St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-07-23
Wreck of the Steamer Champlain.

The inst serious accident I" the boats
"t the Champaign Transportation Com
panN orcurIcd AT IN early lruuT Friday
the "details of which We copy
from the Free Pres
The Champiaim went ont Thursday
in her usual excellent condition. made
her usual landings. took her load ni
passengers and freight at Iic"udrr""l.
and came back north. After maxim"
Nr>tporl handling. and when about tao
miles north of ii. At Stcammill Bay. ~
it i called. uudrra full head "f steam.
lie struck Il ledge "f rock. and W.l>
hl"kcn completely in two. The alarm
an board wa~ great. Many ni the pas
>cr"cI> were in thrii hcIth~. and Vci'
must rIdrll aroused lay the shock. htt
ia" Goodness ui the captain and "tlir"l>.
and The admirable arrangements ou
this. a> "m all the Company boats ion
the safety OF passengers in "a~" Of ;Ir-
"ld"ni. prevented panic. and amy loss ct
life
The usual course ni the steamers i
''IN mean the Point. H. the WalrI l.
de, T. and thcl, is no danger. and :"
near Wa~ the boat that plInh> Wrrr
thrown out tn the shore and the pas
~""S'r - aud -" ":'lk"h "il n" one
being even injured.
The Chauplaim WIS one OF th, best
boats hUilt ON the Lake. She WAS seven
YEATS old. and valued III >IJO.UUO. She
Was Il side wheel Slcancl with iudrImnd-
rnt engines. She WAS commanded l.,
Capt. Geo. Ru>hl"w. an old and c\-
p'rirucrd >rI-mam. Hen pilots were
i,,It,, l. al, i,l,,. | I,.,.l- \
amdcr Marquc. EldIidgr being at the
wheel At the time of the accident. lie
j. considered one of the best pilots on
IL" Lake. Most of her furniture MAS
taken to Shclhurnc lIaIboI Friday
evening. and she l. being di>mantrd ;tS
rapidly a> possible. The water i
hirakIng over hen prnmrnadc deck. ~
She was NOT insured against marine dis
lister. hut only against first. she will hc
Il total loss tn the company. save her
and machinery. and what little
else they may save from the debris.
II" ac"Idcnt l. Il very strange one. and
gives rise to many conjccturcS. Mr..
t.ldlId9" WIS one of the oldest pilots,
and wa> considered one of the safest ON
III" Lake. The most reasonable >upu>i-
ton Is that in Roundup" the Point hy
some means he turned Il little too soon.
ana the disastrous result followed. ri
lot Eldrld%c reached Bun lin.tnn sunday.
nut he cannot account in amy manner
Tor tn" accident. All reports of his
insanity are gr"umdIc>>. we understand.
GAIT. EI'>IILoW'> >rArEME\T.
The Champlain lett Wcstport at mid
night OF Thursday. the night being al
most aS bright us day. Here she
changed pilots. Mr.. Rockwell ynim. oil
and Nh. Eldridgc comm. ON. At the
lime of the accident twenty minutes
past tWclvr.) which occurred close to
hr New York shore at Steam Mill BAY.
about tire" miles north of WcStport.
MAS asleep. and WAS awakened bl the
shock ON coming on deck | found
hat the vessel WAS on the rocks. ahoul
~ lret ct her bow on the port side he .
Ing ont of the water. | Immediately
got the passengers forward. who all he
IiaNcd well. and landed them and their
baggage on the shore. which WAS easily
lone. then sent Pilot Rockwell to |
the Adirondack on her up thin. .
/" take off the passengers. She c,n,.
ll"ngSIdc about , Il. IN. The Stcou.,
WAS soon submerged in about rLirty-si>
Icc' "i water. did not see Pilot Ed /
IdGr after the accident. but was in
formed 10y Ir"mbly, the engineer. that
ne st" HIM going up the mountain
about day light with his valiSc and cn,t
IN his ann. There were SiNtv-thrrr
passengers on board. among them Undo.
Palmer and Hon. Smith NJ. Weed of
flattShurgh. and Jacob Cole of Brook
Nn, with then families. The only pcr-
sons injured was Il lady passenger who
was thrown out of her berth in one of
ne forward State-roomS. who lost :.
ooth A; and il man named Dewiu~ vhn
rad his hand cut 10y breaking The, "I,,S
II one ct the >tatr-room doors. | can
not account for the accident. aS EIdridrc
MAS IA trusty pilot. had been in the
EMPLOY OF the company about twenty
ears. ana had been on duty but fifteen
MINUTES. The regular course of the
e>Sel Is not forty rods at this point
rom the shore.
he sentinel says that Eldridgc. the
pIlot. knew every rock in Lake, Cham
'laIl. 1t Is supposed that he lett be-
'ause he did not have the heart To f,ce
hose whose lives he had put in peril.
Is soon rs the vessel struck. Cant
fnShlow ordered the fires eNtinguishrd
ma ile lights put out as far as plIcti-
able after the Passengers had got off.
lie crew behaved with that admirable
discipline for which the Lake Cham
'laIn steamers are noted.
+. Is: Rockwell, the pilot off duty.
leard the crash he went to the wheel
rouse, where he SAW FId,idu. -, 49,