twenty-five persons. He was the only one who stirred
from the recumbent position, which was necessary to
keep a secure hold on the precarious support. Ik-
carried a child, which he found in the arms of an
exhausted and submerged woman, to an elevated posi-
tion of the raft, and left it in charge of another woman,
but she could not long care for it and it was washed
away. He constantly exhorted all to keep silent, and
to refrain from moving, and thus save their strength.
Clinging to their frail support in silent terror, day broke
upon them and found them drifting southward, nearly
off Winnetka. The lake seemed covered with floating
pieces of the wreck, on many of which one or more
persons were still desperately making a fight for life.
Soon it became known on shore that a great vessel had
been wrecked, and that hundreds of persons were still
struggling in the water. Relief parties hurried to the
scene from Evanston, from Winnetka and along the
shore. At this point there is not much beach and the
shore rises abruptly for more than one hundred feet.
The surf ran high, but the bolder spirits of the relief
parties, with ropes tied around them, dashed through
the surf and rescued many who, nearly exhausted, came
dritting near the shore. Among those who distin-
guished themselves in this way was Edward W. Spen-
cer, now of Rock Island, 111., but at that time a student
in the Garrett Biblical Institute of Evanston. He saved
some fifteen persons. The saving of John Eviston
and wife of Milwaukee created great excitement. The
gallant fellow was seen some distance out on the wheel-
house, on which he firmly held his wife. As he reached
the shore the surf capsized his raft, and for sev-
eral seconds both were submerged. When they rose
again to view, the wife was at some distance from the
wheel-house, to which Mr. Eviston was still holding.
Seeing his wife he swam out to her, and again suc-
ceeded in regaining the wheel-house with her. Again
the rolling waves carried them toward the shore,
and at last the wheel-house grounded. Taking his
wife in his arms, the gallant fellow now attempted to
wade to the land, but after a step or two sank exhausted
in the water. At this moment he was caught by the
brave Spencer, and they were safely brought to shore.
From the raft on which Captain Wilson was, not
more than seven or eight persons were saved. It. too,
capsized in the surf as it neared the shore, but a few
regained their hold. The captain, who throughout had
behaved with the greatest heroism, succeeded in getting
one of the ladies back on it, but a great sea washed
them off again, and both were drowned when within a
few rods of the shore. Of the twenty-five persons on this
portion of the deck when it broke up, eight only were
saved. They had been in the water for more than ten
hours. It was considerably past noon of that fatal <Sth
of September when the last struggling survivor was
pulled ashore. Of the three hundred and ninety-three
persons who had sailed the previous night, two hundred
and ninety-seven were lost.
The "Augusta " was a schooner of three hundred
and fifty tons burden, was owned by George W. Bissell,
of Detroit, and commanded by Captain I>. M. Malott,
of the same city. After the disaster, her name was
changed to "Colonel Cook." The community cast the
;o
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
blame for the catastrophe upon the captain of the
schooner, but in the investigation that followed he was
exonerated.
Among the lost were Colonel Lumsden, of the New
Orleans Picayune, and his family, who were traveling
in the north for pleasure. Another distinguished per-
son was Herbert Ingram, an English gentleman, a
member of Parliament, and proprietor of the London
Illustrated News. He was traveling through the United
States, with his son, a lad of fifteen years. His original
plan was to cross the prairies of Illinois, and descend
the Mississippi to New Orleans. Reaching Chicago,
he concluded to first visit Lake Superior, and took
passage on the " Lady Elgin " on her fatal voyage.
His body was washed ashore near Winnetka on the
afternoon of the 8th, just as one of his friends, from whom
he had parted the night before, Mr. Hayward, of Chi-
cago, reached the spot. It was supposed that life was
not extinct, but all efforts at resuscitation failed. His
remains were carried back to England.
It was many weeks before the lake gave up all the
victims of this great calamity, but it is believed that all
were ultimately recovered.
But the great mourning was in Milwaukee, some of
whose best and most prominent citizens were lost. Of
all the gay excursionists who had taken passage on the
" Lady Elgin " two days before, only about seventy-five
returned alive.
Captain Malott, with all hands, was lost in the wreck
of the bark " Major," in Lake Michigan, two or three
years after the " Lady Elgin " disaster.
Captain Wilson left a wife and two children, a son
and daughter. His son was drowned at Cleveland a
few years afterward, at the age of fifteen.
