Niagara (palace steamer)
The Niagara was put into operation in 1846 paddle steamer in the U.S. shipping company Collingwood Line, which burned down on 24 September 1856, on Lake Michigan by an unexplained fire and sank. Of the 175 passengers and crew members were between 60 and 70 killed. This is one of the most serious transport accidents in the history of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
The ship
The 1009 -ton steamer Niagara in 1846 built on the wharf Bidwell & Banta in Buffalo, one of the largest shipyards in his time in New York. He was a so-called " palace steamer " ( " palace steamer" ) as a specific group was called by comfortable steamships that transported 1844-1857 passengers and cargo on the Great Lakes. They were regarded as the pinnacle of passenger traffic on the Great Lakes and the connecting piece between the railway lines in the Midwest. The Niagara was the second of a total of 25 built Palace steamers.
The Niagara was operated by the shipping company Collingwood Line, which was a part of New York was founded in 1832 and Erie Railroad, later the Erie Railroad emerged from the. The ship was 70.1 meters long, 10.36 meters wide and had a height of 4.26 meters page. The wooden hull was painted white. The Niagara was powered by a steam engine that worked on two side paddle wheels.
The accident
On Monday, September 22, 1856 at 14.00 clock, the Niagara was in Collingwood in the Canadian province of Ontario to a crossing of Lake Michigan to Chicago with several intermediate stops from. She served on this ride as a temporary replacement for the Keystone State, which had been damaged in a storm and had to be repaired.
The command was Captain Frederick S. Miller. On 23 September, the ship ran into Sheboygan ( Wisconsin ), where about 25 passengers disembark went. In addition to 105 tonnes of freight and 21 horses were on the other drive 150-175 passengers on board; the exact numbers differ because of the lost passenger list and different reports about the accident. On Tuesday, September 23 at 12.00 clock noon Mackanic was reached, where at least six passengers walk-ins. This was followed by stops in Two Rivers and Manitowoc.
At 16.00 clock in the afternoon on September 24, just as Port Washington came in sight, clouds of smoke were noticed by passengers below deck, which seemed to come from the area of the engine room. They were followed by long flames. The passengers gave the alarm immediately. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the steamer, which was between four and five miles from the shore, in flames and smoke. Captain Miller turned in and headed to the coast because he wanted the Niagara run in shallow waters due. The strong wind fanned the flames even more. Attempts to stop the fire using fire hoses failed. Shortly thereafter stopped the steam engines and paddle wheels.
The passengers panicked and rushed the lifeboats, all of which capsized except one. Many people jumped overboard to escape the fire. Mothers threw their children overboard and jumped behind. The water was too cold, for one human being could survive a long time in it according to contemporary reports. According to some reports, there were no life jackets on board, so that drowned the cracked overboard. Cabin doors were smashed with axes and along with all that was buoyant, thrown overboard, to serve as a flotation device. About the ship's sides ropes were thrown out to the men and women clung until the flames reached.
Several ships, who were in the immediate vicinity, came to the scene of the accident and took the survivors, including the steamers Traveler and Illinois and the schooner Marble and Mary Grover. A rescue boat from Port Washington came to the aid and rescued 20 people. Between 60 and 70 people, mostly passengers who died in the fire or drowned in Lake Michigan. Captain Miller and all crew members survived up to two. Among the casualties was the 57 -year-old politician John B. Macy, a former congressman of the Democrats.
Captain Miller was in later interviews that the fire could not be broken out in the engine room, as he considered this as a fire safe. He suspected that belongs to the charge flammable goods had ignited. Newspapers also reported from a suspected firebomb. The exact cause of the fire was never fully understood. The accident caused a stir in the local media. It is one of the most serious transport accidents in the history of Wisconsin.
The wreck of the Niagara lies in 17 meters depth 1.6 km before the small town of Belgium. 1996, it was added to the culture monument list the National Register of Historic Places (registration number 96001456 ).