Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-03-27
A PLEASURE STEAMER SUNK.
The Boston Steamer Grace Irving Lost
with All On Boa ra-U nina Ppy Result
of " Sunday Trip-l;iKht Men Droyvn-

The Boston Steamer Grace Irving Lost
WIN All ON Boa rd-Unha Ppy ReSsall
! OF OF Sunday TrfP-EtYht 5lcn Drown
A most distressing marine disaster
occurred near tue Gurnet light, Just of
Duxbury, Mass, during the gale Sun
day afternoon. A number of souls. AZ
yet unknown went to tho bottom Of
the sea. The unfortunate craft which
went down was the little steam yacht
Grace Irving, which left Boston for
New Bedford in the middle of Sunday
forenoon. When she left there was a
fresh breeze, and in the course of an
hour there came up q gale more fierce
than has visited the eastern coast for a
long time. As the gale continued with
increased fury those who were aware of
the departure of the frail craft were
apprehensive of her safety, unless the
wisdom of her captain had prompted
him to put into Hull or some other
intermediate port until the wind had
subsided.
1t is not exactly known how many
were on board, hut probably not less
than six or eight, and there Is no doubt
that all'were lost. Among those whom
it IL known were aboard besides the
crew, were Mr.. James Ritchie, Captain
Benjamin F. Lowden, of New Bedford.
and Edward Eldridge, of Fair Haven.
A Mr.. Hastings, who lives on the Liv-
ersage farm, ut Brant Rock, in Marsb-
held, saw the little steamer passing the
point about three o'clock in the after
noon, and she was about quarter of q
mile of shore. She was apparently at
that time all right, but was soon driven
a considerable distance out by the
high wind. In a very few
minutes Mr.: Hastings discovered
signal of distress, the. steamer then
drifting towards the Gurnet light at
Duxbury, and about four miles off
shore. He could see several men run.
ling back and forward on the deck,
but no boat was launched, ncr wa.
there any attempt made to launch one.
In twenty minutes after Mr. Hastings
first saw the steamer she sunk off the
Burnet light, where the water is
very deep. He is certain that no body
on board escaped, and thinks they did
not have time launch boats.
The steamer has been employed in
Boston harbor during the past four or
five years as pleasure boat for small
parties. During all of last sumner she
was in the service of Norman Wizard,
who used her to ply between the city
and Nut Island in connection with ex.
periments on the island with the Wizard
gun, and numerous Boston and New
York parties who we're guests of Mr..
Wizard during the experiments will
remember her.
She was built in New York in 1859.
and was used by Mr.. Ericsson, the
famous monitor inventor. for perfect
ing some experiments he then was en-
gagged in. She was Is 56.1OO tons
burthen =; length, Is feet j; breadth, 10
feet, and depth 5 feet. While lying at
South Boston = few weeks ago, she was
cut through by the ice and sunk. Since
then she has been repaired, and was
recently sold for "a, 600 to the Nonquit
Beach Company of New Bedford, OF
which Mr.. Ritchie was president.
Mr.. Rtchie, who was among the
lost, was a man we'll and favorably
known in Boston, Mass. He was a son
of the Rev. Mr.. Richie, of Needham,
auu was ~ Que tlme mayor Oh hOXOufy.
In 1861 and 1862 he was q member Of
the Executive Council, and subse-
quent1y was made United States
Assessor in the Third Congressional
District, position which he held for
several years, and subsequently became
solicitor for United States taxpayers.
He was o member of the Legislature in
1869 from the Boston Highlands, and
in 1870 was chosen one of the principal
Assessors of the city of Boston, po-
sition which he held but one year.
Since then he has been engaged in
many business operations, and was in
tereeted, with several gentlemen of New
Bedford, in land speculations. He
married daughter of the late Rev.
Daniel Kimba'l, of Needham, who sur
wives, with several children.