1860 — Sep 8, Steamer Lady Elgin collides with sch., sinks, Lake MI off Winnetka, IL-287~300

–287-~300 Blanchard estimate.*

— ~360 Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). 1982, p.398.
— 350 Disturnell, John. The Great Lakes or Inland Seas of America, 1863, p. 131.
–300-350 Capital Times, Madison, WI. “Wisconsin’s Tragedy of 1860…” Dec 2, 1960, p. 31.
— 340 Historyorb.com. Today in Michigan History.
–245-302 Thompson, Mark L. Graveyard of the Lakes. Wayne State Univ. Press, 2004, p. 149.
— ~300 Childs. A History of the United States In Chronological Order. 1886, p. 170.
— ~300 Mills. Our Inland Seas, 1910, p. 181.
— 300 News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, MI. “Seek Causes…Wisconsin Loss….” 10.30.1929
— ~300 Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals. 1969, p. 44.
— 300 U.S. Treasury Dept. Report…Finances…Year Ending June 30, 1860. 1860, 359-360.
— 297 Alchem Incorporated. “Erie-Huron Shipwrecks.”
— 297 Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks “L”
— 287 Insurance Engineering. Vol. 8, July-Dec, 1904. “Marine Disasters.” P. 81.
— 287 Mansfield, John Brandts. History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899.
— 287 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 684.
— 287 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 100.
— 287 Willsey and Lewis. “Milwaukee,” Harper’s Book of Facts. 1895, p. 514.
— 282 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 251.
— ~270 Wisconsin Historical Society. Dictionary of Wisconsin History, “Lady Elgin.”

*Blanchard: Though four sources include estimates up to 340-350, we choose to use the U.S. Treasury Department report of 300 fatalities as the high-end of our range, particularly in that several other sources note 300 fatalities or include 300 within a reported range. We note in passing, however, that numbers such as 300, 340, 350 or 360, do not bear an aspect of precision and, while possible, appear to be estimates. The lower-end (287) of our estimated range is a more precise number and is derived from presenting breakouts of passengers, excursionists, crew, and survivors.

Narrative Information

Capital Times, Madison, WI, 1960: “The tragic rift that was to plunge this country into a Civil War in 1861 is intimately related lo one of Wisconsin’s greatest disasters—the sinking of the Lady Elgin on Sept. 8, 1860, An account of that calamity appears in the December issue “The Thirtieth Star,” a publication of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. A condensed version of the article, written by Prof. John L. Mahar, of Marquette University, follows.—EDITOR’S NOTE.)

“The Eyes of the nation were turned in sorrow toward Milwaukee in Early September 1860, when news of the sinking of the Lady Elgin spread across the land. Dead in a storm-lashed Lake Michigan were some 300 Milwaukeeans, many of them the city’s most prominent citizens.

“A dispute over the state’s role in the bitter fight over abolition of slavery caused the Milwaukeeans to charter the excursion boat for a fund-raising trip.

“The governor of the state was the radical Republican and violent abolitionist, Alexander Randall. In the early months of 1860 rumors became rife that Wisconsin would secede from the Union unless the federal government abolished slavery. On March 3, 1860, Assemblyman Ben Hunkins of Waukesha County, a stronghold of the abolition movement and a key station on the underground railway, introduced a resolution in the Wisconsin Legislature, directing the governor to declare war against the United States, and appoint Brig. Gen. S. W. Smith commander in chief of all the armies of the state.

“Agents were dispatched to the various companies of the state militia to determine whether, they
would support the state government or the federal government if a crisis developed. Milwaukee had four militia companies of importance – the German Black Jaegers, the German Green Jaegers, the Irish Union Guards under command of Capt. Garrett Barry, and the Nativist Milwaukee Guard under Col. Rufus King.

“When queried as to whom he would support Capt. Barry replied that his allegiance was to the federal government; and that, any other stand would be treasonable. Capt. Barry’s commission was revoked and the Union Guards were required to turn over their arms to the Milwaukee Light Guard.

“The Union Guards, justly proud of their organization having won for themselves a reputation as
one of the best military marching units in the Midwest, were determined not to disband. A lake excursion was proposed to raise funds to be used to buy new equipment, and the Lady Elgin was chartered for a trip to Chicago.

