Lashed by the Storm

The schooner Richardson left Kingston Tuesday evening with a cargo of 1,190 bushels of barley, consigned to Messrs. Failing & Pratt, of this city. She experienced heavy weather, the wind blowing a gale. Oswego lights were sighted about half-past one o'clock in the morning, and at 3:45, according to the official record at the life-saving station, the vessel struck head on the new pier, about five hundred feet west of the entrance to the harbor. The tremendous sea running sufficed to break her up in a very few minutes.

After striking, the Richardson broached broadside to the pier and the captain and crew succeeded in safely reaching it, from whence they were taken by the tug F.D. Wheeler. Capt. C.W. Ferris. The following are the persons thus rescued:

Captain – William McKee.

Mate- W.J. McKee.

Cook – Eliza White.

Seamen – Henry Smith, John White, John Gereau.

Nothing was saved from the wreck. The crew lost all their clothing, save what was on their backs.

The life-saving crew launched a boat at three minutes before four o'clock and made an attempt to get outside, but found the heavy sea made this impracticable. No boat could have been manageable for a moment in the furious breakers thrown back from the government pier. The boat, therefore, was taken in a position on the inside of the pier opposite the scene of the disaster. The services of the crew, however, were not needed as the Wheeler had already rescued the persons in distress.

The Richard was owned in Kingston, James Richardson of that city and Capt. McKee being the owners, the former having two third interest. She was insured for $2,000 in a Montreal company. The cargo, which was valued at between $10,000 and $11,000, was also insured. The loss on the vessel over insurance will be about $2,500 or $3,000.

The light on the east breakwater was extinguished about 2 A.M., by the fury of gale, and to this fact may be attributed the disaster. Captain McKee was misled by the absence of the light. He mistook a street lamp on Fourth or Fifth street to be the light on the west pier; and the latter light, he imagined was the light on the east breakwater. He therefore laid his course between the two with the result given above.