November 6, i86i,the propeller " Hunter," Captain
Dickson, having been chartered for Buffalo went up the
South Branch to the Union Elevator of Sturgis & Co.
At three o'clock the next morning the hands came on
board intoxicated, and went to the steerage. A moment
later the watchman saw smoke coming from the hold
near the stack. When the captain, clerk and some of
the hands rushed on deck, they found that two of the
deck hands who had gone below were not to be found.
The flames spread so rapidly that these two could not
escape, and were burned to death. The vessel was
entirely destroyed, the loss being $40,000.
The Wreck of the Sunbeam. — The passenger
steamer " Sunbeam " was built in the winter of 1862 by
Albert E. Goodrich, of Chicago. She was about four
hundred tons burden, was elegantly furnished, and was
a great favorite with the traveling public. She was
used in the lakes Michigan and Superior trade, but in
the summer of 1863 plied between Superior City and
Portage Lake. On her fourth trip, she left Superior
City on Monday night, the 23d of August, 1863, and
reached Ontonagon a little before noon on Thursday,
where she remained until half-past six in the afternoon.
When she started from Ontonagon the wind was blow-
ing freshly from the north, and about ten o'clock grew
to a ^ale. The steamer rode the storm successfully
until morning, when she became unmanageable. Her
machinery would not work, nor could anything be done
with the sail. The crew consisted of twenty-one per-
sons, and the passengers numbered five or six. They
now took to the boats, except the pilot, Charles Frazer,
who when the vessel careened was still in the pilot
house. He got out, and as the vessel went down was
left floating on a portion of the hurricane deck. A few
moments after, as Frazer was floating on the waves, he
saw both boats capsize. Frazer was on his raft from
eight o'clock Friday morning until two o'clock Satur-
day afternoon, without any nourishment except a demi-
john of port wine he had caught floating near him. He
finally reached the shore, and was the only survivor of
the wreck.
Among the lost was W. J. Isham, one of the edito-
rial staff of the Chicago Times. Mr. Isham was the
brother of the first wife of W. F. Storey, proprietor of
the Times. At the time he took passage on the "Sun-
beam " he was returning from his summer vacation.
His body was never recovered.
The Burning of the Sea Bird. — The " Sea
Bird," Captain John Morrison, of Chicago, was a side-
wheel steamer belonging to Albert E. Goodrich, after-
ward president of the Goodrich Transportation Com-
pany. She was of about five hundred tons burden, and
was built at Marine City, on the St. Clair River, in
1 86 1, for E. B. Ward, of Detroit, and was bought by
Captain Goodrich. She was employed in the Lake
Michigan trade, stopping at various points along the
western shore of Lake Michigan from Chicago to Two
Rivers.
In the spring of 1868 she made her first trip of the
season, from Chicago to Two Rivers, in the first days
of April, and on her return, when off Lake Forest,
twenty miles north of Chicago, was totally consumed
by fire, on the morning of the 9th of April. Of seventy
persons on board at the time, including the crew and
passengers, only three escaped.
How the fire originated was never known, but it
was supposed to have been through the carelessness of
one of the porters, who was observed by one of the
survivors to throw a scuttle of coal and ashes over-
board, and a very short time afterward the fire broke
out in the aft part of the vessel, near the place where
the porter had stood. It was a little before seven
o'clock in'the morning when the fire was discovered, as
the passengers were rising for breakfast. The steamer
was immediately headed for shore, but the wind was
blowing heavily from the northeast, and drove the
flames forward, soon stopping the machinery. Rapidly
the fire drove the passengers toward the bew, and then
over it into the lake. No boats seem to have been
lowered nor any effort made by the officers to save life.
If there were life-preservers on board, and there pre-
sumably were, none were used. Panic seems to have
seized officers, crew and passengers alike. Before
noon the vessel was burned to the water's edge. The
survivors were A. C. Chamberlin and Mr. Hennebury,
of Sheboygan, Wis., and James H. Leonard, of Mani-
towoc.
Loss of the Iron Life-Boat Little Western. —
In June, 1868, Captain James Garrett, Professor
LeGendre, and Edward Chester, all of Chicago, com-
pleted the building of an iron life boat, in which they
declared their intention to make a voyage from Chicago
to Liverpool. The vessel was twenty feet long, two feet
six inches breadth of beam, and length of keel eighteen
feet. The cabin was six feet long and four feet six
inches high, furnished with two bunks, underneath
which were two tanks for fresh water. The keel was of
wrought iron and weighed three hundred and fifty
pounds. The center board was of boiler-plate iron and
weighed two hundred pounds. The forecastle was
water tight, and used as a store room. The cost com-
puted was $1,500.
