Disasters on the Lakes

There is a series of disasters recorded in the Chicago Democrat of the 13th Nov., as having occurred on lake Michigan, near that harbor, on the 11th. We confine ourselves to an abstract in the Detroit Free Press of the 20th:--

"The schr. Thomas Jefferson, belonging to L. C. Hugunin, came in in a gale, and mistaking the light of another vessel in port for that of the light on the pier, dashed full sail against the end of the pier, and made herself almost a perfect wreck. She had on board about twenty persons, crew and passengers, all but two of whom were by great exertions saved. A great portion of her cargo was seriously damaged.

The schr. Victory ran below the pier about the same time, which was no sooner perceived than the capt. tied a rope around him, leaped into the waves and swam several rods to the pier, where he waited for a swell which left him nearly half way up. There he held on for a second swell which threw him so far that he got his hands on the top, and the third threw him clear up. He then fastened his rope and by its aid, all the crew reached the pier, where the vessel was safely fastened.

"The schr. Virginia, which had just got off the shore, was again beached near Michigan city.

"The steamboat Fairport, which left a few days previous, came back in the evening, the storm being so great that it could get no wood at Milwaukee.

"The steamboat Vermillion broke her shaft on her passage thither, just below the Manatou Islands, and was blown over to St. Josephs, Michigan, full of passengers and freight for Chicago. One of her passengers became deranged from fear and jumped overboard. She was out of sight of land three days with no wheels."

[From the Watertown Jeffersonian, Nov. 37.]

The schooner Caroline, of Oswego, bound for Niagara, loaded with merchandise, was dismasted by running foul of another schooner on Saturday night, near Sodus. The crew were taken off, and the Caroline was left to float at random. Cargo valued at from $7000 to $10,000.

The schooner Great Western, owned by Messrs. Smith & Merrick, of French Creek, is reported to have sunk at the Narrows, at the foot of the lake, with about 4000 bushels of wheat on board.

The steam ferry boat Paul Pry, was driven over the bar at the mouth of Black River on Monday last, and brought up against the pier--considerably damaged.

The gale of Monday was one of unexampled violence, and must have proved fatal to any vessel out of harbor. We shall be greatly but happily disappointed if the loss of life and property has not been very great.