J.V. Brown, Esq., Editor of the Lake Superior Journal, who was on board
the Monticello, gives the following graphic account of the disaster:
It becomes our painful duty to record the most perilous shipwreck that
has ever occurred on Lake Superior, and having been a passenger on board
the Monticello at the time, we are enabled to give all the particulars
in relation to the loss of the vessel, and the hardships of the
passengers and crew. We went on board the Ontonagon on the afternoon of
the 22d September, 1851, on her return from Fond du Lac. She left the
river at half-past five o'clock bound for the Sault, with about one
hundred persons, twenty tons of copper from the Minnesota mine, and a
few barrels of fish from La Pointe, and in coming out of the harbor one
of the wheels struck a floating log very heavily, and it is supposed to
have loosened the packing boxes around one of the shafts.--She lay on
the bar a few minutes on her way out, but the sea at that time was
light, and we cannot think it possible that she sprang a leak from the
effects of the slight pounding on the light sand.
[Illustration: LOSS OF THE MONTICELLO.]
We had been out about half an hour, when the firemen discovered the
water rising around the floors of the engine; they communicated the fact
to Capt. Wilson, and it was made known to the passengers, but the leak
was not thought to be serious, and created but very little alarm. The
pump was put into operation, and on examination the captain and engineer
seemed confident that the pump would keep her clear till we could run
down to Eagle harbor, a distance of sixty miles; but it was soon
discovered, that the water was fast gaining on the pump, and
preparations were made immediately for raising water by means of barrels
and buckets.
The wind was blowing at first from the westward, but soon changed to the
northwest--it was fresh but fair, and aided by sails and all the steam
that it was prudent to carry, she came on at a rapid rate, still keeping
on her course, in hopes to make the harbor. The passengers and crew
worked steadily at the pumps, but the water continued gradually to gain
on them. The most of the copper and all the other freight was thrown
overboard with a hearty good will--the wealth of the mine seeming of but
little consequence at such a time. Every possible means were employed to
raise water, and every passenger assisted to the utmost of his strength
and ability to keep the sinking vessel afloat. Two pumps, three
barrels, and a half dozen pails were constantly in motion, and still the
water gained steadily, but surely, on their efforts.
We had now been out about three hours, the wind and waves constantly
increasing, when it was found, there was little hope of reaching Eagle
harbor; the water had risen nearly to the fires, and was fast gaining
ground, notwithstanding all the exertions of those on board. After
remaining on her course a few minutes longer, the boat was headed toward
the land, and new efforts were put forth to encourage all on board to
assist at the pumps and barrels. By this time there was three feet of
water or more in the hold, and she moved and rolled heavily through the
seas, the wood having to be shifted from one side of the vessel to the
other, to keep her in trim.
One fire after the other was rolled into the water, and it became
evident to the most hopeful that they would be extinguished entirely,
and it was still thought, the wind would take her in under the land even
if the steam should fail. It was not long before the fires were reported
out--the engines worked lazily for a short time, the clicking of the
valves became faint and less frequent, and finally, like the dying
struggle of a strong man, it ceased altogether.
Wearied with incessant exertions at the pumps, many gave out and
retired to the cabins, seeming to prefer rest to escape from the watery
grave into which they were fast sinking. Some were even forced into the
hold, to fill barrels and pails, and new efforts were put forth to
induce the suffering crew and passengers to hold out an hour longer,
with the assurance that we could reach land in that time. With this
hope, and that influence which strong minds always exert under such
circumstances, many took hold again of the pumps with a kind of
desperate exertion, and for a time they even gained on the water. There
was another circumstance which encouraged them to work. The boat being
careened on one side by the sails, one of the fires was partially out of
water, and a fire was kindled again by means of dry wood, oil, and the
most combustible matter the boat afforded. This not only assisted our
progress toward the land, but it stimulated the passengers to new
exertions.
The fires were in this way kindled and extinguished several times, and
all felt that they owed much to the irregular exertion of the engines
for their preservation, especially as the wind for some time died away,
so as to scarcely fill the sails. For two long hours the water-logged
vessel drifted in, before soundings could be had. In this region it was
well known, that the coast was rocky, and dangerous for landing, and the
night was too dark to enable the pilot to distinguish one place from
another. A heavy sea rolled in upon the shore, and it seemed like
madness to attempt a landing under such circumstances. Accordingly,
Captain Wilson decided to come to anchor, and endeavor to keep the
vessel afloat till daylight; and as soon as we came into six fathoms
water the anchors were let go, and she swung round heavily in the
furious waves, that threatened speedily to complete the work of
destruction.
Several insane attempts had been thwarted for cutting away the boats,
which, had they succeeded, we doubt not, would have proved certain
destruction to nine-tenths of all on board; for if the boats had not
been swamped at once, they would undoubtedly have been dashed to pieces
on the rock-bound shore, leaving others to swim ashore as best they
might. The pumping and bailing were continued with the last energies of
a noble crew--two or three hours more would bring the light of another
day, and it was understood that an attempt would be made to land as soon
as it was daylight.
The time wore tediously away, and the passengers and crew were too much
exhausted to keep down the water, and still they labored to do so with
what strength they had left. Some time before daylight the wind changed
to the north; and commenced blowing hard directly upon the shore, and
the sea increased rapidly, oftentimes washing into the hatchways where
the men were at work bailing, and it became evident to all, that the
vessel could be kept afloat only for a short time longer.
At five o'clock it was light enough to see that it was a bold rocky
shore, against which the waves dashed high and furiously, but it was too
late to choose a place for landing, and the captain ordered the anchors
raised. Her bow swung around to the east and in fifteen minutes she
struck heavily on the solid rock, about three hundred yards from the
shore. The men kept at work pumping and bailing till she struck, when
the waves at once swept in upon her deck and filled the hold.