On Sunday morning, June 21, in the presence of a
great crowd that lined the shore of the lake, the " Little
Western " made what appeared to be a very successful
trial trip, sailing from the North Pier out into the lake
RIVER, HARBOR AND MARINE.
77
about six miles and return. The wind was high and
the waves rolled quite heavily, but she answered every
movement of her helm, and seemed to give great satis-
faction to her owners.
In the afternoon another trip was made toward the
Douglas monument. There were on board Captain Gar-
rett, Professor LeGendre, Edward Chester, George At-
kins, foreman of the Times newspaper, Henry Chisholm,
a reporter of the Times, and a little boy. They left the
North Pier at two o'clock, sailing southward. When off
the Chicago University, the wind stiffened considerably,
and it was thought advisable to stand on the other tack,
and make for shore. After sailing shoreward about ten
minutes, a sudden squall struck the boat and turned her
completely over. Just before the squall struck her, all
the passengers were on deck, except Mr. Chisholm, who
had retired to the cabin and was reclining on one of the
bunks. All were thrown into the water except Mr. Chis-
holm, but secured themselves on the vessel, which they
attempted to right, in which effort they succeeded for a
moment, but an adverse wind again striking her, she
fell over again. An effort was made to rescue Mr.
Chisholm from the cabin but it proved unsuccessful
The captain and Mr. Atkins clung to the mast, while
the rest held on to the bottom of the vessel. Succor
immediately put out from shore, and a tug also steamed
to their help. When aid arrived, Captain Garrett was
observed to become exhausted, and he died the moment
he was hauled on board the tug. He and Mr. Chis-
holm were the only victims of the disaster.
The Wreck of the Arrow. ^On Tuesday the 16th
day of November, 1869, one of the greatest storms of
wind, rain and snow came down upon Lake Michigan,
and the great lakes generally, that has ever been known.
Hundreds of vessels were driven ashore and many lives
were lost.
On Wednesday morning the schooner "Arrow," a
vessel of two hundred and eighty tons, owned by
Michael Brandt, of Chicago, was discovered wrecked off
Grosse Point. The vessel was sunk, but the top of her
cabin was out of the water, and on this the crew, con-
sisting of eight persons, were discovered. The waves
ran high, and no boat could be launched in such a surf
as rolled up on the beach. Word was sent to Chicago,
and a tug with a life-boat and volunteer crew hastened
to the scene of the wreck, where they arrived Wednes-
day afternoon. The sea still ran high, but the life-
boat was launched, and attempt made to reach the
wreck. Scarcely had a half-dozen strokes been made
before the boat was stove in, and the crew were thrown
into the water. They reached the shore with great dif-
ficulty. No other boat could be procured, and nothing
further could be done. Fires were built on the shore,
to encourage the shipwrecked crew to believe that
efforts would still be made, and the tug steamed back to
Chicago for further aid.
Volunteers were now called for, and the following
party was organized Thursday morning : Captain Wil-
liam Crawford, Captain Freer, Captain George C. Clark,
Samuel Marshall, a mate, Mr. Evans, a pilot, and
Thomas H. Iverson, a steward of the tug " G. W. Wood."
A regular life-boat could not be obtained, but Captain
Freer tendered the use of the yawl of the propeller
" East Saginaw," and with this the adventurers steamed
north, on the tug " G. W. Wood," and reached the place
at eight o'clock in the evening. The storm had abated
its force, through the waves were still running. The
wrecked crew were observed to be still safe on the
cabin of the schooner.
Launching the yawl in safety, with great difficulty
they got to the leeward side of the wreck. A line was
cast on board, and soon every one of the almost per-
ishing seamen were on board the yawl. The word was
given, and the oarsmen were about to give way, when
a huge wave raised the bow of the boat, tipped it over
backward, and threw savers and saved into the water.
The crew of the schooner, benumbed with cold and
weakened by starvation, were incapable of making the
least effort to save themselves, and sank like stones.
Four of the yawl's crew, by great efforts, succeeded in
getting on the wreck, thus finding themselves in the
same position of the crew they had come to save. Mar-
shall succeeded in getting on the capsized yawl, and
finally drifted ashore. Iverson, who had shown great
gallantry throughout the whole adventure, and who was
a fearless swimmer, started to swim to the shore, but
the undertow was too strong for him, and he was car-
ried out into the lake and lost.
