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The Evening Star Sank on October 3, 1866
.........283 Parished
Evening Star – On 3 October 1866, the Evening Star sank after sailing into a hurricane 180 miles east of Tybee Island, GA. Of the approximately 300 aboard, 283 perished. The ship contained lifeboats for only 60 people and not enough life vests for all on board. One group of survivors were picked up by a passing vessel and taken to the port of Savannah, GA, while a second group drifted for days and came ashore on the north end of Amelia Island, FL.
Source:
The Sinking of the Steamship Evening Star
On September 29, 1866 the steamship Evening Star set sail from New York bound for New Orleans. Along the way, it encountered a hurricane and sank on October 3, 1866 off the coast of Georgia. Robert Finger, the Chief Engineer survived, but his brother Lansing Finger, the First Assistant-Engineer, did not. Of the 270 persons on board only 17 survived. Transcribed below are a number of newspaper accounts.
AUGUSTA, Ga., Oct 9 - The following additional particulars of the loss of the steamer Evening Star are from the Savannah news of this morning, and embrace the latest details of the disaster:
The steamer Evening Star on the 2d inst, encountered a severe gale, which commenced at 2 o'clock in the afternoon when she was 180 miles cast of Tybee Island. After weathering the storm some seventeen hours she foundered at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 3d, with 270 souls on board. Only seventeen persons are known to have been saved. It seems that there were only three or four life-boats on board, one of which the Chief Engineer, the Purser, six of the crew and two passengers succeeded, after capsizing several times, in keeping afloat until they were picked up by the Norwegian bark, Fleetwing, from which they were transferred to the schooner J. Waring, and arrived here last evening.
The following is the list saved on the Purser's book: Robt. Finger, chief engineer; Ellery S. Allen, purser; John Long, water tender, Fred. Shaffer, coal passer; Geo. Smith, seaman; John Bowers, seaman; Dennis Gannon, waiter, Rowland Stevens, waiter; E. Lamer, passenger; S. H. Harris, passenger.
A second boat took sixteen persons from the steamer, among whom were the Captain and Third Mate. This boat was capsized twelve or fifteen times. The Captain was lost on the fourth time. This boat arrived at Ferandina Saturday forenoon, with six persons and two dead bodies on board.
Only one passenger was saved in the Third Mate's boat. His name is Frank Gerrard, whose residence is at No. 51 Bond street Brooklyn. The following are the names of the survivors in this boat: Thomas Fitzpatrick, third mate; John Dempcy, seaman; John Campbell, seaman; James Howe, seaman; Chancellor Mason, storage steward; Frank Girard, passenger.
- Rochester Daily Union and Advertiser October 10, 1866
Source:
The Sinking of the Steamship Evening Star
Sailed from New-York for New-Orleans, Sept. 29.
Passinger List
- Gen. Henry C. William Palfrey, lady, child and servant,
- Miss Rosa Burns
- Miss S. Starrett
- Miss Phebe Clark Palfrey
- Mrs. J. King
- Miss Sloo
- Mrs. G. T. Philbin
- Mrs. E. A. Van Sickle
- Miss Julia Munroe
- Mrs. J. T. Mason
- Miss A. Clibband
- Frank R. Dennis
- A. Goette and wife
- Mr. Haberow
- Mrs. S. F. Gordon
- Mr. Rockwell
- Mrs. Spangenberg and 3 servants,
- John Touro
- Mrs. John J. Adams
- Alexander Langlois
- Mrs. W. H. Robbins
- Alfred Langlois
- Miss Lilly Parker
- Mrs. Henry Newell and daughter
- Miss Minnie Taylor
- George Hillman
- Miss Destorbuy
- Miss Eva Krepps
- Miss Margaret Hillman
