L. C. Woodruff (Schooner), aground, 1 Nov 1878

The schooner L.C. WOODRUFF of Cleveland is ashore at the mouth of White River with her foremast gone. She is loaded with corn.
      Port Huron Daily Times
      Saturday, November 2, 1878

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      Montague, November 1. - The schooner L.C. WOODRUFF, of Cleveland, is ashore at the mouth of the White River, loaded with corn. Her foremast is gone.
      MORE FROM THE WOODRUFF
Whitehall, November 1. - The life-boat and crew of Grand Haven were brought here today by special train to rescue the crew of the schooner L.C. WOODRUFF, now lying off White Lake Harbor, full of water, with her fore and mizzen masts gone. She is loaded with 40,000 bushels of corn, consigned to Buffalo. The crew were obliged to take refuge in the rigging.
      LATER
      The vessel was loaded with corn for Buffalo from Chicago. She went to pieces about four o'clock this afternoon. Eight men were saved and two are missing, but their names cannot be learned. The life-car could not be used, although a line was thrown from the shore and made fast on board. An attempt was made to send out a yawl by means of the line, but before the yawl reached the schooner it was swamped. The men in it were rescued after much trouble. The captain was the first man to leave the vessel, and he reached shore by following the life-line, hand over hand. The owner's son was the last to leave the wreck. He drifted to the shore on a piece of spar, and was picked up in an exhausted condition. The cook and one sailor came ashore on a piece of raft. Three others came by means of the life-line. The seas are still running very high. The beach is being searched for missing men.
      Detroit Post & Tribune
      Saturday, November 2, 1878

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      THE WOODRUFF A TOTAL LOSS.
      Montague, November 2. - The schooner L.C. WOODRUFF is a total loss. Two men were drowned, one died from injuries received, and Capt. Lingham was saved.
      MORE FROM THE WOODRUFF.
      Whitehall, Nov. 2. - Your reporter visited the wreck of the L.C. WOODRUFF this morning. Two men are still missing. The second mate, James McHenry, died about 4 o'clock this morning from injuries received while making land. He leaves a wife and children at Cleveland. Wm. McAuley, of Chicago, and Wm. Dunn of Cleveland, are still missing. The vessel was owned by Thomas Murphy, of Cleveland, and valued at $18,000; insured for $10,000. It was loaded with 33,500 bushels of corn consigned to Buffalo. She was disabled off Big Point Sauble October 30, and cast the big anchor, but it would not hold. Owing to the disabled condition, it could not control the vessel and she dragged anchor, opposite the old channel, White Lake, where she grounded in 13 feet of water. The sea struck her on her side and soon pounded her into pieces, owing to the grain swelling and bursting open her sides. The following are the names and residence of the crew: Capt. James Lingham, Cleveland; first mate, Thomas McHenry; second mate, Wm. Philips, of Cleveland; steward, James Tripp, New York City; Edward Murphy, son of the owner; Jas. Breen, Wm. Dunn, of Cleveland; John Perry, Wm. McAuley, of Chicago; and James Discall, of Toledo. The two missing men are unmarried.
      Detroit Post & Tribune
      Monday, November 4, 1878

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      MORE ABOUT THE WOODRUFF. - The wreck of the schooner L.C. WOODRUFF is said to be a very bad one. The sea was tremendous and swept over the vessel with such force as to tear the decks away inside of an hour after she struck, which was about 9 o'clock Friday morning. She was about a mile from shore, headed to the northward, and listed to port so that the seas had a full sweep over her decks, and in a few hours she was broken up and the cargo of 35,500 bushels of corn was washed away. Before she struck she had her mizzen-mast carried away. A tug could not be procured to reach her before she went on, and when she began to break up, and the danger to the lives of those on board became imminent, the Life Saving crew from Grand Haven, under the command of Capt. Dick Connell, arrived at the scene, and efforts were made to save the men from their perilous position in the rigging. The mortar was used successfully in casting a line from the shore over the wreck, but the rope got caught in a snag on the bottom, and could not be handled to good advantage. Capt. Isbester was one of four men who volunteered to man the life-boat, and after a terrific struggle, they reached the wreck and took off the captain, the first mate, and two seamen, but the life-boat was swamped, and fatally injured the mate, McHenry. They began a fearful struggle to reach the shore, and, with great efforts, all of them did so, including the injured mate. Young Murphy was swept from the wreck into the seething and rolling flood, and was carried a mile north of the vessel before he was rescued, his ability to swim keeping him above the surface in the meantime. The second mate and Dunn were swept away by the sea and probably drowned, as a search along the shore for several miles failed to discover them. The other seamen were rescued. About 200 persons on shore witnessed the wrecking of the WOODRUFF. The cargo of the lost vessel is insured in the Pool Companies for $13,000, and was shipped to Buffalo. The insurance on the hull is said to be $10,000, and placed in Cleveland. The WOODRUFF was 10 years old, and was built by F. N.. Jones at Buffalo. She rated B 1, and was valued at $16,400.
      Detroit Post & Tribune
      Tuesday, November 5, 1878

