1863 — Aug 28, sidewheel Sunbeam sinks, Lake Superior gale, off Eagle Harbor, MI –26-35

–26-35 Blanchard estimated death-roll range.*

— 47 Supervising Inspector of Steamboats (A. Guthrie, 8th US District). 1863, p. 184.
–21 crew
–26 passengers
— 35 Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Disaster on Lake Superior…Thirty-five…Lost.” 9-7-1863, 1.
–25-35 Wolff, Julius F., Jr. Lake Superior Shipwrecks. 1990, p. 10.
— 34 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 263.
— 34 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 260.
— 34 McNeil. “Sunbeam (Steamboat), sunk, 28 Aug 1863.” Maritime History…Great Lakes.
— 34 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 684.
— 34 Winona Daily Republican, MN. “Terrible Steamboat Disaster!” 9-7-1863, p. 2, col. 3.
— ~29 Cass County Republican, Dowagiac, MI. “Awful Disaster on Lake Superior.” 9-10-1863, 3.
— ~20 crew
— 10 passengers
— 29 Simpson. US Cong. House Merchant Marine Cmte. The Seamen’s Bill Hearings, 1914, 302.
— 28 Swayze, David D. Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter S.
— 26 Mansfield. Great Lakes Maritime History, Vol. 1, Chapter 38, 1862-1870. 1899, p. 695.
— 21 crew
–6-8 passengers
— 26 Swayze, David D. Shipwreck!…Directory…Shipwrecks on…Great Lakes. 1992, p. 226.
— 25 Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Loss of the Sunbeam.” Sep 9, 1863, p. 1.
— 10 Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Sep 8, 1863, p. 2.

* Blanchard estimated death-roll range. There not being a definitive list of fatalities, we choose to resort to an estimated death-toll range. For the low end of this range we choose to rely on Mansfield and Swayze (26). For the high-end (35) we choose to rely on Wolff and the Wisconsin State journal report of 9-7-1863, which also matches with the number we derive in our attempt to compile a listing of fatalities at the end of the document, before the listing of sources.

We choose not to use the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats report of 47 fatalities in that we can find no support for such a death toll elsewhere (and we have attempted a newspaper archive search through the end of the year). While there are many newspaper reports on this loss, the numbers reported as the death toll mirror what we already note above, so we choose not to be duplicative.

Narrative Information

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Sunbeam…398 [tons] foundered…3 28 1863 [sic, 8 28 1863]…Near Eagle Harbor, Mich. …34.” (Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 260.)

Mansfield: “1863. Sunbeam Lost on Lake Superior. – The steamer Sunbeam was lost in a hurricane on Lake Superior August 28, 1863, with all on board, except John Frazer, the wheelsman. She was a passenger steamer, plying between Superior and Portage lake. She left Superior August 26. The story of the sole survivor is substantially as follows: When the Sunbeam came out from Ontonagon, the wind was blowing fresh from the north. A gale struck them several hours later, the wind shifting to north-northeast. She rode the storm till next morning, when the captain attempted to put her about to face the gale, as she had become unmanageable and all hopes of reaching Copper Harbor, 24 miles east, had failed him, and as there was no harbor west that could be entered in such a storm nearer than Bayfield. The sea was so rough that it was only occasionally they could see the steamer Michigan, less than two miles distant. Before attempting to turn around, the boat headed two points north of east, the wind, a little east of north, striking her quarter. When they put her about she fell into the trough of the sea and rolled terribly. Unable to move her by machinery, they ran up her jib, but she failed to come up or pay away and the jib was hauled down. Her engine was in motion but doing no good. The jib was hauled up a second time to try for the shore but she could not be made to right up into the wind. About this time she careened, her pilot house lying flat with the water. She was held in that position by the gale; the successive waves beating against her with such force as to break her to pieces, and she soon filled with water, and sank. It was conjectured that the water had got between her side and her false side, waterlogging her and rendering her unmanageable.

