ut least twenty-four per :
SONS out of fifty on board the propeller
thus lost their lives. The following is
list OF the loss, as far as known
g. Il. Dennison, OF Ada, Michigan.
Campbell and Smith, deckhands, residence
not known.
John Driscoil, Steward of tho boat.
John Hiles, lumber and planning mills, Mil
waukee.
Mrs; =. A; Valentine and son, five years Of
Captain Harry Swectman, commander of the
1tonsides, Milwaukee.
Robert McGlue, First Engineer Of the boat,
Milwaukee,.
Charles We!meil, agent Of s. Z. Harding Il
Co., OF New York.
Joe Smith. OF Grand Haven, Mich.
+: T. II. Biting and wife, Mr.. and Mrs. Albion
Haselbarth, Of Port Washington, Wis.
Mr.. Harry Hughes, fireman.
A. J. Donelson, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
/ Mrs. J. B. I. Dewitt, Milwaukee.
The saved are as follows:
l. N. E. Watkins, clerk of the boat.
Samuel Watkins, Milwaukee.
f. Chris. DriscOll, cabin boy.
! Dan. Driscoll, head waiter.
I n. Crosson, first mate.
| a. d. 1ltudu. sCCOU0 mate,
I Charles Bradford, lookout.
& Geo. N. Cowan, second engineer.
f. VIM DOlensOn,
Andrew Falson, second clerk.
| Riley, first porter.
H. H: West; 4: scnttler. VIM, Savage and G.
Dan: Hines, John Gilbert and Charles VIII
cox, oilers.
Maggie Young, stewariless.
Is. Jordan, NJ. l.. Chester, II. N. Ward, Miss
Ward, F. N. Ripley, John Gee, Mr.. Whiting.
| H. Krautbansr, o. Kitzngcr.
Seventeen bodies had at last accounts
been recovered.
The following statements of survivors
OF the disaster are interesting:
STATEMENT OF GEORGE N. cowAN.
| 81 was the second engineer on board the
Ironsides. We left Milwaukee ut about 10
O'Clock Sunday night, with wind about north.
west. came on watch ut O'Clock Monday
morning, when the Chief Engineer said be
would 60 up aud get lunch, instructing me
~ keep close watch OF the .engiue.s ;. All
! went we'll. At half-past two McGIue (Csiei
Enginccr) came down and asked how she was
working. Alwas satisfactory. and continued
frcshened and hauled around to the south
west. At about O'Clock the water annoyed
me 50 that used bilge injection to force e
out. This continued getting worse, until
little before O'Clock We began shipping water
badly. The gangways we're smashed in by the
force Of the waves, the bunkcrs got blocked up
by the boilers 80 that the water couldn't run
aft. Soon we began shipping water into the
tire-room, l saw something must be done
Immediately. sent one OF the oilers ND to
tho Chief Engineer, telling him to tell the
Captain that we had better got before the wind
said, That's what am trying to do" But
the vessel was in the trough OF the sea, and it
was impossible to do it, We worked one en-
gine back and the other forward, but it " IS of
no use; we couldn't stir her. At this time
III the water came came in n and put out the fires:
about oclock-we had hoisted sail and had
also put up the signal OF distress. When the
fires We1t out then We began to think of sav.
ing ourselves in the small boats. There was
no excitement among tho crow; everybody
knew his place and kept it. To the best of my
could be done. He was perfectly calm and
cool. 1t seems queer that some OF the boats
at the Haven didn't come to our relief Some
say they saw the signal, others say they didn t.
At about II O'Clock we began lowering the
boats. Tho boat which belonged to our crow
one. We then took = metallic boat No. |
sand launched her: Az stepped
in, Driscoll aud several others jumped
in. A coal-passcr jnmped after our boat az
we pushed away. He must have jumped at
least twenty feet. He struck the side Of the
twenty-five feet away our boat capsizcd. |
came up exactly under her, striking my head |
against the seats. We all clung to her for |
about an hour and a half We did not leave
the propeller until just as she sunk. After
we capsized and we're cling,ng to tho boat We |
looked back, and there was Mike Crosson, the |
first mate, standing away up in the mast, wav-
ing his hand as the ship went down. The mast |
broke aud he was struck by it in the face an /
across the back, injuring him somewhat.
After that VIC lost sight Of him for awhile.
Then VIC driftcd among some of the hriftwood
OF tho propeller and succeeded rlghting our
boat and then cluDg to her although no one
got into her.
We drif'cd back toward the propeller, which
was part above water yet, and got on the hnr-
ricanc deck. Here we found pail and soinc
oars and ballcd ont our boat, AMI gave some
oars tn Il few who fpnnl another bnat. Then
VIC pick Crosson off from the plot-honsc.
wl,ic.. had become detached from the pr...l
lc,, and which he had nanas scd 10 climb np>i.
We the n male for shore aud succeeded in cll-
toring the iaror, followed by the other boat
Va had sixteen i'll our boat. S vcA OF
these ,'ir! before VIC got in and prob
ally from exhaustion, as Two or three were
drowned while 0nc-ha'f Of their bodies wcrc
in: tho boat. They hadn't strength to-
save themselves hcn-half washed overheard
II
seized his body and held on to it for about a
mile, and then it washed away from me. &Be-
fore wo landed Senator Ferry $ wife threw us a
b ottle of fbrandv, ,wlIsl, We drank before getting
out of the boat. Tht, citizens Of Grand Haven
did everything IL their power for us: l rc-
member cspccia''y Ia. lillian. proprietor OF
tho Milwaukee House, where wo all stopped,
Mr.. Percival, tho agent OF th5 d. & NJ. road,
and Mr. Humphry, agent OF the E. T.. line.
They worked hard tor us as in fact did
everybody. The statements about tho boat
leaking Friday night arc all false. She was
considered by all tic officers.
STATEMENT OF PETER RILEY.
was first porter on board the Ironsidcs.
got up at about 2 o'clock in tho morning. All
was right at that time, and seemed so until
heavier all tho time. Finally. the fires we're
put out by tho water at 10 o'clock, and then
we took to tho small boats. l took charged of
tho third boat which, lott tho propeller. There
were 10 in the boat. Including Maggie, the
chambermaid, and 8 strange lady, one Of tho
passengers. Our boat did not capszc.
All were saved but one--and that was
MIR. Nimmcl, the New York travelling agent.
He and Mr.. Dundasher, the cook, we're washed
out. Dunt'asilcr swan in all right. but
fort to save himself. When VIC struck the
beach young machiuist Of Grand Haven,
whose name don't know. came ont to us at
tho risk of his lifo and tied a rope to our boat.
40 ~ 10 haul us in. He was brave fellow. l
saved 500 OF express money. There were ten
people in tho boat that got i'll ahead of us.
There wasn't very much excitement; people
all acted very calmly and did tho best thoy
could.
Mr.. F. N. Ripley, of Lowell, Mass.
who was one of the saved, gives the
following additional particulars:
Tho soa became 80 rough before midnight
that could not sleep, though accustomed I'd
tho water. Before daylight the boat rolled "a
desperately that every movable thing was
smashing about tho vessel, and it was impns-
siblc to cross tho cabin. 1t was between
s when We came in sight OF the harbor, ana Il
was 80 rongh that it seemed unwisc to ut.
t nlpt Nh entrance. We could SEQ the light.
house and the vesscls on tho beach, aud won.
1ots d that some ono did not ~come TO- orr re-
lief. 1t was a sad sight to noe the
passengers standing in silence with