Grand River Times

A Severe Gale—Wreck of the Caledonia—Six Lives Lost.—On Wednesday
evening last, commenced one of the fiercest
gales that has ever visited Lake Michigan.
The wind breezed up freshly from the west,
during the afternoon of Wednesday, and ere
midnight had risen to a furious gale, which
increased in violence as the morning of Thursday approached the dawn, and continued with
unabated vigor, not only through that day,
but the following night, and manifested but
little abatement till Friday morning.

On Thursday morning the Ottawa presented
herself in the offing to the view of hundreds
of anxious spectators watching with intense
interest the unequal contest of the gallant
boat with the madly surging waves that were
furiously tossing their foam-capped crests
high in air, and though like mountains they
rolled threateningly along, striking the noble
craft with the force of a maddened giant—yet
under the guidance of her skillful captain and
crew she conquered every impediment,
surmounted every danger, and was moored
safely at her dock.

During the day a number of vessels, outgeneraling the fury of the gale, came into
port, none of them having suffered material
damage.

About four o'clock the schooner Caledonia
of Chicago, in attempting to enter port struck
the bar and was almost instantly capsized
when within a few yards of the mouth of the
river. The captain and crew, consisting of
six men, as nearly as can be ascertained, were
drowned. She was owned by Captain Day
then on board—was a new boat—had been
engaged in the Lower Lake trade—was at
the commencement of the gale a little to the
north of us, taking in a cargo of wood, but to
escape the fury of the elements directed her
course to this harbor, where the melancholy
accident occurred. In an hour or two after
the disaster the vessel was broken up by the
fury of the waves, and portions floated ashore.

Just at evening the schooner Storm was
beached a little north of the mouth of the
river. The crew succeeded in reaching the
shore in safety next morning.

The propeller J. Barber left Grand Haven,
Wednesday evening, and on Thursday having
received some damage in her steam pipes,
made for St. Joseph; but on Sunday morning
arrived at Chicago where she is undergoing
necessary repairs.

The propeller Foss sprang a leak on Thursday, and to avoid a submersion was run
ashore near Kalamazoo. It is feared she will
prove a total wreck.

The brig Sandusky is reported ashore near
Kalamazoo, and the Seneca near St. Joseph.
No further intelligence of moment has yet
reached us.

On shore, the transactions in real estate,
during the gale, were exceedingly brisk. Large
portions changed ownership; but toward the
evening of Friday, speculation became dull,
and at present all is quiet.