The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-15
A LAKE DISASTER.
Details or tho Collision Between the
BFunsWIck and CarIIngf0rd.

Brunswick and CaFlingfOFd.
DETROIT, November l4,-Capt, Chamber
lin OF the sunken steamer Brunswick has
arrived in this city. He gives the follow
ing account OF the collision between the
vessel and schooner Carlingsford off
Port Claiborne, Saturday. We left Buffalo
at 10 o'clock Friday night with cargo Of
] 500 tons OF hard coal, bound for Duluth
1t was showing and little thick when we
left, but at II o'clock it was quite clear
with the wind about east, south east and
seven miles per hour. At u o'clock the
first mate, John Frazier, took charge and !
went aft for lunch. When ! left the deck
tho weather was n little hazy, although
could plainly SEQ the Dunkirk light twelve
miles OIL went into the cabin and took
OIL my overcoat, ate lunCh sat down by
the steam heater for q smoke and had Just
finished my smoke, and w0sputting on my
boots to go forward 10 where my room was,
when felt a slight jar, and Immediately
afterwards heard the signal for the engines
to stop and back. The second Jar felt
suppose was caused by the vessel rolling
and striking against the bow OF the Bruins.
wick. | Immediately ran forward and
found we had Colided with the schooner
said to the mate, this il n bad lob Mr..
Frazier. To which he said, yes,
The second mate calne on deck nj this
time and sent him below TO see II we
were leaking. He quickly returned and
said, "Captain, we arc sinking" l saw
that the men on the schooner had lowered
their yawl and could save themselves, SO
headed the Brunswick for the shore. did
not believe at the timethat We were sinking,
but went below and found that she was
rapidly filling. closed tho bulkhead and
set the pumps at work. Three.quarters OF
an hour after the collision the Brunswick
went down head foremost. Seven men,
including tho two mates, were In the port
boat. The two cooks, myself and the re.
mdinder oil the crew, eight persons In Hll,
were 10 90 In the starboard yawl. The
boats were hoisted and swung out on the
davitts and some OF the men remained on
deck to push her of. We all had on life
preseryers, except myself. As the steamer
sank she seemed TO inc 10 break in two,
Us she took a sudden lurCh to the star.
board and rolled over into the yawl.
Mr.. Francomb, engineer, who was on
deck showing yawl out, i seemed got
jammed between her and the cabin, as |
never saw him after she went over. let
loose the stern Of the yawl, but the man at
tho bow didn't unlock his end, so the
yawl was taken down with the steamer. l
thought the yawl would come up again,
and told the cooks to hang to the seat.
They did, and l never saw them again. l
went down great distance before ! lot go,
and when l did, l thought | would never
get to the top again. When | did, caught
to some pieces OF the wreck and was picked
up by port boat, and with others, was
taken to Dunkirk. When | reached tho
land / was 80 weak | had to be carried
ashore.
Captain Chamberlain states that he
learned the following facts concerning the
accident from members OF the crew: The
Brunswick was heading west, southwest,
and the schooner seemed headed about
northeast by east. She was showing her
green light when she was reported by the
watchman. Tie mate said TO the wheel.
man: "Starboard your wheel; We will
60 under her stern. This course
was. pursued for some time, when the
whceiman called ont to Mate Frazer. "The
schooner Is coming In; port your wheel" /"
then called out tho mate. Then looking
at the schooner through his glass, he aid:
mo, keep her starboard; we haven't time
to port" Before any other move could
be made the collision occurred. The fact
thnt the schooner luffed when immedi-
ately ahead OF the steamer would seem 10
be borno out by the fact that she was
showing her green light on the starboard
side when approaching, yet was struck on
the port side. John Frazer, mate, Is nh ex-
perienCcd sailor, having had command OF
several large steamers, Including the Isaac
May and Mineral Rock. He is 90 years OF
age. John Francomb, the lost engineer,
was also about 10 years old, and has sew.
eral grown UP sons. lie formerly lived In
Windsor, and was engineer on the transfer
steamer Union. Mrs. g. Fletcher, cook,
was a widow, and had besides the daugh.
ter who was lost with her son and
daughter, tie latter being the wife Of Cnp-
tain Tucker, Of the barge Winoha. The
Brunswick, owned by Charles Berwick, Of
this city, came out only last spring, and
was valtied al $4,000. She was Insured for
eSE mn In iln plmhtY