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It now appears that the second mate of the schooner L. C. WOODRUFF, James Mchenry, died about 4 o'clock on Saturday morning from injuries received while making land. As stated in yesterday's Herald, he leaves a wife and two children in this city. William McCauley, of Chicago, and William Dunn, of this city, are still missing. The vessel was owned by Thomas Murphy, and valued at $18,000; insured for $10,000. It was loaded with 33,500 bushels of corn consigned to Buffalo. She was disabled off Big Point Sauble October 30th, and cast the big anchor, but it would not hold. Owing to the disabled condition, it could not control the vessel and she dragged anchor opposite the old channel, White Lake, where she grounded in 13 feet of water. The sea struck her on the side and soon pounded her into pieces, owing to the grain swelling and bursting open her sides. The following are the names and residences of the crew: Captain James Lingham, Cleveland; first mate, Thomas Mchenry; second mate, William Phillips of Cleveland; steward, James Tripp, New York City; Edward Murphy, son of the owner; James Breen; William McCauley, of Chicago and James Discall of Toledo. The two missing men are unmarried.
      Cleveland Herald
      Tuesday, November 5, 1878
     
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      THE ILL-FATED WOODRUFF.
      Arrival of the Body of the First mate -- Particulars of the Wreck.
      The body of Thomas McHenry, mate of the ill-fated schooner L. C. WOODRUFF, arrived here Tuesday morning, and accompanying the body was a letter from Frank N. Nichols, at whose house he died. The letter states that he lived four hours after he got ashore. He was the third man from the vessel, and everything was done that could be done for him. A Physician was with him when he died. here were bad injuries on one side of Mchenry's neck, caused by being struck by the life boat while in the water. The vessel stranded about one mile from shore, and the men swum or were carried in by the waves.
      The Detroit Post and Tribune contains the following account of the disaster: -
      The wreck of the schooner L. C. WOODRUFF is said to be a very bad one. The sea was tremendous and swept over the vessel with such force as to tear the decks away inside of an hour after she struck, which was about 9 o'clock Friday morning. She was about a mile from shore, headed to the northward, and listed to port so that the seas had a full sweep over her decks, and in a few hours she was broken up and her cargo of 35,500 bushels of corn was washed away. Before she struck she had her mizzen-mast carried away. A tug could not be procured to reach her before she went on, and when she began to break up, and the danger to the lives of those on board became imminent, the life-saving crew from Grand Haven, under command of Capt. Dick Connell, arrived at the scene, and efforts were made to save the men from their perilous position in the rigging. The mortar was used successfully in casting a line from the shore over the wreck, but the rope got caught in a snag on the bottom, and could not be handled to good advantage. Capt. Isbester was one of the four men who volunteered to man the life-boat, and after a terrible struggle they reached the wreck, and took off the captain, first mate, and two seaman, but the life-boat was swamped, and fatally injured the mate, McHenry. Then began a fearful struggle to reach the shore, and , with great effort, all of whom did so, including the injured mate. Young Murphy was swept from the wreck into the seething and rolling flood, and was carried a mile north of the vessel; before he was rescued, his ability to swim keeping him above the surface in the meantime. The second mate and Dunne were swept away by the sea and probably drowned, as a search along the shore for several miles failed to discover them. The other seamen were rescued. About 200 persons on shore witnessed the wrecking of the WOODRUFF.
      The funeral of the deceased McHenry occurred on Wednesday afternoon at his late home in this city.
      Cleveland herald
      Thursday, November 7, 1878