“The captain had told Frazer to stick to the wheel and do what he could to turn her if she righted again, but when Frazer saw no hopes of her coming up again, and the mad waves running over her he broke the window on the upper side of the pilot house and made his way to the small boats. Of these there were three, two lifeboats and a yawl, but one of the lifeboats had disappeared. The two remaining boats were filled with passengers and crew. Frazer got into the yawl where he had only standing room, but just then a woman, he thinks the chambermaid, begged to be taken aboard. Frazer jumped out upon a piece of the hurricane deck, and the woman was taken aboard. The self-sacrificing wheelman lashed himself to the fragment of deck with the signal halyards of the flagstaff, floating near, and soon after picked up a demijohn, which he secured with the ends of the rope.

“When Frazer left the wreck the upper cabin had been swept off, and she soon after gradually settled and sank, bow downward. He thinks that there were still some passengers below. Frazer saw the yawl go down, and also saw the lifeboat upside down, and two men lying crosswise upon it, swept out of sight. He was on the raft from 8 o’clock Friday evening until 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon. He neared the shore where the red sandstone rocks rose in an almost perpendicular cliff. The waves dashed his raft to pieces against the rocks, cutting his forehead and bruising his knees and shoulder. He fell back into the water, but the next wave dashed him against the rocks, where he caught upon a shelving projection and crawled into a small cavern. Here he remained about eight hours waiting for the wind to subside and the sea to go down. Then, weak and benumbed from cold, he crawled up on shore. He was about 35 miles above Eagle river and 12 or 15 miles from Portage, across the country. He remained on the shore till Monday afternoon, when he signaled to a party coasting along the shore in a small boat from Ontonagon, and was rescued. The crew numbered 21 persons, and there were six or eight passengers aboard. Frazer was the only survivor.

“The Sunbeam was a stanch boat of 400 tons burden, built in 1861 at Manitowoc. She had five water-tight compartments, was elegantly furnished, and was a favorite with the lake-traveling public.” (Mansfield 1899)

McNeil: “Notes
Reason: sunk
Lives: 34
Hull damage: $30,000
Remarks: Total loss
Date of original: 1863
….
Geographic Coverage: Eagle Harbor, Michigan, United States
….
Donor: William R. McNeil
(McNeil, William R.. “Sunbeam (Steamboat), sunk, 28 Aug 1863.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes.)

Simpson: “In the year 1863 the steamer Sunbeam was lost on the south shore of Lake Superior, with a loss of 29 persons. These left the sinking steamer in the lifeboats, which, however, soon swamped. Charles Frazier, a wheelsman, who lived at Superior City, Wis., lashed himself to the top of the pilot house, which was washed ashore 30 hours afterwards near Portage, 20 miles from the scene of the disaster.” (Simpson. US Cong. House Merchant Marine Committee. The Seamen’s Bill Hearings, 1914, p. 302.)

Supervising Inspector of Steamboats (A. Guthrie, 8th US District): “There have been a few accidents, such as probably will ever occur…but there has been nothing requiring a more extended notice, with the single exception of the foundering of the steamer Sunbeam, on Lake Superior, on the 28th of August, during a gale of almost unprecedented violence, involving the loss of twenty-six (26) passengers, and twenty-one (21) officers and crew, a wheelsman only being saved. Painful as this case is, it can hardly be classed as an accident which human prudence could have prevented. The vessel was quite new, and supposed to be very strongly and substantially built, with a powerful, good engine, which continued to work until almost the last moment.

“The Captain, William Dougall, was an old and experienced officer, with a high reputation for sobriety, prudence, and foresight; the other officers, together with the engineers (Messrs. Healey and Murray), were considered equally qualified for their respective positions; but such was the fury of the storm, that no skill, it seems, could save the vessel, and all but one perished.

“It is hardly possible that this disaster can convey an instructive lesson by which others may be guided hereafter, but it is one of those cases that seen now and then to arise hardly to be provided against.” (Guthrie, A., Eighth Supervising District. Annual report of the board of supervising inspectors of steamboats. Washington, November 2, 1863, p. 184.)