- Miss Nellie Levere
- D. Pretto and wife
- Miss Mary Hudson
- Mrs. Gillespie and daughter
- Mrs. Elodie Girard
- Miss G. Ferney
- James Gallier and wife
- Miss E. Durand
- Mr. Ehenest
- Mrs. J. Durnery
- Mr. Tapain and wife
- Miss J. M. Ster
- Miss Tapain,
- Mrs. T. Masic
- O. Destorbuy and wife
- Miss T. Campana
- Mr. T. Desormes
- H. Humboldt
- Miss T. Borel
- Miss H. Jeremol
- Miss Celine Cayot
- Mr. La Fontaine
- Mr. and Mrs. Codpim
- Mr. and Mrs. P. Polydor
- Mr. and Mrs. Caillant
- G. Harrison
- Julie Eugene Alhaiza
- Miss Jane T. Moran
- Mrs. Chenup
- Miss Helen Pomeroy
- S. Francis
- J. H. Dupasseur
- Mrs. G. Thompson,
- John T. Martin
- Henry Smith
- Miss T. Clotain
- Miss Quatorse
- Miss H. Renon,
- V. Michel
- Miss G. Reed,
- Mrs. N. Frontier
- Miss T. Bonidett
- Miss Laguement
- J. L. Herzey
- Miss H. Strauss
- F. T. Fontainebleau
- Miss J. Ponsonby
- S. J. Depeirris
- Henry T. Crocheron
- Herman Spader
- Miss Belinda Meserole
- Charles T. Low
- Mr. Severae
- G. T. White
- T. Coignard
- J. M. Davidson
- S. Robert
- J. Munroe Pell
- Solomon Myers
- S. M. Barlow
- Miss G. L. Conine
- Frank Dennison
- S. G. Fraser and aunt
- T. M. Mery
- Jonathan Havens and lady
- V. G. Vila,
- C. C. Ackerman
- Mrs. V. G. Vila
- J. Polglars
- Jas. Harkness, Jr.
- George Fisher
- J. C. Denvry,
- Capt. Wm. Chipman
- S. M. Parigot
- J. E. Smith
- T. Buvan
- Harry H. Register
- Mrs. N. Doyle
- Martin T. Hall
- H. D. Hertnea
- Isaac Hapner
- John Perchal
- James McGuire
- S. Morenshelager
- Miss Caillant
- T. Laguement
- Miss Laura de Mont-Pierre
- J. L. Strum
- John Geiser
- Miss Amelia Ferne
- Ferd. H. Stutt
- Miss Josephine de bonne Campana
- Harrison Quinan
- James Bouffe
- J. Mindbled, S. Ferne
- C. Fisher
- George Sandal,
- John Harper,
- Miss Addie Norton.
- Jeremiah Franconia,
- Joseph and Therese Ulrich
- George Estell
- Miss Emily Devlin
- Mrs. S. Geiser and child
- D. B. Small
- Mrs. N. Doyle
- Miss Mary Duvall
- Miss Caroline Glanner
- Leopold Schwerin
- Miss Mary Lyman
- John J. Reed
- Barbara and Julia Coria
- Paul Julien
- Edward O'Brien and child
- H. J. Niuage
- Franklin Smith
- Chas. Puckdeschel and daughter
- Harvey Crowther and others in the steerage.
Officers and Crew
- William Knapp, master
- David Burr, first mate
- William Goldie, second Mate
- Thomas Fitzpatrick, boatswain
- E.S. Allen, purser
- Robert Finger, chief engineer
- Lansing Finger, first assistant engineer
- Andrew McMahon, second assistant engineer
- David Bailey, steward
- Patrick Lee, second steward
- Mary Hazzle, stewardess
- John Wynkoop, cook
- John Berry, second cook
- William Roberts, third cook
- James Fitzpatrick, pastry cook more here..... The National Republican
Links:
- Correct list of Passengers, Officers, and Crew
- Rootsweb - The Evening Star, Particulars of the Great Disaster.
- Rootsweb - The Evening Star Disaster 1
- Rootsweb - The Evening Star Disaster 2
- Dreadful Disaster
- Tybee Island, GA (Off Shore) Steamer EVENING STAR Disaster, Oct 1866
- NY Times - The Evening Star
- NY Times - The Evening Star Disaster
- Shipwrecks and disasters at sea
- The Sinking of the Steamship Evening Star
- The Federal Cases: Comprising Cases Argued and Determined in the ...
- Dreadful Desaster NY Times
- The National Republican
- The Evening Star Disaster
- Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 32, Number 4866, 1 November 1866
- Cases argued and determined in the Circuit courts of the United ..., Volume 2
- The Wreck of the "Evening Star."
- Song and Sheet Music
- New Orleans in 1867
- The Carnival, Opera and the Drama
- Genforum
- List of Opera troupe that was lost at sea