Those who were on the wreck were obliged to
remain there throughout the night, but the next morn-
ing, the waves having abated, an old yawl was manned
from the shore and the heroic party was saved. Their
sufferings through the night had been terrible, but no
permanent injury was received by any of them.
Losses of Vessels in the Great Fire. — A num-
ber Of vessels in the Chicago River, at the time of the
fire, escaped by being towed up the North Branch, but
the following were destroyed :
Loss.
Propeller " Navarino,". $50,000
Schooner " N. C. Ford," 6,000
Schooner " Stampede," 11,000
Schooner " Ellington," 3,000
Schooner "Eclipse," 7, 000
Bark ". Fontenelle," 12,000
Bark " Glen Beulah," 27,000
Bark "Valetta," 17,000
Barge " Green Bay,". 40,000
Total $173,000
John Prindiville. — There is no name better known or more
highly esteemed on all our inland seas and among the old settlers
of Chicago than that of Captain John Prindiville, familiarly called
the "Storm King" in insurance, marine and yachting circles.
He was born in Ireland in 1S25, and at the age of eight came to
America with his parents; who were in comfortable circumstances.
His uncle was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. His father,
Maurice Prindiville, was about to enter that university but, being
of a roving disposition, left school and went to India, where he re-
mained for several years. At the age of twenty-five he returned to
Ireland, married, and determined to live quietly at home for the
remainder of his life, but the old adventurous, roving spirit was
not to be quenched, and he then concluded that America was the
country wherein he should live He accordingly came hither with
his family. After their arrival, they remained in Buffalo for some
time and afterwards lived in Detroit for about two years. Mr.
Prindiville, having been educated to no trade or business, speedily
got rid of the greater portion of the money he had brought with him
from Ireland, and to retrieve his fortunes determined upon coming
to Chicago, the then promised land, where he and his family
arrived on August 23, 1836. John Prindiville commenced attend-
ing the public school on Kinzie Street, between Dearborn and
Wolcott streets, then taught by Edward Murphy ; it was after-
ward removed east on Kinzie Street, between Wolcott and Cass
streets ; his teachers being Messrs. Dunbar, Calvin DeYVolf and
A. G. Wilder. He also attended school in the room under the old
St. James Church, on Cass Street, between Michigan and Illinois
streets, — which was also taught by Mr. DeWolf, — finally ter-
minating his educational course at St. Mary's College of this city.
He commenced sailing on the lakes when quite young, advancing
step by step, until he was promoted to the position of captain. I It-
commanded the schooner "Liberty" in 1845 and, in the fall of
1850, the brigantine " Minnesota," the first American vessel ever
allowed to go through the river St. Lawrence. She was loaded
with copper ore at the Bruce Mines on Lake Huron, to be tran-
shipped to Swansea in Wales. The position of commander of this
vessel was considered, at that time a very important one, involving
a larger amount of responsibility than would ordinarily be entrusted
to one so young. Captain Prindiville continued sailing until 1855,
73
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
but later, at intervals, commanded several steamers, the last of
which was the "Adriatic," in 1S72. He became connected with
the insurance business in 1S66. For many years he has represented
the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, of St. Paul,
Minn., and the Continental, of New York. His continued and
diversified experience has made him replete with valuable informa-
tion, which he uses for the benefit of his clients. He has also a large
vessel agencv and is a prominent official of the Chicago Yacht
Club. He was married in 1S45 to Miss Margaret Kahlor who
died in 1S65 after a long and painful illness ; they had a family of
six children : three of whom are living. In 1S6S he was married
to Miss Margaret Prendergast, a native of Yermont ; they have
six children, all living.
John B. Warren, the son of Truman A. and Margaret
(Bazine) Warren, was born at Mackinac, October 15, 1S21. His
father was a native of Yermont, his mother of French extraction.
