Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-11-01
Disastrous Collision.

Last Monday night about midnight,
disastrous collision took place at the
head of Belle Isle, just above Detroit, be-
tween the schOOners Niagara, John Kel-
derhOuse and Porter, which resulted in
the sinking of the latter and considera-
BILE damage to the KelderhOuse. The
following i'm regard to the disaster we
gather from the Post and Tribune's ac-
count:
The Niagara was upward bound, in
tow of the tug M. F. Merrick, and the
other two were bound down behind the
tug Wilcox, the Porter ahead of the Kel-
derhOuse. As the tOws neared the head
of the island the tugs signaled each 9TH
er and passed to port. The Niagara was
carrying fore and main sails, and full
complement of jibS, and as the wind was
blowing gale and directly after her,
the Merrick had all she wanted to do to
keep out of her way. When the tugs
were about abreast of one another the
Niagara somehow become unmanagea-
BILE, and taking sheer to StarbOard
made directly for the other tow, and be-
fore the blow could be averted struck the
OllCl Oll IlCl OtdlUOdlu UOW, lltl
tow line and by her momentum turning
the Porter clear around, stem up stream.
AS the Porter was turning around, and
when almost brOadside to the stream,
the KelderhOuse came on and struck her
directly amidships. Then the two
latter vessels became mixed up so that it
was some time before they could be sep
arated. When they finally were the
Porter Immediately sunk. The schooner
lies with her bow we'll out on Belle Isle,
so much so that there is no water over
or near it. The stern lies on the bottom
in % feet of water, the cabin roof being
under, while the vessel is canted over to
StarbOard at an angle of at least 80 de-
greeS. The Porter is loaded with $500
bushels of barley, and it is feared this
will swell and burst off the deck, in
which event the vessel will be ruined.
The Porter was built in Milwaukee in
1874, registers 747 tons, is owned by
Messrs. r. P. Fitzgerald, Porter, Merrill
and others of Milwaukee, and has an in
surance valuation of $29,50O, although
it is doubtful if $4,000 would have
bought her. She has three spars and
classes A l.
Some of the crew of the porter, includ-
| luS Tile Hldte, d. "A. NlOTWOO0, nave taken
up their quarters at Belle Isle near
where the schooner live and occupy an
old fisherman's shanty. They saved near.
ly all their dunnage, considerable bed
ding, have two stoves in operation, and
with all appear to be quite comfortably
situated. One sailor named Charles Gard.
ner had his foot badly injured. He was
asleep in the fOrecastle when the COLI.
sion occurred, ,and his foot was caught be-
tween two timbers. He is at boarding
house in this city. The rest of the crew
are safe. Had the Niagara struck the
Porter six feet further aft, the entire
crew i'm the fOrcastle must have been
killed or seriously injured. Capt. Nc
LeOd is at one of the hotels in Detroit.
The KelderhOuse is minus her jib-
boom and bOwsprit, her head gear, and
has her stem piece badly twisted. Hell
captain claims she makes water at the
rate of four inches per hour.
The Niagara left her fgurehead on
board the Porter, and on this piece was
her name.