Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/575

 IllSToKY OF GOODHUE miNTY 495 SEA WING" DISASTER. Aboul 8 o'clock on the morning of the thirteenth day of July, L890, the steamer "Sea Wing," 110 tons. Captain D. N. Wethern, with a crew of ten men, of Diamond Blurt'. Wis., left that place, towing a barge, and carrying eleven passengers, bound on an excursion to the encampment of the First Regiment, M. X. C, at Camp Lakeview, about two miles below Lake City on Lake Pepin. At Trenton twenty-two prisons went on board, and at Red Wing about 165 others, for the same destination. The day was intensely 1ml. with low barometric pressure. From about 5 o'clock p. m., for over two hours, storm indica- tions were visible to the northwest and north, a tornado having in fact, in that time, destroyed several houses and killed five or six of their occupants, near St. Paul. Captain Wethern, although the skies were threatening, believed it safe to venture out, and the boat with all tin- excursionists and some others, on board, set out for Lake City on the return, a little past 8 o'clock. The storm gathered very rapidly, and the wind was blowing, by signal service measurement, sixty miles an hour. When near the middle of the lake, and five miles above Lake City, the "Sea AVing" was suddenly completely capsized by the wind. A cry was heard, "Cut the barge loose," and an employe of the boat cut the ropes which bound boat and barge together; they soon drifted apart and were separately driven ashore. The people who were upon the barge were all saved. Life preservers had been pointed out to passengers and many had put them on, before tin- boat capsized, but some had not done so. Many were imprisoned in the cabin, and some were otherwise so caught, or injured, that they were unable to escape. Planks, boards, life preservers, chairs, etc., were floating about, and many saved their lives by securing some of them. The thick clouds made the night so dark that only by the lightning flashes could one see to gain help, or to render any. Many deeds of heroism were done among these people suddenly hurled into the waves. Men able to swim supported others, until they could be drawn upon the wreck, or could pick up some plank or life preserver, or even swam with them until picked up by rescuing skiffs. The efforts of swimmers, and the winds and waves landed them at widely separate points, two boys even getting to shore on the Wisconsin side. When the barge grounded, men jumped out and hurried through the surf to the shore and then ran to Lake City and to tin 1 camp for help. Skiffs and men were obtained from Lake City and scores of young men from Lakeview. The skiffs were vig- orously employed in picking up the survivors and bringing off those who were still alive on the wreck. The night was spent in