Hyde Park and the Wreck of the Lady Elgin
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Published by the Hyde Park Historical Society " r ::::: ).--J ..;, Hyde Park '-,.. , . "-.'. .. ; ~. - , /' and the ,."'-\ .....::, '"""" -.~ .' . 1- .~..<. '-l -' . :\-", . ~ Wreck of the . --::.: ~ i , Lady Elgin /' By Frances S. Vandervoort "Tick-toCk, tick-tock," said the big clock on a one of the "saddest ever written," I committed myself Apole above our heads. Again, "tick-tock, tick to learning more about the song and the Lady Elgin tock," each pair of notes rising tentatively, disaster. I found out that the singer was Great Lakes almost as if asking a question. As we looked up, the balladeer Lee Murdock, whose fine voice caught the clock launched into a familiar melody. "Ninety years true tragedy of the event. Most of the song was without stumbling, his life's seconds numbering... " composed by Work alone. Three verses added by Mr. The clock was on the corner of a busy intersection in Murdock offer more details of the tragedy, and are Sapporo, Japan where, in June, 2003, my husband and very much in keeping with Work's melodious, natural I were spending a few days on a tour of northern Pacific style. Lee Murdock's album, Safe in the Harbor,* islands. We began to sing the words. My husband and contains a number of songs about the Great Lakes I sang this song when we were young, and found maritime industry. ourselves singing it again on a street corner in Japan. This tragic wreck, which took place north of Shortly after our return, we joined the Hyde Park Chicago the night of September 8, 1860, had political Historical Society. Only then did we learn the story of ramifications extending far beyond Lake Michigan's the remarkable cottage at the rear of 5317 South shore. The following is a summary of a report by Lake Dorchester. The vertically cut wooden siding and Michigan historian Brendon Baillod that describes the sharply raked roof of this charming building long had wreck of the Steamer Lady Elgin. ** intrigued us. Through the Society we learned that it "The (wreck of) the Lady Elgin held the dubious had been built in 1859 or 1860 by Henry Clay Work, distinction of being the worst loss of life on the Great the composer of the song we enjoy so much. Lakes until the steamer Eastland rolled over at her One evening not long ago, I was listening with one Chicago dock in 1915, killing 835, and the Elgin still ear to radio station WLS's nightly radio program, ranks as the second worst wreck in the history of the Extension 720. Through the mists of sleep I heard Lakes." three words, Henry Clay Work! Instantly awake, I The Lady Elgin was a handsome, double-decked ' wrote down the name of the song being sung, Lost on wooden sidewheel steamer built in 185l. She had .the Lady Elgin. Hearing a guest describe the song as been built to run between Buffalo, Chicago, and ~ 8 ~ ~~ ~ O Lake Superior carrying passengers and freight. presidential candidate, Stephen A. Douglas. She was 252 feet long by 33.7 feet wide, and After a day of marching and politics, the travelers constructed of white oak with iron reinforced frames made their way to the wharf to board the Lady Elgin to carry 200 cabin passengers, 100 deck passengers, for departure. They were ready to leave at 11:00 PM, and 43 crew members. but Captain Jack Wilson was concerned about the The accident played a role in Wisconsin's Civil War threatening weather. Eager passengers and pressure to politics. In 1860, Wisconsin was deeply involved in maintain a mail schedule convinced him to get the debate over states' rights and the slavery question. underway. At approximately 11 :30 the Lady Elgin The nation was nervously anticipating the results of departed the Chicago Harbor and headed into the the 1860 presidential election. Anti-slavery sentiment open lake. At that point, it was not known exactly in Wisconsin was so strong that one legislator even how many passengers were on board. It seems that a introduced a motion that Wisconsin declare war significant number of non-ticketed revelers had come against the United States unless slavery were abolished. aboard in Chicago to party and dance in the ship's Wisconsin's Republican governor had previously spacious facilities, and may not have had a chance to suggested that Wisconsin would secede from the disembark before departure. Union if the Federal Government did not end slavery. The lake was running high, but the ship was When secession began to look like a possibility, the making good time as it headed north through surging State Adjutant General polled the State's militias to waves. Seven miles off Winnetka at about 2:30 A.M., determine which would support the State and which passengers looking through portholes saw the lights of would support the Federal Government