Swayze:
Other names : built as steamer VICTOR, renamed in 1862
Official no. : none
Type at loss : sidewheel steamer, wood, passenger & package freight
Build info : 1861, Bates & Son, Manitowoc, WI
Specs : 169x24x10, 398 gt
Date of loss : 1863, Aug 28
Place of loss : off Keweenaw Pt
Lake : Superior
Type of loss : storm
Loss of life : 28 of 29
Carrying : passengers
Detail : Caught in a gale above Eagle Harbor while in company of the steamer MICHIGAN, she broke up and foundered offshore between Ontonagon and Portage Lake. Her crew took to her small lifeboats and were all lost except the wheelsman who had forsaken a boat for a piece of floating wreckage. He sustained himself for over 30 hours on the contents of a large bottle of port wine that had drifted near. Built with an unusual and unsuccessful Wittaker side propeller propulsion system, which was removed after its first year of service in favor of a standard sidewheel powerplant. Owned by the Goodrich Line of Chicago. Master: Capt. Ratteray(d).
(Swayze, David D. Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter S.)

Newspaper

Sep 7: “Chicago, Sept. 7. The steamer Planet brings news that the steamer Sunbeam foundered on Lake Superior the 28th of August. All on board except the wheelsman lost. The wheelsman lashed himself to a piece of the wreck, and after floating thirty hours washed ashore at Portage, twenty miles from the scene of the disaster. He reports that the Sunbeam left Superior City on Thursday. Early the next morning during a gale the steamer was struck by a heavy sea, which rolled her over on her side. The small boats were immediately got out and the passengers and crew were being put into them when the vessel was struck by another heavy sea, and commenced breaking up.

“The rescued man saw the boats filled with passengers and the crew swamp soon after leaving the wreck, and is certain all were lost but himself. The Planet picked up portions of the wreck which were floating about for two miles around where the vessel went down.

“The passengers and crew numbered 35 persons. The names of those lost so far as ascertained are as follows; — Passengers – A. Sherman and son, A. Cohen, of Ontonagon. Cres – Dougal, captain; W. A. Gardner, clerk; Thos. F. Healy, first engineer; Patrick and J. O. Donnel, 1st and 2d mates of Detroit; O. McHall cabin boy, of Chicago; Jas Gutters, foreman. The scene of the disaster was a little North West of Eagle river ten miles out.” (Winona Daily Republican, MN. “Terrible Steamboat Disaster!” 9-7-1863, p. 2, col. 3.)

Sep 8: “The following is addition in regard to the Steamer Sunbeam: The Sunbeam left Superior City Thursday. Early next morning, during the gale, the steamer, was struck by a heavy sea, which rolled her over on her side. The small boats immediately got out. The passengers and crew being put into them, when the vessel was struck by another heavy sea, and commenced breaking up. The crew and passengers numbered 35 names. The lost us far as ascertained is as follows: [10]

A. [Abner ] Sherman and son;
A. [Augustus ] Cohen [or Coburn ], Ontonagon.
Crew
Captain Dougal,
W.A. Gardner, clerk;
Thomas F. Kealy, first engineer;
Patrick and O’Donnell, first and second Mates, of Detroit.
W.D. Collins, saloon keeper;
O. McKale, cabin boy, of Chicago;
Jas. Butler, fireman.

“The scene of the disaster was located a little northeast of Eagle River, ten miles out.” (Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Sep 8, 1863, p. 2.)

Sep 9: “From Chicago Times, yesterday. The steamer Planet, just arrived in Chicago, brought with her the only survivor of the wreck of the Sunbeam, which vessel went down off the mouth of Eagle river, in Lake Superior, with about 25 souls, as already reported in The Times. The man rescued from a watery grave was a wheelsman who had been shipped at Superior City the day before the loss of the vessel. His name is Charles Frasier. He was examined before Inspector Outhrie [unclear], yesterday. The following narrative is principally deducted from his testimony:

“The Sunbeam was a side-wheel steamer, owned by A. E. Goodrich, commanded by Capt. William Dougal, and was running to Lake Superior, in conjunction with the Sea Bird, Planet, and Comet. She was built in 1860 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and was 398 tons burden, being accounted a very superior boat. She left Superior City on Wednesday, and called at Ontonagon on Thursday evening, taking on wood there. She left thence for Portage, and arrived off the mouth of Eagle River, being about fifteen miles from shore, early on Friday morning. Here the gale, which had commenced the night before, suddenly increased in violence, and the vessel became unmanageable. From 12 o’clock at night till near 6 in the morning they labored to keep her on her course, but she made no headway, as she careened so much that although the engines were kept at work they lost their propelling power, and having no forward motion she did not answer the helm. About 6 o’clock the Captain decided upon returning to some port, and tried to turn the vessel round, heading her into the lake and putting the jib up for that purpose. This was found to be ineffectual, and they hauled the jib down again, and the vessel keeled over to leeward worse than ever, the seas making clean breaches over her. The engineer came up and spoke to the captain, who told him to put all the steam on he possibly could. The jib was run up a second time, but nothing was gained, and for a while longer the vessel beat about at the mercy of the waves, everything on board being in the wildest confusion, and no one expecting other than almost instant death. It is not known whether she made much water or not, but about six o’clock the weather bulwarks were smashed by the waves and the captain then ordered all hands below to try and right her by moving the freight and luggage. Finding this to be impossible, he ordered them all on deck. Now ensued an indescribable scene. They were climbing about in all directions – dashed here and there by the waves, some cursing, others praying, but all in a state of wild despair. Frasier remained in the wheelhouse, being told to do so by the captain, although it did not seem that any good would be accomplished by so doing. A push was now made for the boats, and the yawl and one of the life-boats was got out and packed full of men. There was but one female on board – the cabin maid. Seeing the yawl full, Frazer thought it about time to look out for himself, but the door of the wheelhouse was under water, and resisted all his efforts to open it. He smashed a window on the opposite side and crowded through. He then jumped into the yawl, and got a place on the stern, but, seeing the cabin-maid in the water, crying to be taken on board, he jumped into the lake and assisted her to a place in the boat. He then began to think that the boat heavily laden as it was presented but a poor chance of escape, and concluded to trust himself to the vessel. He returned to the hurricane deck, and the flag staff falling across near him, he cut the lanyards from it and lashed himself to the deck. The vessel was now lying on her beam ends, and the waves breaking over her at every motion carried away necessarily the different parts of the cabins, breaking everything to pieces, and finally washing him and his hurricane life preserver into the water. For two or three minutes more the hull of the vessel lay like a scow in the water being pushed about fearfully, then went down head foremost. Frazier floated off securely, but was terribly bruised by the pieces of the wreck which were dashed against him.

“Once or twice a body floated past him, and one of them came so near that he could almost touch it. Another minute and he saw the yawl with its cargo of humanity go down from the crest of a wave with a plunge, then a wild shriek, and all was over; the yawl had gone under and not one of the party who trusted their lives in her were saved. As he was thrown about he soon afterwards came near one of the life boats which was upset and two of the deck hands were on her keel. They hung on there for half an hour, then one was washed off and his companion soon followed. Frazier was now left alone on the wild waste of waters. Of all that company no one else remained above the surface. Around him were the angry waves…

“It was about 8 o’clock on Friday morning that the vessel went down, and from that time till 2 o’clock on Saturday, a space of thirty hours, he was lashed to that raft with nothing to sustain him but a demijohn of port wine, which, floating past him, he eagerly seized and used at those intervals when a slight cessation of the rocking motion permitted him to apply it to his lips. He was washed ashore twelve or fifteen miles above Portage, and thirty to thirty-five miles above Eagle River. The shore here, and for many miles each way, is a high bluff of sandstone rock. Frazer struck his head against the rock, receiving an ugly would on the forehead, which nearly made him senseless. He managed to crawl on the cliff, and then sank exhausted, lying on the ground unable to move till Sunday, when he crawled a distance of eight miles towards Portage. Here he was picked up by two men who took him to Hancock, where he was taken on board the Planet….

“The Sunbeam was on her return trip, and in the absence of news from Superior City it is not possible to say how many lives were lost. Frazer was only shipped at Superior City, and spent most of the intervening time in the wheel-house. He believes that there were five passengers on board, and it is probable that the crew numbered about twenty besides the cabin maid, who, he asserts, was the only female on board….” (Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Loss of the Sunbeam.” Sep 9, 1863, p. 1.)

Sunbeam Fatalities
(>19 crew and 7 passengers, for total of 26)

Crew
(Reporting is of 20-21 crew onboard.)

