Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== EAST SHORE NEWS PENTWATER, OCEANA Co., MICH. VOL. I, NO. 38 Friday, 6 October 1871 [extracted marine news] ALONG THE SHORE - BENTON HARBOR. The Palladium rejoices in the fact that the Goodrich Transportation Company are soon to put a steamer on the route between Chicago and Benton Harbor, that in all its appointments will be first class: Already the keel is laid at Manitowoc, Wis., for an elegant steamer to be run here, and her passenger accommodations will be superior to any heretofore enjoyed here, and equal to any found upon any of his excellent boats. She is to be built with the view of g****ting every requirement of our rapidly increasing trade, and safety and (two illegible lines). She will be ready to be put upon the route between this port and Chicago on the opening of navigation next spring. Recent gales on the lakes have caused great loss of vessels and in some instances loss of lives. The bark C. H. HURD, Captain W. O. Harrison, was wrecked off the Manitous. There were twelve persons on board, nine men, the captain and his wife and child, and all perished except the captain, who managed to clutch a floating spar to which he held on until he was drifted ashore on the Southern Island, where he was picked up in an exhausted condition by some of the inhabitants. He was resuscitated, but it is feared he would not live long. The large lake propeller NEBRASKA was burned in the Chicago River on the night of the 27th, and almost totally destroyed. She had on board at the time of the fire a cargo of about 38,000 bushels of wheat and oats, which were a total loss. The value of the boat and contents was about $125,000. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EAST SHORE NEWS PENTWATER, OCEANA Co., MICH. VOL. I, NO. 40 Friday, 20 October 1871 [extracted marine news] {At the meeting of the Common Council, Oct. 13, 1871) A motion was made by Councilman Underhill, that the Light- keeper be instructed to erect a frame suitable for keeping a light on the west end of the south pier; the same to be built like the frame for that purpose on the north pier, and that he be instructed to put up and maintain thereon a red light. Carried. LOCAL. A RED LIGHT has been placed on the south pier, by order of the village council, and a white light is still kept on the north pier. B. Putney still faithfully attends to his duties, by keeping the lamps trimmed and burning. Marine. Thursday passed without a boat from north or south, but early this morning the TOLEDO and METROPOLIS put in an appearance, stating that a very heavy sea detained them. Capt. Hodges, of the TOLEDO, reports the NORTHERN BELLE, bound up with a cargo of coal, lying disabled at Manistee. She was found un- der Point Betsie, by the tug WILLIAMS, with rudder and center board gone, and canvass blown away. She had jettisoned about 250 tons of coal. The schooner LEVANT, bound from Manistee to Chicago with a load of shingles, was wrecked off Sheboygan on Saturday last, and all hands lost but two. One of the latter died fifteen minutes after being taken from the wreck. They were rescued by the schooner DOBBINS. We are informed by a gentleman from Manistee that there are three vessels ashore on Point Aux Bec Scies, two of them loaded with tan bark. A vessel is also reported ashore at Muskegon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EAST SHORE NEWS PENTWATER, OCEANA Co., MICH. VOL. I, NO. 41 Friday, 27 October 1871 [extracted marine news] FOUNDERING OF THE PROPELLER R. G. COBURN Twenty-Eight Persons Saved - Twenty-Five Supposed To Be Lost. From the Detroit Tribune, Oct. 20th. Yesterday, about 2 P.M., the Northern Transportation Company's steamer BROOKLYN arrived at this port and brought the intellgence that two more boats of the lost propeller COBURN had been picked up by a schooner, and had been transferred to the propeller S. D. CALDWELL, on which they were carried to Milwaukee, thence to be sent to Detroit by the first steamer. The BROOKLYN met the steamer in question at Presque Isle; and the particulars of the rescue were learned from the officers. The boats were thought to be about fifteen miles off Point au Barques when found. They contained eighteen persons, and the total number rescued is thus 28, leaving some 25 unaccounted for. These are, no doubt, chiefly the persons who trusted their fate to the cabin which floated off. Nothing reliable is yet known as to who the 18 persons saved are, but they will not be long in reaching Detroit. The name of the schooner which picked up the boats was not remembered by the captain of the BROOKLYN. A reporter of the Tribune conversed yesterday with Mr. James McQueen, one of the 10 men who were picked up in the yawl and bro't to this city on Wednesday evening. Mr. McQueen is an engineer in the em- ploy of S. F. Hodge, of the Michigan Iron Works, and