Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-18
The Foundered steamer Tronsides.

thirteen on one stem, weighed eight
pounds and twelve ounces.
The Foundered steamer Eronsides.
CHICAGO, Sept. 16.
The following is statement of N. B.
Watkins, clerk of the foundered steamer
Ironsides We left Milwaukee at $40
Sunday night, with nineteen passengers
and crew of thirty men, and were
due in Grand Haven between 5 and 6
o'clock Monday morning. The cargo
consisted of $4,000 bushels of wheat, 500
barrels of flour, 1875 barrels of pork and
some miscellaneous articles. This was
very heavy cargo, since our boat could
only Tcarry 100 tons. A moderate
breeze was blowing from the southwest,
which constantly increased until it be-
came terrific gale before daylight. !
did not get up before 8 o'clock,
when the boat was rolling fearfully.
/ Immediately went below and found
the men working at the pumps. The
water had already put out the fires and
the engines were useless. then went
to the office and got the passengers reg
lister, money and manifests, and went on
the hurricane deck, where | found Cap
tain Sweetman getting foresail in. He
was perfectly self-possesed and the men
obeyed his orders promptly. We then
were about three miles from shore. A
signal of distress had been raised about
$50 o'clock. About 10 o'clock the pas
sengers all put on life preseryers, for it
was evident that the vessel must soon go
go down. At 1890 the captain ordered
the boats to be manned. In the first
boat all the lady passengers, except one,
were placed. In the second boat there
were from ten to twelve passengers and
the crew. took charge of the third
boat, which contained seven passengers,
including one lady and two of the crew
besides myself, all of whom were saved.
After l had pushed off I saw two or
three other boats leave the wreck, in
one of which supposed The captain to
be. My boat was hardly half mile
from the Ironsides when she sunk stern
foremost, about five miles from shore.
1t was ten minutes after twelve when
she disappeared. She was estimated to
worth about $115,000.o
She was thoroughly overhauled last
winter aud was considered one of the
staunchest boats on the Lake.
The statement of passenger N.
F. Ripley of Lowell, Mass, very in
telligent young man who was one of the
saved gives the following additional par
ticulars. The sea was so rough little
after midnight that | could not sleep,
though accustomed to water. Before
daylight the boat rolled so desperately
that every movable thing was smashed
about deck, and it was impossible to
cross the cabin. 1t was between and
s o'clock when we came in sight of the
harbor, and it was so rough it seemed
useless to attempt an entrance. We
could see light houses and vessels on the
beach, and wondered that no one came
to our relief. 1t was sad night, pass
engers stood in silence with their life
preservers on, knowing that III few
moments they would be at the mercy of
breakers, but all were calm and self
possessed. Captain Sweetman behaved
with the utmost GOODNESS and courage,
and the crew obeyed every order readily.
We were all washed out of our boat in
which we left the steamer when within
go rods of shore, but were rescued by
those on the beach in a most gallant
way. | was picked up unconscious, but
am all right now. The Captain con-
fessed it was the toughest sea he had ev-
er seen on Lakes. Those familiar with
the shore say that water in which the
Ironsides went down is at least DO faith
oms deep.
-eH ADDITIONAL.
There were five boats filled with the
the crew and passengers. One boat,
containing five men and four woman,
capsized and only one man of the party
reached the shore. Four boats have
reached the shore up to this time. One
boat, containing Captain Sweetman and
wife and five passengers, has not yet
been heard from, and it is feared they
are lost. Thirty-two passengers are
known to to have been saved and four
teen bodies recovered. There were
forty-nine persons on board the Ironsides
of whom nineteen were passengers.
Is f.
Work of the Yellow Fever.