Niagara (palace steamer)
Encyclopedia
The Niagara was a 245 feet (74.7 m) long sidewheel palace steamer
launched in 1846. Like the others of its kind, it carried passengers and cargo around the North America
n Great Lakes
. It was owned by the Collingwood Line.
On September 23, 1856, the Niagara left Sheboygan, Wisconsin
headed for Port Washington, Wisconsin
, on Lake Michigan
, carrying 170 passengers and a heavy load of cargo. Fire broke out in the area of the engine room at around 6:00 pm, and the steam engines and the paddlewheels soon stopped. The steamer, which was 4–5 miles offshore, quickly became engulfed in flames and smoke. Efforts to use the fire hose were unsuccessful.
The passengers panicked while trying to board the lifeboats, capsizing all but one of them. Many jumped overboard into the water, which was reported to be too cold for anyone to survive in it. Several ships in the area rushed to the scene and rescued most of the passengers. The captain and most of the crew survived, but more than 60 on board perished, making it one of Wisconsin's deadliest transportation disasters. Among those lost was John B. Macy
, a former member of the United States Congress
.
It was reported at the time that the fire was caused by an incendiary
. The Captain insisted the fire could not have started in the engine room, because it was fireproof, and blamed combustible cargo stored below. It appears that the cause of the fire was never definitively established.
The wreck of the Niagara lies in 55 feet (16.8 m) of water one mile (1.6 km) off Belgium, Wisconsin
.
Palace steamer
Palace steamers were luxurious steamships that carried passengers and cargo around the North American Great Lakes from 1844 through 1857. One was the Niagara, which was destroyed by a fire during an 1856 voyage.- Source :*...
launched in 1846. Like the others of its kind, it carried passengers and cargo around the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. It was owned by the Collingwood Line.
On September 23, 1856, the Niagara left Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
headed for Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington, Wisconsin
Port Washington is the county seat of Ozaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is about 25 miles north of Milwaukee and 110 miles north of Chicago. In the 2000 census Port Washington had a population of 10,467...
, on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, carrying 170 passengers and a heavy load of cargo. Fire broke out in the area of the engine room at around 6:00 pm, and the steam engines and the paddlewheels soon stopped. The steamer, which was 4–5 miles offshore, quickly became engulfed in flames and smoke. Efforts to use the fire hose were unsuccessful.
The passengers panicked while trying to board the lifeboats, capsizing all but one of them. Many jumped overboard into the water, which was reported to be too cold for anyone to survive in it. Several ships in the area rushed to the scene and rescued most of the passengers. The captain and most of the crew survived, but more than 60 on board perished, making it one of Wisconsin's deadliest transportation disasters. Among those lost was John B. Macy
John B. Macy
John B. Macy was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Macy was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he received a liberal education. He moved to New York City in 1826 and later in that year to Buffalo, New York. He resided in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1842 to 1845...
, a former member of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
It was reported at the time that the fire was caused by an incendiary
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
. The Captain insisted the fire could not have started in the engine room, because it was fireproof, and blamed combustible cargo stored below. It appears that the cause of the fire was never definitively established.
The wreck of the Niagara lies in 55 feet (16.8 m) of water one mile (1.6 km) off Belgium, Wisconsin
Belgium, Wisconsin
Belgium is a village located in the Town of Belgium in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,678 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.