Young Warren spent his early days on the island, hunting, fishing,
sailing, and obtained such schooling as the frontier afforded at that
earlv day. His natural taste was for a sailor's life, which not
meeting the entire approval of his parents, when he was seventeen
the young man took his own destiny in his hands, by saying good-
bv to school one day without his parents' consent, and slyly going
on board the schooner "Jacob Barker," then discharging at the
pier. Unseen, the young fellow found a bunk forward under
the windlass, and when the vessel got under way, at daylight
the next morning, was roused out and assigned to duty as fore-
castle bov, during the passage to Grand Haven. There he shipped
on board the sloop " Ranger" as chief cook. This was in June,
- - ind from that time until 1S67. nearly thirty years, he con-
tinued in various capacities to sail the great lakes. Having a
special aptitude for the business, he rapidly advanced, soon becom-
ing mate and then captain. The first vessel he commanded was
the schooner " Crook." in 1S42. In 1S54, he became part owner
of the propeller " Troy," but never had very good fortune with
that ill-fated vessel. He commanded her from 1S54 until 1S58, in
the trade between Chicago and Buffalo. In 1S59, he gave up the
command, and turned her over to Captain Byron, under whom she
was lost in Saginaw Bay. as related in this chapter. Captain
Warren commanded various other vessels in the Chicago, Grand
Haven and Buffalo trade, until 1S67, when he was appointed
United States Inspector of Hulls at the port of Chicago, which
position he still holds. He resided at Grand Haven until 1858,
when he removed to Chicago. Captain Warren has been twice
married — first at Grand Haven in 1S4S. His wife dying, he
married a second time, in 1867. By the last marriage there have
been two children, only one of whom, a son, is now living.
The following are sketches of a few of the typical
mariners of the port of Chicago :
Captain James L. Higgie was born in Fifeshire, Scotland,
March 23. 1S34. the son of John and Jane (Mitchell) Higgie.
There were nine children in the family, and the parents died when
the son of whom we write was only four years of age. Young
Higgie came to the United States in 1847 and settled in Kenosha,
Wis., and was educated at Racine and Kenosha in the common
schools. He worked in the country about two miles from Kenosha
in the summer, and attended school in the winter. In the spring of
184S he shipped aboard the schooner "Mary Ann Leonard" as
cook, returning to Kenosha in the winter. He spent two years of
his life as cook, part of the time on the " L. C. Erwin." In 1S50
he went before the mast on the " Erwin," and during the next
year he was captain and sailed her two years ; then he went as
captain of the schooner " Whirlwind," sailing her for two years.
In 1855 he sailed the schooner " William Jones," and remained on
her until 1856. In 1857 he bought the schooner " Pilgrim," pay-
ing *'. 000 cash and earning the balance out of the vessel. He
was her captain seven years. In 1863 he came to Chicago, and
during 1864 remained on shore, and engaged in the commission
business, forming a partnership with Mr. Halsted, the firm being
Higgie \ Halsted. During his partnership, in 1865, he purchased
the barque " William Sturges." In 1866 the partnership was dis-
solved and he retired from the firm in order to give his undivided
attention to his personal affairs, intending, as he did. to increase
the number of his vessels. In 1867 he purchased the schooner
" William Shook," making three vessels sailing in his interest. In
1868 he purchased the schooner " City of Chicago," and in 1869
he lost the " William Shook " on Lake Huron and sold the schooner
" Pilgrim." In [870 he purchased the schooner "John Miner."
The year of 1871 was an eventful one to those having marine in-
terests, for it was this year that the tug owners raised the tariff so
high as to almost prohibit business, in consequence of which the
owners combined, raising a capital stock company called the
' Owners' 'lowing Company, electing Captain Iliggie presi-
dent, after which he .vent to Buffalo and contracted for five new
tugs and then returned to Chicago. When the tugs were ready to
deliver to the company he again went to Buffalo and equipped
them, and they arrived in Chicago about one month prior to the
great fire of 1871, since which time the company have added six
tugs, making eleven in their service. Captain Higgie has con-
tinued as president of the Yessel Owners' Towing Company since
its organization, and has continued also to operate vessels of his
own, and has handled a large quantity of real estate in the mean-
time. The first boat under his command was the " Lewis C.
Erwin," and the last that he sailed was the " Pilgrim," in 1863.
Captain Higgie was married in Racine, Wis , in 1867, to Miss
Mary J. Kirkham, and they have seven children living — James L.,
Mary L., Noble K., Arthur M., Archie, Imogene and George K.
Tames L. Higgie is one of the prominent men who is closely
identified with marine matters in Chicago, and his name is famil-
iarly known over the whole extent of the lakes, and is a synonym
for honorable dealing and commercial equity. During his thirty
years' of active life, Captain Higgie has made, a multitude of close