took passage on the COBURN at the Sault, on Saturday morning. The COBURN called at Detour, and left there at 1 P.M. The weather was pleasant, with a light wind, until after 10 o'clock at night. Mr. McQueen sat on the deck smoking until that hour, when he "turned in." He was not dis- turbed till 4 o'clock on Sunday morning when the boat began to pitch some in a heavy sea. He then got up and went down to the engine room to light his pipe. At this time there was no indication of danger, though the boat was rolling considerably. Both engineers were at their post and it was the second engineer's watch. The sea gradually became heavier, and the motion of the boat increased, but still no alarm was felt by the officers until about 6 o'clock, when the motion of the boat was very violent. Mr. McQueen then went on deck, and ob- served that the smokestack was overboard, and while there heard the crashing of the freight below, which was rolling violently to the port side of the vessel. The first mate at this time ordered all hands below to lighten the boat by throwing the freight overboard. Mr. McQueen went down with others, and they attempted first to trim ship, but failing in this, they commenced throwing the freight overboard as hard as they could for half an hour. This did not seem to right or lighten the boat, and Mr. McQueen then went to the hurricane deck and assisted the second mate in hoisting the sail. The captain stood by the bell on the pilot house all this time. After hoisting the sail, the first engineer came on deck, and Mr. McQueen overheard him say to the captain, that the latter must do the best he could on deck, for he (the engineer) could do but little more below. The engineer then went below again, and kept the engine at work. Shortly after this, the mate ordered all hands below, for the second time, to get the freight overboard, and Mr. McQueen went with them and worked for some time, and then went on deck again. About this time the second mate ordered the boats to be cut away, saying that the vessel was sinking. Mr. McQueen then went upon the hurricane deck, and seeing the engineer with a life preserver around him, asked how things were going. The latter replied that he must take care of himself, as the boat was sinking. Mr. McQ. looked over the arch, saw that the covering bound of the vessel was under water, and immediately started for one of the life boats. Before he could get in, the boat gave a lurch with a loud crash, and the hull sank, leaving the hurri- cane deck on the surface of the water. He then got into a life boat with others, but was pitched out into the water, and for some minutes lost consciousness, finding himself, when restored to his senses, in the yawl boat with nine other men. This boat was picked up by a schooner before nightfall. Mr. McQueen confirms the report that Indian agent Smith was on board with his wife, and the probability is that they are among the lost. Mr. McQ., a short time before the boat went down, talked with Mr. Smith through the window of the latter's state room, urging him to put on a life preserver, and offering him one, but Mr. Smith appeared hopeless, saying that the boat was going down, and that a life pre- server would do no good in such a sea. Mr. McQ. then urged him to get Mrs. Smith out on the deck, and put a life preserver on her, but Mr. Smith said she was too sick to leave the state room. As Mr. Smith was not seen afterwards, it is hardly probably that he is among the sur- vivors. DISASTERS ON THE LAKES. Public attention has of late been so absorbed by the terrible doings of the hurricane of fire that has swept over our northern country, that the effects of wind upon the lakes have either been lost sight of or ignored as a lesser evil. Nevertheless many noble vessels have gone down, including the large propeller "COBURN," and many valuable lives lost, the details of which will be found upon our first page. Upon our own shore between Northport and Muskegon no less than five vessels have been wrecked, and upon Superior, Huron and Erie the number is large. The Detroit and Milwaukee dailies have columns de- voted to a recital of the disasters upon the water, and the East Shore man looks impatiently upon the rapidly progressing railroad as a safer means of communication with the outside world that can be offered by never so good a boat. ALONG THE SHORE. - Frankfort. A large amount of lumber has made its appearance on the beach lately, evidently the deck loads of storm-driven vessels. The scow "TIMES" is aground at Frankfort, owing to the "lights on the pier going out." The light keeper's light will probably be ex- tinguished. - Grand Traverse. The Herald mentions the foundering of the schooner "JOHN BURT," at the dock at Leland. She had on board 600 tons of iron ore. ===========================================================================