Wreck of the Monguagon
Milwaukee Sentinel - May 14, 1888
Milwaukee Sentinel - May 14, 1888
The most serious river collision ever to take place in Milwaukee harbor occurred in broad daylight yesterday, when the iron propeller Clarion sank the schooner Monguagon, with a full cargo of coal. So quickly did the vessel go to the bottom that the crew was obliged to leave most of their effects behind. Not even the vessel’s papers were saved.
The Monguagon was lying outside the schooner Montcalm at Benjamin’s lower yard, at the foot of South Water Street, just opposite the life-saving station. The Clarion was coming into the harbor shortly before 11 o’clock from Buffalo, and was closely followed by the propeller Milwaukee. Although the river at that point is fully twice the width of what it is at the Grand Avenue bridge, the Clarion did not make the turn, but kept directly on the same course as she came in between the harbor piers. “Back her! Back her!” shouted Capt. Moore from the deck of the Monguagon, as he saw the Clarion bearing down on him. It was too late, however, and the Clarion struck the Monguagon with terrific force on the starboard side just abaft the main rigging. The sound of crashing timbers and plank followed, as the Clarion’s iron stem cut into the schooner - just how deeply cannot be determined, until a diver makes an examination. From on deck it could be seen that her plank-sheer and several streaks of deck plank had been cut through, indicating that she has a big hole in her side. She immediately began to fill, and within four minutes she sank in twenty feet of water. Barely Time for Those on Board to Escape Of the Monguagon’s crew, only the captain, a woman cook and one sailor were aboard when the collision occurred. Capt. Moore thought he had time to save what articles there were in the cabin, and he had put his own trunk and that of the cook onto the schooner Montcalm, when suddenly the vessel commenced to settle, and he was obliged to jump for his life. The cook had climbed onto the rail, as the deck settled under water, and assisted by Capt. Ryan on the Montcalm, she walked to the forward end of the vessel and boarded the Montcalm. The sailor had been washing himself in the forecastle, and he made his escape to the Montcalm without his shirt. A few moments later the Monguagon took quick start and went to the bottom. Was the Clarion Racing? Capt. Moore of the Monguagon claims that the Clarion was racing into the harbor with the propeller Milwaukee, which was lapping onto her starboard quarter. According to his theory, the Clarion had so much headway that she did not answer her wheel in time to make the bend in the river. Capt. Garden of the Clarion denies that he was racing with the steamship Milwaukee, and attributes the collision to the current. He said just as he was coming in between the piers, a tug with a barge crossed his bow. To avoid a collision, he was obliged to port his wheel to change her course, and she “smelt” the river bottom at the bend. She was caught by the current and refused to “come up.” When he saw the danger, he gave the signal to back, and her engine was reversed, but her speed was not entirely checked when the collision took place. “Why, had we been racing and going at full speed,” said Capt. Garden, “we would have gone clean through the Monguagon, and perhaps the vessel inside of her as well.” The Monguagon’s deck amidships is now about eight feet under water. Her monkey rail forward and her tail rail aft are just even with the water. All her booms and canvass are under water, and the gaffs are just out of the water. While not a serious obstruction to navigation in the river, the sunken vessel is an obstruction to vessels reaching Benjamin’s dock. The Montcalm is squeezed in so tightly between the wreck and the dock that she could not be moved yesterday, but as soon as the rest of the cargo is unloaded, she can probably be pulled out by a tug. The work of raising the Monguagon will probably be commenced immediately. It will be a difficult job, though, and will probably take a week or more. The big hole in her side will have to be patched up by a diver, and a water-tight box built around her to above the water. After she is pumped out above deck, a good part of her cargo will have to be taken out before she can be floated. Just what the damage will be cannot be determined until she is raised and a survey made. With the cost of raising and repairing, besides the time and the damage to the cargo, the cost will be up in the thousands. With the Clarion clearly at fault, Agent Brigham of the Anchor Line, owner of the steamship, said the company will pay all expenses. The Clarion was not damaged, and left last night for Chicago. |