The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-18
CAPTAIN wtTlIsvs rs STATEMENT.
lie Shows thnt the SEA wing DisnAter wn
not tho fnult OF tho Crew.

lie Shows thnt the sea wing Disaster wu
not tho fault Of tho Crew.
ST. PAUL, MINI, July 17.-Captai
We.heren and six Of the crew OF III
fated steamer Seq Wing, which va
wrecked at Lake City Sunday night, ar
rived in this city yesterday afternoon
and Government Inspectors Yeagef ant
Knapp are conducting an investiga.io,
| Of affairs behind closed doors..s Captain
Wetheren and CLERK Niles have giyel
TO the pressA statement OF the disaster
They say:
"fhe steamer Sea Wing had been re.
Gently inspected and found to be in good
con"itiop, aud with the barge ehe had
to to Company, was allowed $50 passengers
The crew Of the boat was Captain D, ".
Wetheren. Mate NJ. l.. Sparks, Clerk E
N. Niles Engineer VIII Parks, Firamati
Hank Hope, Grew win and Harry
Niles, West Willie, Charles Neal, Warren
Sparks The barge carried 2G0 floats,
lS7 cork aud tule lie prrservers and
seven good skifIs with twenty.cight oars.
The bont left Diamond Blul ut 7:4O
a. m, with eleven passengers, Trenton
at $3.50, with twenty-five more, and Red
Wing at 10, with III from that point ;
total, l37 passengers.
As the boat was about to return from
Lake City, there were two ladies' from
the steamer Wanderer aud eight men
irom the steamer Undine who wished to
take passage to Red Wing on the steamer
Sea Wing. These, with about ten more,
who were residents OF Lake City, and
who wanted to 20 to Red Wing, came
aboard. Thus the list would be about
1875, but some few who came down on
the excursion failed to get back before
the boat left Lake City, hence the mum.
ber OF passpngers was under l75. The
boat lett Lakc City at o'clock. and pro.
ceeded up the Lake about five minutes.
When the storm struck us the boat was
completely and instantly overturned.
Captain Wetlieren was at the wheel and
did all IN his power to keep the boat
headed in the wind, and remained In
the pilot house until completely sub.
merged, then broke through the side
and succeeded in reaching shore. The
engineer stood 1t his post until the wa.
ter filled the engine room, then made
his escape. When the boat upset there
wss no water in her hull, and nothing
but the force of the wind upset her. The
barge was not cut loose until the steamer
capslzed, and then only to save it from
being swamped also.
The boat was built at Diamond Bluff,
was only three years old and was all
built new throughout, machinery and
all. The boat's tonnage was 100 IS tons,
The crew were all uble men and under.
stood their business. No liquors were
on board, none Of the crew drank drop
thar day, and more, none Of the crew
were drinking men. When the boat
lett the pier, the storm seemed to have
passed and the crew deemed it safe to
start. The passengers also wanted to
30. and 80 the boat started out on her
return trip. The life p.eservers were
such as the inspector ordered and were
all in good condition. The boat was to
start back at S o'clock, but most OF the
number from Red Wing wished to re.
main until after the dress parade at 7.
Hence the boat delayed until o'clock
before starting. .,.
(signed.)
D. N. WErnEKEx. Captain.
L. NJ NILES, Clerk.