1. Butler, Jas. Fireman
2. Collins, W. D. (or M.H. ) Saloon keeper Chicago IL
3. Donnel, J. O. (or O’Donell ) Second mate Detroit MI
4. Donnel, Patrick (or O’Donell ) First mate Detroit MI
5. Dougal, William Captain
6. Gardner [Gardiner? ), Willis A. Clerk
7. Healey, Thomas F. First engineer Detroit, MI
8. McHale, Jas (or O. McKale) Cabin boy Chicago IL
9. Murray, Mr. 2nd engineer
10. Unnamed female Chambermaid
11. Unnamed “Indian” Deckhand
12. Unnamed “Indian” Deckhand
13. Unnamed Crewmember
14. Unnamed Crewmember
15. Unnamed Crewmember
16. Unnamed Crewmember
17. Unnamed Crewmember
18. Unnamed Crewmember
19. Unnamed Crewmember

Passengers
1. Bird, Rev. Passenger Houghton MI
2. Coburn, Augustus Passenger Ontonagon MI
3. Isham, W. J. Passenger? Chicago IL
4. Shepherd, Mrs. Hancock
5. Sheppard, Mr. Passenger
6. Sherman, Abner T. Passenger Ontonagon MI
7. Sherman, son of Abner, 15 Passenger Ontonagon MI

Sources

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Cass County Republican, Dowagiac, MI. “Awful Disaster on Lake Superior.” 9-10-1863, p. 3. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-cass-county-republican-sep-10-1863-p-3/

Chicago Tribune. “An Editor Drowned.” 9-15-1863, p. 4, col. 1. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-daily-tribune-sep-15-1863-p-4/

Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Late Disaster on Lake Superior.” 9-11-1863, p. 4. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-daily-tribune-sep-11-1863-p-4/

Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Loss of the Sunbeam.” Sep 9, 1863, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=119990101

Eau Claire Free Press, WI. “Fearful Casualty on Lake Superior.” 9-17-1863, p. 1. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eau-claire-daily-free-press-sep-17-1863-p-1/

Evergreen City Times, Sheboygan, WI. “Terrible Disaster. Loss of the Steamer Sunbeam.” 9-12-1863, p. 4. Accessed 1-16-2021: https://newspaperarchive.com/evergreen-city-times-sep-12-1863-p-4/

Hillsdale Standard, MI. “The Loss of the Steamer Sunbeam.” 9-15-1863, p. 1. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hillsdale-standard-sep-15-1863-p-1/

Lansing State Republican, MI. “Loss of the Steamer Sunbeam.” 9-16-1863, p. 3, col. 7. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-lansing-state-republican-sep-16-1863-p-3/

Lytle, William M., compiler, from Official Merchant Marine Documents of the United States and Other Sources; Holdcamper, Forrest H. (Editor, and Introduction by). Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. “The Lytle List.” Mystic, CT: Steamship Historical Society of America (Publication No. 6), 1952. Accessed 8-16-2020 at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018039084&view=1up&seq=8&size=125

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. Google digitized. Accessed 1-15-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

McNeil, William R.. “Sunbeam (Steamboat), sunk, 28 Aug 1863.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/37992/data?n=1

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

Ratigan, William. Great Lakes Shipwrecks & Survivals (New Revised and Enlarged Edition). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1969.

Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. [Steamer Sunbeam loss.] 9-8-1863, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=120021078

Simpson, Capt. Fred J., representing the Shipmasters’ Association, p. 302, in U.S. Congress, House Merchant Marine Committee. The Seamen’s Bill Hearings. Washington, DC: 1914. Accessed 1-15-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=fDkuAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=true

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Annual report of the board of supervising inspectors of steamboats. Washington, November 2, 1863; in House of Representatives, 38th Congress, 1st Session (Executive Document No. 3). Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the State of the Finances, for the Year Ending June 30, 1863. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1863. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=6YPPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=sunbeam&f=false

Swayze, David D. Great Lakes Shipwrecks S. Accessed 9-5-2009 and 1-15-2021 at:
http://www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck/s.htm

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

Winona Daily Republican, MN. “Terrible Steamboat Disaster!” 9-7-1863, p. 2, col. 3. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/winona-daily-republican-sep-07-1863-p-2/

Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Disaster on Lake Superior…Thirty-five Persons Lost.” 9-7-1863, p. 1. Accessed 1-16-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-sep-07-1863-p-1/

Wolff, Julius F., Jr. Lake Superior Shipwrecks: Complete Reference to Maritime Accidents and Disasters. Duluth, MN: Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 1990.