Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-23
The Loss 81 ~ PrepeIlers Mendeta
anl Equinox.

18th contain detailed accounts Oh the Joss
a the propellers Equinox and Meudots,
A. given by rescued parties The only
known survivor Of the crew OF the former
vessel reached Chicago on the 18th, hav-
ing been picked mp by the schooner
Havana. His nsme Ia given by one Of
The papers AZ Charles Burns, and bis story
II condensed a. follows;
Burns. who was q wheelsman, remained
In the wheelhouse until five minutes Of
the time slac Equinox went down. When
the line by which the Msyes Was towed
wss cut The propeller had nearly eight
feet Of water in her hold. Her gangway
had been stove in BIZ the heavy seas and
thu sail between decks was washing over
board She had only two boats. One
had been launched, containing Capt
Dwight scott. the mate, two nremen, six
decx hands and another man, unknown.
There were twenty on board in all, in
Guiding two ladies. The propeller went
down by the stern, and Just before the
sinking Burns and Capt Woodruff had
teen working to get the second boat
launched. Tie tackling caught, however,
and neither having knife with which To cut
IN. guys il became too late, and Burns
and Cant. Woodruff took to Tenders, of
which the former secured two. The up
DER works of the propeller iioaied of, and
surns seeing the deck Of the pilot-house
within a short distance of him, struck out
for ii and succeeded in getting upon II /,
inns losing sight OF Woodruff. The
Pauinox went down about ten miles off
Point sauble. al about two O'Clock Friday
morning. or little after, and Burns feels
quite certain that all, except those In the
tsoa,. perished, Al also Capt. Woodruff, as
the later could NOT possibly live in that
sea ON the Tenders. The young ladies. the
daughter and niece Of Capt. Scott, were
20 overcome by fright that they were easy
victims. Besides these ladies there were
left ON board five persons A blanket and
sheet from the berth below the pilot
house. were secured by Burns, and he
dashed himself TO the uiFights in which
The wheel was rugged, and 20 foated. He
went through a terrible ordeal, and became
20 chilled and exhausted that had IL not
been for his precaution in lashing himself
he must have been washed of and per
ished. An hour or two after the sinking
Of the propeller the second COOK came
drifting In the vicinity Of Burns, who says
he unlashed himself, swan to the man and
got him aboard tho pilot,house deck, but
I,e soon afterward died and washed of.
Later, the boat containing those mentioned
above came along. Capt. Scott asked
Burns to enter it, but he preferred not, and
the boat and raft soon aiterward separated,
the boat going Burns does not know
where. The gale was al its height, and
Burns does not think Capt. SCOTS party
weather,d II. At least, ii the boat had
outridd N the storm or been picked up,
she ought 10 be heard from by this time.
Burns ok 10 the tenders M about two a.
m. Friday AN was taken of his rgft about
sixty miles on the Manitous, the middle of
the lake at nine y, III. Saturday, the raft
going TO pieces soon after.
Eight Of The survivors of the Mendoza
also reached Chicago on the 18th. One
Of their number, a seaman, tells the fol-
lowing story:
There were twenty persons on board the
propeller, including two ladies, the Cap.
ian's wife and the Stewards wife. They
had prosperous voyage until they
reached Glen Harbor, on Lake Michigan,
about four o'clock Thursday afternoon,
when the wind began 10 blow gale from
the northwest. A few hours later the
wind changed 10 the north, and fearful
sea was making They passed Point Bet
sey ut quarter past twelve Friday morn.
ing, and the propeller, though laboring,
went along all right AZ about two O'clock
one of the barges, the Morning Star, broke
| adrift BY thistime the arches Of the pro.
peIlcr broke away and she began to make
water They then lei 20 the other barge.
This was about eight miles east Of Point
Sauble. When 1t was observed that she
was sinking one OF the boats was lowered.
The Captain was the first % enter the
boat and the mate the second.
Everybody that could crowded into It.
The crew we're told not to get in II by
| the Captain, but 10 launch the second
boat though he knew there was not time
enough 10 do IT, Ten persons crowded In
| the boat, and when the Captain saw his
| wife was not In II he tried 10 have her
| saved. md in the effort 10 DO 70 he fell out
| OF the boat, and was jalnmed between the
arcl, and boom The Captain got back
| into The boat again, and more tried 10 get
| In but they were driven back by the mate.
| The Captains father fell ont, and was
killed by being damned between the bul.
| wafks and the hawser-box In the effort
| "a save the Captains wife, who was seen
clinginr TO the hawserbox. the owners
| son, Billy Cressiliwaite, and the second
| engineer were thrown out Of the boat No
effort was made 10 save them, and Mr.
| Crossthwaite climbed up on the pilot.house,
on top Of which he was last seen. This
len but eight persons In the boat They
pulled for quarter OF an hour toward
| the sinking boat, trying to save the Cap.
| tain's wife. At about three o'clock the
vessel went down stern first Nothing
| could be heard from those lett ON board Of
| the wreck, except that the Stewards wife
| cried "Oh, my Godw The wind was
| terrible, and the waves were filing the
| small boat in which they were, but by bail.
Ing they managed 10 keep II afloat They
| were on the boat twenty.nine hours, and
| were Cnce passed by vessel which he is
| confident was the schooner Emma A.
| Mayes, and, though they made signs Of
distress no notice was taken Of them, and
the schooner passed on. When they neared
| land they saw small schooner coming
toward them, which proved 10 be the Adj.
| die, Of Manitowoc. They were taken on
board and kindly treated by the Captain
| and crew and taken into Manitowoe.
--~---~s . -
Lying and Honesty In India.
| III Is n common expression on the Inns