The Lady Elgin, because of her speed, beauty and appointments, soon came to be known as the Queen of the Lakes, and eagerly sought after for excursions. The ship was commanded by an experienced seaman, Capt. Jack Wilson, the man who piloted the first ship into Lake Superior through the Sault Ste. Marie locks in 1855.

“The Lady Elgin was advertised for leave Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p. m. However, she did not arrive in Milwaukee from her Lake Superior run until after 10 p. m. Many of the excursionists became impatient with the wait and returned home. However, between 400 and 500 Milwaukeeans embarked on the ship when she sailed after midnight.

“The excursion party included the Union Guards, representatives from the Black Jaegers and Green Jaeger’s, sympathetic members of the Milwaukee Light Guard, the city band, city officials, delegations, from fire companies and the police force, friends and relatives of the Union Guards, and those just out for a good time.

“The Lady Elgin arrived in Chicago Friday morning without incident. The Lady Elgin left Chicago around 11:30 p.m. heading northeast and freshening. Captain Wilson kept the ship in close to shore; proceeding at a speed of 10 knots. About 2 a. m. a squall came up; the velocity of the wind increasing to gale force.

“The raging storm did not affect he spirits of the excursionists. They were in the merriest of laughing and dancing. Just as he merriment was at its highest a shiver ran through the boat from stem to stern.

“The two-masted schooner Augusta, heavily laden with lumber under command of Capt. Darius Malott, and bound for Chicago from Port Huron, had crashed into the port side of the Lady Elgin, just aft of the paddle wheel. The Augusta hit with such force that her bow pierced its way into the salon of the Lady Elgin. The speed of the Lady Elgin swung the Augusta around to her heading. The Augusta hung for a minute, then slid off, and in five minutes, she was completely out of sight, continuing her voyage to Chicago.

“The Lady Elgin trembled her whole length and fell over on her port side. When she righted herself the lamps were shattered and all was darkness. Pandemonium prevailed on the stricken ship and Capt. Wilson shouted encouragement to the frenzied passengers.. He called upon every bit of his knowledge as a seaman in an attempt to save the ship. Between 150 and 180 head of cattle had been brought aboard in Milwaukee to serve as ballast; he ordered the bawling and stampeding cattle thrown overboard.

“Capt. Wilson ordered the ship’s whistle tied down and the bell rung continuously, hoping to attract a passing ship. He headed the ship toward shore hoping to beach it but this also proved unsuccessful as the inrushing water extinguished the fire under the boiler, and the ship lost way. Finally with a sickening crash the Lady Elgin went down. In sinking, the hurricane deck was detached from the hull, and about a hundred people sought refuge on it. However, succeeding waves broke the huge raft into quarters.

“There were many acts of heroism performed by people fighting for their lives in the raging waters. Capt. Wilson was especially praised by survivors for his coolness and bravery. He was credited with saving the lives of two women just prior to being dashed to death on the rocks. Capt. Barry, true to his duty as an officer, divided honors with Capt. Wilson in his effort to save lives. Finally exhausted and being numbed with cold, he was drowned within a hundred feet of the shore.

“One of the boats had finally managed to get to the shore around 6 a. m., and the people in Winnetka and Evanston were alerted to the awful tragedy. Hundreds of people went down to the bluffs overlooking the lake; hoping to be of some assistance to the struggling people fighting against death. For the most part they could do nothing but watch in horror as person after person succumbed to the waves or was dashed to death on the shore. It was estimated that close to 120 died within a 100 feet of the shore. Some of the survivors were in the water for as long as 14 hours.

“It took eight weeks after the loss of the Lady Elgin to discover the full extent of the calamity. Estimates vary as to the exact number that perished; the figure usually given is 350; only 155 were saved. The newspapers of the time place the number of orphaned at close to 1,000.

“Coroners’ inquests were held in both Chicago and Milwaukee. Their conclusions were essentially the same. There were too many passengers aboard the Lady Elgin. The arrangement of navigational lights on both ships was defective. Captain Malott was a competent and experienced seaman, but censurable for not lying to and giving assistance.” (Capital Times, Madison, WI. “Wisconsin’s Tragedy of 1860…” Dec 2, 1960, p. 31.)

