Serious Disaster to the Schooner Sunbury

SERIOUS DISASTER TO THE SCHOONER SUNBURY.—The schooner Sunbury, of Buffalo, met with a serious disaster on the 15th ult. On Lake Superior, some eight miles off Eagle Harbor, the particulars of which is furnished us by Captain C. W. Gray, her master, who arrived here yesterday morning on the propeller Mineral Rock. At about 2 o’clock on the morning of the above date Captain Gray observed to the northward of him what appeared to be a heavy squall bet [sic] which finally proved to be a perfect tornado. The sails were immediately lowered away and secured when the vessel was struck with the violence of a whirlwind, her jibboom and bowsprit hoisted suddenly upright, falling back against the foremast, which immediately went by the board, taking with it the mainmast also, which, in its fall, broke into three pieces and the vessel thrown on her beam ends, when spars, sails and everything was washed overboard. The decks were torn up in many places and the cabin broken up. During the tempest, which lasted about half an hour, hail stones fell of immense size, accompanied with severe thunder and and [sic] lightning. In this critical situation the vessel lay rolling in the troughs of the sea until the following day, when she was taken in tow by the propeller Water Witch and taken into Copper harbor, where she now lies. Fortunately and most miraculously no one was hurt, aside from the slight injury the captain received on the head. Captain Gray represents it as the most terrific night he has ever experienced during twenty-five years experience on the lakes. The tug Relief is on her ways up to take her to Buffalo for repairs.