1875 — Sep 10, steamer Mendota sinks, Lake Michigan storm, off Point Betsie, MI –10-12

–12 Daily Ledger-Standard, New Albany, IN. “Foundering of the Mendota…” 9-14-1875, p. 1.
–12 Mansfield, John Brandts (Editor). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 730.
–12 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 150.
–11 Salem Monitor, MO. “West and South.” 11-4-1875, p. 2, col. 1.
–10 Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Mendota (Propeller), sunk, 10 Sep 1875.”

Narrative Information

Mansfield: “Other Fatal Losses in the Same Storm [9-10-1875] – The propeller Mendota and one of her consorts, the Evening Star, foundered in the same storm on Lake Michigan, with a loss of 12 lives. The Mendota and two barges, Morning Star and Evening Star, loaded with coal at Buffalo for Chicago, and left September 1. There were twenty persons aboard the propeller, including the captain’s wife and the steward’s wife. Early Friday morning, September 10, 1875, the Morning Star broke adrift. The arches of the propeller broke away, and she began to make water. About eight miles east of Point Sable they let go the other barge. The sea was running so high that the two life-boats could not be launched, and when the propeller went down eight of the crew reached one of the boats and were saved, among them Captain Fairbanks. William Crossthwaite, son of the owner, had a miraculous escape. He clung to a fragment of the hurricane deck, and after he had been in the water nearly 50 hours was picked up Sunday afternoon by the bark Naiad. When the Mendota let go the barge Evening Star, the latter was leaking. Two pumps were started, but when eight hours later Capt. James Bennett found that in spite of the vigorous pumping there were seven feet of water in the hold, he called all hands and told them they would have to abandon the barge. Up to this time she had answered the helm, but now became unmanageable. The one boat, fifteen feet long, was launched and the entire crew of seven got away. Though the seas ran high, and the water had to be constantly bailed out, the boat was kept afloat till she reached shore, 27 hours later, at Amsterdam, Wisconsin.” (Mansfield (Editor). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 730.)

Maritime History of the Great Lakes: “Mendota (Propeller), sunk, 10 Sep 1875.”
“Reason: sunk
“Lives: 10
….
Geographic Coverage: Point Betsie, Michigan, United States
Donor: William R. McNeil

Swayze: “Mendota. Steamer. Lake Michigan: Only sketch references to the loss of the Mendota on September 10, 1875, seem to exist. Reports say only that she went down on the lake with 12 of her crew lost.” (Shipwreck!…Directory…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 150.)

Newspapers

Sep 13: “Chicago, Sept. 13. – The propeller Depere arrived in Milwaukee yesterday and her officers gave a brief account of the foundering of the Mendota. The Mendota, with the barge Evening Star, was sailing along the west shore of Lake Michigan Thursday night, and at a point opposite Point Betsy foundered and was soon sinking…

“The crew and passengers numbered twenty persons in all. The life boat was launched, and seven of the persons on board got into her, and the remaining thirteen went down with the boat. The life boat reached Manitowoc in safety, as also the barge Morning Star. The propeller Truesdel, being at Manitowoc, took the barge in tow and reached Milwaukee [down the coast] with her last evening….She had on a cargo of coal, and was bound upwards.

“The son of the owner of the boat was on board with his wife, and he managed to get into the life boat, but his wife failed to do so, and he jumped back on the sinking boat and was drowned with her [he was rescued 50 hours later]….

“….A member of the crew states that at 1 o’clock Friday morning [10th] the waves began breaking over the Mendota, and she parted the line by which she was towing the barge Morning Star. The water kept gaining till 5 o’clock, when the other barge, the Evening Star, was thrown off.

“Soon after the boats were lowered and the Captain, his son, first mate and some of the crew climbed into the larger one. The smaller one was taken by some of the crew, who almost immediately pulled away. The father and wife of the Captain were left. The father was 70 years old. He was trying to get to the boat when last seen. The steward stood with his wife and went down with her. The story is related also by another member of the crew, who speaks in terms of praise of the conduct of the Captain and officers.

“The Mendota was eighteen years old and owned by Wm. Crossthwaite, of Buffalo. His son perished on the boat. She carried a large cargo of coal, and was valued at $30,000. The cargo was insured, but the vessel was not. It is feared the barge Event Star is lost. She had six men aboard [she survived].

Latest Particulars.

“Chicago, Sept. 14. – The list of lost and saved in the Mendota disaster, as given by Chief Engineer Ness, are: Lost – [we break paragraphed information into separate lines]

William Crossthwaite, owner’s son, acting as clerk [floated on debris 50 hours, rescued],
F. Fairbanks, The Captain’s father, who was along on a pleasure trip,
Eliza Fairbanks, Captain’s wife,
Charles Dean, Steward, and
his wife, of Bay city; they had been cooking on the Bradbury for four years,
Ed. Hughes, second engineer, of Buffalo, single, thirty years old,
Patrick Ryan, first wheelman, of Bay City, Mich.,
William Frankford, watchman, Bay City,
Edward Muligan and
John Carrol, deckhands.

