Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-10-21
LOST ON LAKE ERIE.

The Freight Steamer Dean Richmond
Founders, Carrying Down Eighteen Per-
sons, Including Every Soul on Board-A
Frightful Battle With the Elements
Dead Bodies and Wreckage Washed
Ashore. 4
BUFFALO, N. Y, Oct. l5.-The saddest
feature of the lake storm which ragged
last night is the reported loss of the
steamer Dean Richmond, off the shore
near Dunkirk. The first heard of the
the steamer was at 9 o'clock this
morning, when the captain OF the
Helena reported having sighted the
Dean of Richmond off Long Point,
where she seemed to be laboring un-
der difficulties.
Later Capt Jack Tierney of the |
steamer w. II. Stevens reported that he
sighted the Richmond about four miles |
this side of Erie. One of her stacks was |
missing, and while he was looking the
other stack and spar went by the
board. She was laboring heavily in
the trough, as though her steering
gear had become disabled.
Anxiety for the vessel became gen.
eral in shipping circles last night when
the severity of the northwestern gale
that had been sweeping Lake Erie for
forty-eight hours was made known by
incoming vessels. These showed the
effect of the terrible seas, some being
stove in. About S o'clock this morn
ing Capt. Leiske, Of the Helena, re-
ported that he sighted the Richmond
off Long Point. The storm was
at its height at the time, and it was
| impossible to render any assist
ance to the vessel, although she
seemed to be laboring under difficult
ties The Helena was with difficulty
kept Alright herself, and Capt. Leiske
reports his experience in this storm to
have been the most severe of long
| life on the lakes. The Richmond was
battling with the heavy seas and
seemed to be at great disadvantage,
almost dismantled and IN imminent
danger of laundering.
This evening the worst fears in re-
gard to the fate of the vessel seemed
realized when dispatch from Dunkirk
announced that three bodies had been
washed as, ore in that locality. The
remains could not be identified and
bore no marks by which the name OF
the vessel from which they had come
could be ascertained. 1t was not long
however, before quantities OF wreck
age began washing ashore, and on thi
debris traces OF the name Dean Rich
mond were discernable. The loca
agent of the line to which the Rich
, mond belonged Immediately tele
, graphed to all points along the lak'
,, from Buffalo for information 0
, the vessel but no information
as to her whereabouts coul
be obtained. All points CAV
!. evidence as to the severity o
+. the gale and its disastrous et
fects upon lake shipping, and ther
. is now no doubt that the Richmon
. foundered last night. The conditio
I. of the bodies washed ashore at Dur
!, kirk indicate that the unfortunate sea
!. men had not been dead long; that the
y had probably been cast adrift som
!. time last night and had been beate
y to death on the dangerous rocks tina
abound in this part of the lake shor'
q Wreckage is still being cast ashore
and it is believed the Richmond foul
L dered not more than three miles out
the lake. Itseems impossible that an
&c of the eighteen souls on board Of lit
'e could have escaped alive.
" The Richmond was Glover Leaf
/ boat and her crew were all from Clev
land. She was one of the first lare
> steamers which mark the coming styl
3 of marine construction on the lak'
'e She was OF 1850 tonnage and VIZ
le built in Cleveland in 1864, but was r
Us built in 1873. She was owned by Bot
i ford and Others of Port Huron, and W;
ie valued at $4,000. 1t is believed TIL;
u she was fully insured. The Richmor
he for several seasons past has been cha
IL tered to the Toledo, st. Louis & Kans;
20 City line and ran in the general me
to chandise trade between Toledo al
r. this port, She carried no passenger
e. On the present trip her cargo consists
Up almost entirely of flour from st. Lou
Sc and other southwestern points.
rs Agent Hyde said tonight that
"a supposed the Richmond became d
"a abled in the trough of the sea. II
II. crew remained on board with the ho
'o that the steamer would ultimately
We ashore, but this was not to be realiz
IL and they were forced to make fig
al for life without chance to take to t
IN boats. Had the beach been san,
one some of them might have survive
" but there was little hope for any 81
p vivor on the rocky shore of Dunkirk.
~ Eighteen persons, the entire crew
% ,%d the propeller Dean Richmond, are Civ
as up for lost in last nights storm
es Lake Erie. The corpses of five perso
en- have been washed ashore off Van Bur
as Point, forty miles from this city, ne
as Dunkirk. The shore of the lake
MS strewn with wreckage and mercha
-. 10 disc. and the waves are hourly vie,
-. ing UP further evidence of the fate
as which the Richmond has gone.
he The Richmond belonged to the .
he ledo, st. Louis & Kansas City lii
which was loaded with eighty tons
merchandise from Toledo to Buffalo
rn' Among those who were lost Cal
20. Staddard, leaves widow and ia
j. lily; Second Mate Boysen, a wido
ss; Mrs Retta Ellsworth, chambermaid
80 widow, has children In the west; S,
.ed ond Engineer Frank Hilton was
sed sole support Of mother and sist'
Chief Engineer j. Hogan, who left
ne, boat before she departed on wh
- proved to be her last trip, is at t
ties Worlds fair. He is part owner of
ids. lost steamer.
Three Sentences In One Week Aggreg
Ing Nineteen Years.