The wooden paddle steamer SEA BIRD was built in 1859 at Newport, Mich., for E. B. Ward of Detroit to run between Cleveland and Buffalo making regular trips on alternate days between the two cities. She was 210 feet in length and 26 feet in beam. The write up in the Buffalo Daily Republic of May 12, 1859 says it all.
“She was built with special reference to strength, safety and comfort, and will be found entirely adequate to all sorts of heavy weather. The cabins are spacious and elegantly furnished, and the state-rooms have clean and comfortable beds, fine carpets and other conveniences. Her model is a superior one, and in machinery, build, appointments and ornamentation she is a first class boat. The barber shop is a particularly nice little affair.“
She was commanded by Capt. C. C. Blodget, a well-known captain on the Lakes. She did get off to a rough start on her first trip as is told by the Detroit Free Press of May 15th.
“Some apprehension was manifested in the city yesterday in regard to the safety of Capt. Ward’s new stmr. SEA BIRD. She left Cleveland at 6:00 on Wednesday evening for Buffalo with an ordinary load of passengers and freight, but up to Friday afternoon nothing had been heard of her further than that her consort on the Cleveland and Buffalo route, the FORESTER, which left Buffalo at the same time the SEA BIRD left Cleveland, met her off Erie at 2:00 on Thursday morning. Information was received in this city, however, last evening, announcing her arrival at Buffalo about 9:00 on Friday night, or 51 hours from Cleveland. It seems that some portion of her machinery became disarranged and, since it was her first trip, she had no tools on board to make repairs. She therefore drifted at the mercy of the wind and waves until she fell in with a schooner that took her in tow until the tug HOWARD, that had been sent out from Buffalo in search of her, came up and towed her into port. There was no serious damage done by the steamer, and she will not be detained from her regular trips”
In 1863, A. E. Goodrich of Chicago purchased the SEA BIRD from E. B. Ward for $40,000 and she sailed the ports of the western shore of Lake Michigan including Chicago and Milwaukee up to Goderich.
In December of 1863 she was on route between Milwaukee and Goderich when a terrific gale drove her ashore about six miles north of Milwaukee on the beach at Whitefish Bay. She had fifteen passengers on board and some freight. Her upper works were carried away in the waves but the passengers were all safely ashore. The SEA BIRD spent the winter on the beach.
She sailed again until disaster struck on April 9, 1868. The following article from the Goderich Signal of April 16th gives the details.
“Chicago, April 9, 1868 — The following are the particulars of the loss of the steamer SEA BIRD. When off Waukegan, about 6:30 yesterday morning, the fire was seen issuing from a pile of freight stored around the after guards of the boat, outside the Ladies’ cabin, and in ten minutes the entire stern of the boat was wrapped in flames. All on board became demoralized, even the officers, and no effort was made to lower the small boats. The only survivors as far as known are C. A. Chamberlain and Edward Hannabury, passengers from Sheboygan. There were about 100 persons on board, including the sailors, ten ladies, and seven or eight children. The Captain of the steamer CORDELIA, seeing the SEA BIRD burning, hastened to the vessel, and picked up the only two passengers saved, taking one from the water, the other from the steamer.”
Her hull was discovered in August of 1868. There were no bodies on board the wreck but one body was discovered outside Chicago’s breakwater. The following story printed in the Chicago Tribune of August 7th, shows how descriptive newspaper men were at the time.
“The remains of a woman, supposed to have been one of the victims of the terrible SEA BIRD catastrophe, was found at 7 o’clock yesterday morning, outside the breakwater, at the foot of Randolph Street. A boy while bathing in the lake, first discovered the corpse floating in the water, and notified Officer Clark, who secured it by a rope. The Coroner afterwards had the body removed to the dead-house, where he minutely examined it. It was almost entirely nude, the remnants of a chemise and a figured alpaca dress only clinging to the shoulders and waist. From appearance it seemed to have been in the water for some months, which gives rise to the belief that deceased was on board the ill-fated vessel, and met her death at the time of the calamity.
“The feet and hands were nearly gone, having been food for fishes, and the hair, of a dark brown tinge, was also partly gone. The body was greatly swollen and the features were so blackened and otherwise disfigured as to render identification impossible.
“The propeller G. J. TRUESDELL, on Sunday last went to the scene of the disaster, off Waukegan, soundings were made, and the vessel discovered where she had sank. A diver went down, discovered the safe, which was raised and opened. It bore evidence of having been exposed to great heat, and upon being opened, the contents were found to have been reduced to ashes. Further explorations will be made from time to time, and hopes are entertained that more bodies will be recovered. The woman found yesterday is the fourth to be recovered.”
Suzette Lopez
Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