The largest of the two yawls happened to be on the lee side, and it was
soon lowered away, and with a line long enough to reach the land, the
first and second mates, Messrs. Lucas and Barney, W.T. Westbrook, and
one of the crew, started for the shore. The line was made fast to a
tree, and they commenced the far more difficult and dangerous task of
returning. The little boat seemed to be engulphed by every breaker that
it met on its way, and none but strong and true hands could have saved
the boat in this emergency, and no one unaccustomed to the dangers of
the sea, can imagine the nerve necessary to manage a boat under such
circumstances.
The smaller boat, after much difficulty and delay, was got around under
the lee and bailed out, but it swamped the first trip ashore, and was
not used afterward. By constant, and untiring exertions, the passengers
and crew were all landed at half-past eight o'clock, and after securing
the shattered boats, as best they could, on the steep side of the rocky
shore, they gathered around the fires, to look upon the miserable plight
of one another. All were drenched with the water in coming ashore, cold
and hungry, worn out by the fatigues of the night and morning, they
lopped down around the fires, the sorriest looking gathering that it had
ever been our misfortune to witness.
All had been so anxious in seeing the passengers and crew landed safely,
that they had not thought about providing for our future wants, and
nothing in the shape of provisions or baggage had been brought ashore.
After they had looked around them for a few moments, the boat was again
manned and the wreck was again explored for provisions, and a few pounds
of hard bread, part of a quarter of fresh beef and some boiled beef were
brought in, which was as one remarked, a "poor show" for a lunch for so
many sharp appetites. After having eaten this mouthful we proposed to
start with as many as possible for Eagle river, which was judged to be
about thirty-five miles distant, and a party of twenty-two in number
set out.
It was noon when we started, with our clothes still wet and heavy, and
little or nothing to eat. We worked our way slowly through the cedar
swamp; over logs and under logs, up ravines and down ravines, a crooked,
trackless, toilsome way, till the middle of the afternoon, when we met
two of our fellow passengers on their way back to the wreck. They had
been on some distance further, but worn out with the hardships of their
journey and hunger, they had turned back disheartened, and advised us to
do the same. But we decided to go on, and on we went, through the worst
cedar swamps in the world, till the thick woods began to grow dark with
the shades of evening, and till a number of the party became completely
exhausted with fatigue and hunger. We then concluded to encamp for the
night, although we could not have traveled in all the afternoon over
five miles, or about a mile an hour.
Without an axe, a few sticks were collected, and two or three poor fires
were kindled. All the bits of hard bread, and fresh beef, in all a
scanty meal for one person's supper, was produced and rationed out to
the twenty-two persons. Every one ate as sparingly as possible, and as
we were without tents, we lay down on the cold ground in our wet clothes
before the fire, and dozed and shivered with cold till daylight. As soon
as we could see to travel, we proceeded on our toilsome way, and after
walking about a mile we came to the trail that leads from Lake Superior
to Portage Lake, and saw two or three Indians pushing out through the
surf a bark canoe, which they soon jumped into and paddled away before
the wind. We tried to induce them to return, in hopes to procure
something from them to satisfy our craving hunger, but they scarcely
deigned to look back.
Some of our party had been from this trail to Eagle river, and it was
some consolation to meet with a land mark that was known. We now
commenced walking along the beach, which was composed of large pebbles,
covered in many places with logs and trees that had washed or tumbled in
from off the overhanging banks, making it as tiresome walking as can
well be imagined. Frequently, in order to keep the beach, we were
obliged to walk within reach of the dash of the waves, and were drenched
with the cold flood.
About two miles east of the Portage trail, we discovered near the edge
of the bank, which was some ten feet above the lake, the remains of a
human being. The clothes of a man, in a good state of preservation, half
covered the bleaching bones, the sad, sickening, unburied relics of some
poor "shipwrecked brother," who had here ended his voyage "o'er life's
stormy main." He had evidently chosen this spot where he could die
looking off upon the lake, from whence no succor came, and where he
could be easily discovered by the passer by. A description was taken by
one of our party of his clothes and the few articles found on them, and
we learned on inquiring at Eagle river, that they were undoubtedly the
remains of a Mr. Mathews, who got lost from the Algonquin mine a few
weeks previous. A brother of the deceased repaired to the spot as soon
as possible and brought down the remains for burial at Eagle harbor.
The morning had not far advanced when a number of our party began to lag
behind, exhausted from the effects of hunger and weakness, and it was
evident that some would have to be left behind, while some of the others
might possibly reach Eagle river that day and send assistance. We
confidently expected to find some provisions in a warehouse at Gratiot
river, twelve miles from Eagle river, and all had hopes to reach there
before night. A few of our party pushed forward as fast as possible, to
procure food and fires for those behind, but great was our
disappointment not to find a particle of provisions at that place.
We kindled a fire, and rested for a few minutes, till a number of our
party came up, the larger number being still far behind. It now became
more important than ever that some one should reach Eagle river, and
seven of our number determined to make the trial. We had now twelve
miles further to go, and in our miserable condition we traveled but
slowly, but the trail grew better as we proceeded, and we came in sight
of Eagle River about four o'clock in the afternoon, and under the
circumstances, a more pleasant, inviting village we do not recollect
ever to have seen before. Four or five of our party came through the
same evening, and a few others of another party came in the next day
with similar hardships.
On the Tuesday following, Capt. McKay with the schooner Algonquin,
proceeded to the wreck, and brought off the captain, crew, and remaining
passengers, and all that could be saved of valuable property.