The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-17
BY TELEGRAPH.
Especial TO The Globe.l
FROM THE WRECK.
FURTHER PARTICULARS AND INCL
DENTS.
A Globe Reporter Visits the Champlain.

A Globe Reporter Visits the Champlain.
VERaENNEs, July 10.
Your reporter left this city at 2 o'clock
this afternoon to visit the Inflated steamer
Champlain. Arriving at Basin TIarbor,
the wind was blowing fresh and heavy
sea, but being determined to accomplish
our work good boat was procured and
after pull of about an hour landed quar-
ter of mile above the wreck, and having
made fast the boat proceeded at once to
the disabled vessel. Her bow lies high and
dry on shore, laying quarterwise pointing
toward the shore her midship laying on
the rock careened over on her starboard
side, her stern sunk in the water, which at
this point is about thirty feet deep. AS
cendng the gang plank we found that the
pressure of laying on the rock had raised
the deck up in the centre, and broken up
things generally, and the once staunch
"Champlan" lay helpless ruin.
We interviewed the engineer, who said
that The engines were not materially dam
aged. He was at the engine at the time she
struck, which was about ten minutes past
twelve, midnight. No warning was given
until the crash came. There was thirty
pounds of steam on, and the vessel was 60
ing about sixteen miles an hour. We then
went aft toward the ladies cabin, where the
water was about three feet deep on the
starboarl side, at the extreme stern.
Z. B. Rockwell, the pilot off duty at the
time of the accident, told us the steamer
left Westport all right, and he at the
wheel. AT 12 o'clock he was relieved by
the other pilot about twelve minutes before
she struck. He heard the crash, and went
to the wheel house, where he met the pilot
on duty at the wheel, but he seemed para
lyzed, whether from the accident or pa
ralytic shock or what, he could not tell.
Captain Rushlow was on deck in an instant
and the crew Immediately on duty All
went calmly at their work Passengers
acted with great calmness when The stu
alton was ascertained, and they were taken
ashore with their baggage. None being in
jured or piece of baggage damaged or
lost.
The Champlain had ON about 40 tons of
freight, none of which is dsmaged. Capt.
Rushlow informed us the steamer was
total wreck, and that his men were taking
out all the valuabes they could get and
stripping the state rooms of their furniture
the greater part of which had been al
ready removed. The engines are being re-
moved.
Col. lie Grand b. Cannon, the president,
and A. l.. lnman, superintendent of the
company, came down from Burlington by
special steamer and gave the necessary di-
rections as to the disposition Of the prop
erty.
An investigation is 10 lie made into the
cause Of the disaster, which in due time
will be laid before the public. The officers
and men on board were not inclined to
give an opinion as to the cause of the dis
aster, which, to US, is a wise and judicious
course, especially to journalistic inter-
viewer. Mr.. Rockwell, the pilot, told MS
that it was dim, hazy, moonlight night,
but not dark, and he could not account for
the boat being out of her course.
A rumor has been 10 circulation that the
rudder chain was broken, which was ascer-
tanned to be untrue, nothing of the kind
having happened. None of the officers as
| sign any cause Tor the BOATS oelng out OF
her course-in fact the situation of the
steamer indicates that she was headed past
wise There were about seventy. five pas
sengers, together with the crew, made over
100 persons on board. The pilot who was
at the wheel, took his satchel and left at
daylight and has not since been seen.
| Capt. Rushlow and Pilot Rockwell and
the engineer, freely gave us information in
their possession proper to be given. We
pulled back to Basin Harbor and drove
back to the city in rain storm, but a good
supper at the Stevens house has made us
all right. W. @. Il.