if secession a ship rapidly approaching from the west and braced were to occur. In Milwaukee were four main militias, for a collision. The shock caused the ship to lurch onto one of which was the Irish Union Guard of her port side, waking Captain Wilson and First Mate Milwaukee's Third Ward. Captain Garrett Barry, the George Davis. Captain Wilson quickly determined commander of the Union Guard declared that, that a massive amount of water had entered the engine although he opposed slavery, he believed that any room and ordered the Elgin turned toward shore. A stand against the Federal Government would be few minutes later, in the pilothouse, he privately told treason. The Adjutant General immediately revoked the mate that the Elgin_would never reach shore. Barry's militia commission and disarmed the Union The vessel that rammed the Lady Elgin was the 129 Guard. The unit was incensed and refused to disband. ft. schooner Augusta, bound for Chicago with a load It decided to raise money for rearming by of lumber. Despite gale force winds, she still had most commissioning an excursion on the Lady Elgin to of her sails up and was sailing out of control. Her Chicago where a Democratic deck load had shifted so that she was nearly on her Party rally was to be held. side. Captain Darius Malott and his crew, fighting to While there, they planned to regain control of the schooner, did not spot the Lady call attention to their cause by Elgin until it was too late. The Augusta charged into holding a parade and the side of the Lady Elgin just behind the port attending a speech by paddlewheel, burying her bowsprit in the side of the Illinois congressman and larger ship. The Augusta soon freed itself from the Lady Elgin. / /; Captain Malott, mistakenly / / thinking his ship had dealt the Elgin only a glancing blow and fearful that his own ship might founder, immediately turned toward Chicago. All was pandemoni urn on the Lady Elgin. In a desperate attempt to lighten the load the crew drove overboard 50 head of cattle that had been in pens below deck. Cargo, ~~ W nlcl· 2 00G ~¥~~ but one of whom had been aboard the Augusta, had been lynched in response to the Lady Elgin disaster. Republican Governor Randall of Wisconsin, who had disarmed the Irish Union Guards, was regarded a villain. The incident further increased tensions between Democrats and Republicans over issues of states rights and slavery. Written shortly after the disaster, Henry C. Work's song, Lost on the Lady Elgin, rose in popularity to become one of the nation's best-known songs. It is fitting that this early Hyde Parker used his talents to commemorate a tragedy that, had there not been poIi tical tensions over states' rights and slavery, probably would not have happened at all. ~ including iron stoves, was moved to the starboard side in order to raise the hole in the port side out of water. *Safe in the Harbor. Lee Murdock, Depot Recordings, 123 Efforts to launch lifeboats failed. The Lad'y Elgin South Hough Street, Barrington, IL 60010. Contact: Artists of began to disintegrate, cutting off most passengers Note, P. O. Box 11, Kaneville, IL 60144-0011. (708) 557-2742. from life preservers. Within 20 minutes most of the ship was headed to the bottom. **Excerpted from The Wreck of the Steamer Lady Elgin, by When dawn broke, about 500 passengers were still Brendon Baillod. floating on debris and broken decking. Though aided by relatively warm water, the churning surf tore Don't miss it! _________ infants from would-be rescuers' arms and stymied efforts of many to maintain secure grips on improvised rafts. Only 160 of the approximately 400 survivors who reached the shallows were able to make it to shore. Of the 430 or so confirmed lost, less than half were ever found. Washinglon Acts of heroism were the stuff of legend. Captain Wilson, trying to save two women from the waves, was killed when he was dashed on the rocks just off the shore. Edward Spencer, a Northwestern University Park student, repeatedly charged back into the waves to save, it is said, as many as 18 people. Mterward he became delirious, repeatedly asking, "Did I do my best)" His heroism later became the impetus for the bhi~il Evanston, Illinois, United States Lifesaving Station. Don't miss our current exhibit on historic When the crippled Augusta reached harbor she was Washington Park! Included are forty-three leaking badly, Captain Malott was horrified to learn unusual vintage views and six maps of the park that the Lady Elgin had gone down. The public and dating from its origins in 1870 until 1920. All the press soon began to attack him as an agent of the are drawn from the archives of the Hyde Park Confederacy as well as an agent of pro-Confederacy Historical Society, the Chicago Park District, Britain, where he had spent some time.