The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-16
Her Crew Of Eighteen Believed to Have
Been Drowned or Dashed to
Death on the Rocks.
FIVE BODIES WASHED ASHORE
Schooner Minnehaha Broken in
Two Near Manistee, Mich.
Only One of Her Crew of Seven, the Cap
tain, Saved-Many Other Vessels
Damaged or Stranded.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

BUFFALO. Oct. 15.-Eighteen persons, the
entire crew of the propeller Dean Richmond,
are given UP for lost in last nights storm
on Lake Erie. The corpses of five men have
been washed ashore off Van Buren Point,
forty miles from the city, near Dunkirk.
The shore Of the lake is strewn with wreck
age and merchandise, and the waves are
hourly yielding UP further evidence Of the
fate to which the Richmond has gone. The
Richmond belonged to the Toledo. st. Louis
e. Kansas City line which was loaded with
eighty cars of merchandise at Toledo for
Buffalo. The crew of the Dean Richmond
was composed of the following:
G. w. Stoddard, captain, Toledo.
George Boysen, second mate, East To-
ledo.
Samuel Meadows.
Samuel Whelan.
Frank Ernest, , lookout, Nor North r1,OS Toledo.
A. B. Dodge, second cook. Toledo.
Toledo
Jacob Ernest, deck hand, Toledo.
VIM. link, deck hand, Toledo.
George Schilling, porter, Toledo.
Walter Goodyear, first mate, Ottawa
j. E. Brady. wheelman. residence un-
Mrs. Retta Ellsworth. stewardess, Ayl-
Frank Hilton. second engineer. Port HUI
ron.
Therman Beathan, fireman, residence un-
William Sargenfrei, fireman, residence
unknown.
Frank Patten. deck hand, residence un-
known.
Unknown man, deck hand, shipped at
Buffalo.
OF the foregoing Captain Stoddard leaves
a widow and family, Boysen widow, Mrs.
Reta Ellsworth, widow, with children in
the West. Frank Hilton was the sole sup
port of a mother and sister. The chief en-
gineer, ]. H. Hogan, who left the boat be-
fore she departed on what proved to be her
last trip, is at the worlds fair. He is part
owner Of the lost steamer.
Anxiety for the vessel became general in
shipping circles last night when the sever
ity OF the northwestern gale that had
been sweeping Lake Erie for forty-eight
hours was made known by incoming ves-
sells. These showed the effects of the ter
rible seas, some being badly stove in and
minus parts of their rigging. About
o'clock this morning the captain of the
Helena reported having sighted the Rich
mond off Long Point. The storm was at
it's height at the time and it was impos-
sible to render any assistance to the ves-
sci, although she seemed to be laboring
under difficulties. The Helena was with
difficulty kept Alright herself, and Captain
Stoddard reports his experience ju this
storm to have been the most severe of a
long life on the lakes The Richmond was
battling with the heavy seas and seemed
to be at great disadvantage, almost dis
mantled and in imminent danger of founder
ing.
This evening the worst fears I'm regard to
the fate Of the vessel seemed realized when
a dispatch announced that three bodies had
been washed ashore in that locality The
remains found 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, be-
fore quantities OF wreckage began washing
ashore, and this debris traces of the
name Dean Richmond were discernible.
The local agent of the line to which the
Richmond belonged Immediately tele-
graphed to all points along the lake from
Buffalo for information of the vessel, but
no news as to her whereabouts could be OBJ
tanned. All points gave evidence of the
severity of the gale and it's disastrous eff
fects upon lake shipping. and there is now
no doubt that the Richmond foundered
last night. The condition of the bodies
washed ashore at Dun1rk indicate that
the unfortunate seamen had not been dead
long; that they had probably been cast
adrift some time last night and had been
beaten to death on the dangerous rocks
that abound in that part of the lake shore.
Wreckage is still being cast ashore, and it
is believed the Richmond foundered not
more than three miles out In the lake. 1t
seems impossible that any one of the
seventeen souls on board her could have
escaped alive.
The Richmond was "Clover-leaf" boat
and her crew We're all from Toledo She
was the first of the larger steamers which
mark the coming of the present style of
marine construction the lake. She was
of 1257 tonnage, and was built in Cleve-
land in 1854 but was rebuilt in 1873. She
was owned by Bottsford and others. of
Port Huron, and was valued at $4,000. 1t
is believed that she was fully insured.
Agent Hyde said tonight that he sup
posed the Richmond became disabled in
the great gale of Saturday, and rolled her
self TO pieces in the trough of the sea.
The crew remained board with the
hope that the steamer would ultimately
so ashore, but this was not to be realized.
and they were forced to make a fight for
life without a chance to take to the boats
Had the beach been a sandy one some OF
them might have survived, but there was
shore at Dunkirk