Childs: “Of about four hundred persons on board, less than one hundred were saved.” (Childs, Emery E. A History of the United States In Chronological Order From the Discovery of America in 1492 to the Year 1885. NY: Baker & Taylor, 1886, p. 170.)

Swayze: “The luxurious passenger boat collided with the 2-mast schooner Augusta…in darkness and heavy weather and went to the bottom from a gaping hole in her engine room. The damaged Augusta ran for Chicago, not knowing steamer’s wound would be fatal. Passengers included hundreds of excursionists, a Milwaukee militia group, a group of Milwaukee policemen, two newspaper publishers and a member of the British Parliament. About 100 [of 400 on-board] from the LADY made it to shore on wreckage or in lifeboats. She had been a darling of the lakes for her entire career and her comings and going were reported often in the newspapers of the time… Wreckage was located in 1989…” (Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks “L”.)

US Treasury Dept.: “Of all accidents arising from collision during the past year, that occurring between the passenger steamer “Lady Elgin” and the schooner “Augusta,” on the morning of the 8th of September last, on Lake Michigan, has been by far the most disastrous.

“The inspectors at Chicago have examined into this accident, and from the testimony given and information otherwise obtained, it appears that the history of this steamer and the circumstances attending this disaster were as follows:

“The steamer Lady Elgin was built in Buffalo, during the summer of 1851, by Bidwell & Banta, well-known builders, of established reputation; and Mr. Banta, one of the partners, testified before the coroner’s jury that she was one of the best boats he ever built; that her timbers were unusually heavy, and she was, in every respect, one of the strongest and best boats ever launched by them.

“There also appears from the inspector’s certificate, &c, the testimony that she was fully supplied with boats and oars, pumps, life preservers, &c, as the law requires, and that in every respect she was considered one of the first-class steamers on the lakes.

“She left Chicago, bound for Milwaukie and Lake Superior, about midnight on the 7th of September last, the night dark, and the weather cloudy and threatening. She had on board, as near as could be ascertained, about four hundred passengers, about fifty of whom were bound to Lake Superior, the balance mainly to Milwaukie, a distance of about ninety miles from Chicago; she had also on deck a large number of cattle. It should be remarked that the large number of passengers bound for Milwaukie was chiefly composed of an excursion party returning from Chicago.

“Soon after leaving port the wind commenced blowing, and increased until about 1½ o’clock a. m., when a severe squall was encountered, and during which the collision occurred, at about 2:30 a. m. The schooner struck the steamer just abaft the water wheel, on the port side, cutting entirely through the guard and hull below the water’s edge.

“During the short time that elapsed before the steamer went down, efforts were made to lighten her by forcing the cattle overboard, also to stop the opening made by the collision with mattresses and blankets; but these efforts were attended with but little success, and the steamer went down in from ten to fifteen minutes from the time of the collision.

“From the testimony it appears that the lights of the steamer were seen from the schooner from thirty to forty-five minutes, and the light of the schooner was seen from three to five minutes before the collision; and that the officers of both vessels endeavored to alter their courses so as to clear each other, but that, on account of the squall and heavy sea running, the vessels worked so sluggishly that they could not alter their course sufficiently in the short time before the collision took place.

“It also appears that the light of the schooner must have been hidden from the view of those on board the steamer, by the sails or some other object, so that they were not aware of the proximity of the schooner until too late to avoid the collision. This we think may be considered the immediate cause of the disaster.

“On this point the coroner’s jury say, “they find that both the steamer and the schooner had their lights placed on the night of the disaster in accordance with the requirements of the law, and they consider the first cause of the collision to be the defective arrangement of lights, as appointed by law, to be carried on board of sail vessels.” And further: “The jury, as a further cause of the disaster, censure the second mate of the schooner ‘Augusta’ for not informing the captain of the light (on the steamer) when he came on deck previous to the collision, and for neglecting to keep watch of the steamer’s lights, since he testifies that he saw them three-quarters of an hour previous to the collision; and they further find that the second made was incompetent to manage the schooner.”