(Daily Ledger-Standard, New Albany, IN. “Lake Michigan. Foundering of the Mendota on the West Shore of the Lake.” 9-14-1875, p. 1.)

Sep 15: “W. S. Crossthwaite, who was reported as lost on the Mendota on the Lakes, has been heard from, and it is believed that others have been saved.” (Boston Daily Globe. “Abbreviated Dispatches.” 9-15-1875, p. 1.)

Sep 16: “W. S. Crosthwaite, son of the owner of the Mendota, who was aboard her, but was saved by the bark Naiad, gives some interesting statements of his experience, which we take from the Inter Ocean of the 16th inst.:

He was on the hurricane deck with the others when one of the boats was got ready. It could not be got over the arch, and getting into it, they waited until the propeller’s stern went down, when the boat floated off. Mr. Crosthwaite was in it, but at the last moment stepped back aboard the sinking steamer and ran forward, his determination being to save the two ladies if possible, or at least make an effort. The names of the occupants of the boat, the captain, first engineer, one wheelsman, a fireman, and several deck hands, who escaped and arrived in Chicago, have already been repeatedly given. It was the hope of Crosthwaite to regain his place in the boat when it came up forward, but while the captain made an effort to reach Mr. C. again, the latter saw that it was futile. A moment or two later the steamer went down, the upper works breaking off and floating with the wind and sea. Mrs. Fairbanks was on quite a large raft and was provided with two preservers. The second cook, a woman, also had two preservers, and was seen on a raft. The remainder of the crew left aboard when the boat pushed off had one or two preservers each, and were clinging to various portions of the wreck. Mr. Crosthwaite took to a large piece of the hurricane deck. During the afternoon of the day on which the propeller foundered (Friday) he saw the first cook, the watchman, and the engineer Hughes, on one raft, and two deck-hands on another, from one to three miles distant from him. Darkness came on, and all the rafts were lost sight of. It continued story through Friday night and Saturday and Saturday night, but toward Sunday morning calmed, and the sea became smooth. All through these long, weary hours, the gentleman was, of course, without food or sleep. He says he did not feel hungry at all, and only took one drink of water during all this time. With a promising future and the many tender ties binding him to this life, he fought for it with desperation, the greatest danger being that of falling asleep. He kept moving about, and bathing his temples, but despite his greatest exertions he now and then dozed off, and several times narrowly escaped rolling off into the water. He left the sinking steamer at daybreak on Friday, and not until Sunday afternoon did he attract the attention of a passing vessel. The craft proved to be the bark Naiad, Captain Williams. She bore down for him, and at four o’clock he was picked up.”

(Hillsdale Standard, MI. “The Mendota.” 9-21-1875, p. 2.)

Sep 16: “The steam barge Mendota, foundered off Point Betsey, near Traverse City, Lake Michigan, in the late storm. Her crew consisted of twenty persons, thirteen of whom were drowned. When the life-boat was launched one woman refused to go in it, and her husband sprang back and joined her, both going to a water grave together.” (Centralia Sentinel, IL. “The News.” 9-16-1875, p. 2, col. 2.)

Sep 17: “The Chicago propeller Mendota that went to the bottom of Lake Michigan recently, was overloaded and ready to fall to pieces from rottenness when she left the port.” (Cairo Bulletin, IL. “Editorial Notes.” 9-17-1875, p. 2, col. 2.)

Oct 25: “Holland, Mich., Oct. 25. The body of a man was found on the beach of Lake Michigan, a few miles north of this harbor, on Saturday. Seventy-five dollars in money was found on his person. A portion of the stern of a boat was also sound and identified as a part of the propeller Mendota. The body was badly decomposed, but was supposed to be one of the Mendota’s crew. An inquest was held. There was nothing found on or about the body by which it could be identified.” (Sandusky Daily Register, OH. “Body Found.” 10-26-1875, p. 1.)

Sources

Boston Daily Globe. “Abbreviated Dispatches.” 9-15-1875, p. 1. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-sep-15-1875-p-1/

Cairo Bulletin, IL. “Editorial Notes.” 9-17-1875, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cairo-bulletin-sep-17-1875-p-2/

Centralia Sentinel, IL. “The News.” 9-16-1875, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-sentinel-sep-16-1875-p-2/

Daily Ledger-Standard, New Albany, IN. “Lake Michigan. Foundering of the Mendota on the West Shore of the Lake.” 9-14-1875, p. 1. Accessed 12-8-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-standard-sep-14-1875-p-1/

Hillsdale Standard, MI. “The Mendota.” 9-21-1875, p. 2. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hillsdale-standard-sep-21-1875-p-2/

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.html — Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “Mendota (Propeller), sunk, 10 Sep 1875.” Accessed 12-8-2020 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/57356/data

Salem Monitor, MO. “West and South.” 11-4-1875, p. 2, col. 1. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salem-monitor-nov-04-1875-p-2/

Sandusky Daily Register, OH. “Body Found.” 10-26-1875, p. 1. Accessed 12-9-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-daily-register-oct-26-1875-p-1/

Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publications, Inc., 1992.