“The Chicago inspectors, in their report of the disaster, say: “There is no doubt the accident happened in consequence of the defective manner of carrying lights on sail vessels, which no law regulating steamers can provide for, and we will continually have such heart-rending disasters to report so long as this is not remedied.”

“A vessel’s light is always carried on the sampson-post or pawl-bit, as it is called; and when vessels are by the wind and careened over, which they always are when they have headway enough to do any injury, a steamer heading the wind, coming up under the lee, cannot see the light until just at the moment of collision. This was the case in the collision of the ill-fated “Lady Elgin.”

“The “Lady Elgin” was not provided with water-tight bulkheads, and on this point the coroner’s jury say: “The jury are of opinion that all lake passenger boats should invariably be built with water-tight compartments, and are confident that had this been the case with the ‘Lady Elgin’ the community would have been spared the shock of this lamentable disaster.”

“The Chicago inspectors also say: “We would respectfully recommend that all lake steamers be compelled to have four water-tight bulkheads, dividing the hold into five compartments, which will prevent their sinking in cases of collision.”

“It will be borne in mind that this board have suggested the importance of water-tight bulkheads, and have advocated some legislative action upon the subject. The number of lives lost by this disaster, as near as could be ascertained, is 300, including both passengers and crew.

“The officers of the “Lady Elgin” were of high standing, long experience and good judgment; they were at their posts to the last—the captain and engineer losing their lives; the two mates were saved in consequence of their being in a boat to attempt to stop the opening produced by the collision with mattresses at the time the steamer went down.

“The coroner’s jury, in reference to the officers, say: “They find that the captain and engineers of the ‘Lady Elgin’ stood at their posts after the collision, and did their duty nobly to the last.”

“This disaster to the “Lady Elgin” is one of those classed by us as “accidents caused by vessels not under the law,” and no provision of the present law or any other, limited in its operation to passenger steamers, could have guarded against it. We have been perfectly aware of this deficiency of the law, and have constantly urged some action which should meet the deficiency.

“The inspectors have not unfrequently been censured for matters over which they had no control, and in this very case they were publicly reproached, that the schooner was allowed to carry her lights in a manner so inadequate to the object, and that the number of passengers on board the steamer was so great: when, had those guilty of this censure known the true state of the case, they would have reserved their censures until it could be bestowed where less unmerited.” (US Treasury Dept. Report…Secretary…Finances…Year Ending June 30, 1860. 1860, 359-360.)

Willsey and Lewis: “Wreck of the Lady Elgin, Capt. John Wilson; sunk after collision with schooner Augusta, on her return from Chicago with a party of about 400 excursionists; 225 citizens of Milwaukee drowned, besides 62 other passengers…8 Sept. 1860.” (Willsey and Lewis. “Milwaukee,” Harper’s Book of Facts. 1895, p. 514.)

Wisconsin Historical Society: “The evening of Sept. 7, 1860, the sidewheel steamer, Lady Elgin, bearing about 300 Milwaukeeans who had taken advantage of an excursion rate of $1 for the round trip from Milwaukee to Chicago, put out from Chicago in the face of a threatening storm. At 2:30 on the morning of September 8, 1860, at a point some ten miles out from Waukegan, Ill., the schooner Augusta collided with the Lady Elgin.

“The Lady Elgin was not immediately aware of the extent of the damage and signaled the Augusta that no assistance was needed. But about half an hour after the collision the boilers and engine broke through the bottom of the boat and it began to go to pieces rapidly. In a few minutes all the passengers were struggling in the water. Many of them succeeded in seizing pieces of the wreckage and floated toward shore. A large piece of the hurricane deck held together, and on it Captain Wilson gathered about 50 persons; near shore this raft hit a sandbar and most of the passengers, including the captain, drowned. Many of the survivors managed to get near land, but at the point where the waves broke on the shore they were often carried back by the undertow and drowned. Only about thirty persons came through the breakers alive, and of that number a young Northwestern University student, Edward W. Spencer, saved 17. For days the wreckage and bodies drifted to shore and more than one news story reported how a particular victim floated onto his own property, miles from the disaster scene.” (Wisconsin Historical Society. Dictionary of Wisconsin History, “Lady Elgin”)

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