370:, Captain H.C. Fuller, was licensed for excursion trips of up to 175 passengers, this license wasn't transferred to Captain Wethern and, by regulation, he was only allowed to carry 12 passengers at that time. It was also noted that the captain had no authority to take barges in tow at the time of the accident. Under questioning, Captain Wethern stated that he did not know that under the ship's excursion permit he was required to have an additional pilot on board or the number of required crew needed for handling and manning lifeboats. Captain Wethern also stated under questioning that the life preservers on board were in a "miserably deficient" condition.
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passenger list was not correct; starting the voyage in the face of an impending storm and not staying near shore but heading into the center of the lake were factors that lead to the suspension. A recommendation for criminal charges against
Captain Wethern by United States District Attorney was also included in the report. Charges were never filed against Captain Wethern following the release of the report.
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claims that the captain ordered the women and children from the barge and into a cabin which he then locked were made as only seven of the 57 women on board had survived the sinking. It was reported that many of the women had left the barge voluntarily for the ship due to objectionable conduct by fellow passengers.
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first stopped at
Trenton, Wisconsin, at 8:30 am and then arrived at Red Wing at 9:30 am, where approximately 150 waiting passengers at Red Wing got on board. Captain Wethern's family was already on board as well as a string orchestra that played for the passengers while the vessel was en route. After
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Following the inquiry, it was reported on August 11, 1890, that
Captain Wethern's license as master and pilot was suspended for "Unskillfullness" in his operation of the vessel. It was noted in the report that on the day of the accident, the ship's passenger capacity was exceeded by 30 persons; the
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Following the tragedy, there were conflicting reports that
Captain Wethern had been arrested for his own protection. Accusations of drunkenness, overloading of the ship and heading out over objections that the weather conditions were unsafe were leveled against Captain Wethern, as well. Further
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to recall the passengers and by 8 pm the passengers were on board and the ship was made ready to leave. The captain had been advised to delay his departure by other river men, because they felt that a storm was heading their way, but
Captain Wethern believed that the weather looked like it was
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for the visitors. Captain
Wethern agreed to delay the departure, after being asked by a number of passengers, until after the parade at 7 pm. Shortly after the parade began, the weather conditions changed and began to look ominous. Captain Wethern began sounding the ship's
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leaving Red Wing, the vessel stopped at
Frontenac, Minnesota, and then proceeded on to her destination arriving around 11:30 am that morning. The passengers disembarked and spent their time picnicking, visiting the troops and listening to a band concert later in the day.
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An inquiry was begun to ascertain the cause of the disaster with the investigation headed by John D. Sloane, who held the office of
Inspector of Steam Vessels. He was assisted by Captains George B. Knapp and Charles F. Yeager, who were two local inspectors from
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was jointly owned by
Captain David Niles Wethern and Melvin Sparks, operating as the Diamond Jo Line. Normally used for moving lumber and commodities along the Mississippi River, the ship was also used for excursions as an extra source of income.
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was rated for a maximum of 350 passengers when the ship towed two passenger barges on its trips. The safety equipment carried consisted of 175 wood floats, 175 cork and tube life preservers, six axes and seven lifeboats with 28 oars.
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was either cut loose or broke loose and survived the disaster with its passengers unharmed. It is the worst
Minnesota maritime disaster ever, and one of the worst maritime disasters that occurred on the
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left port and headed on to its first stop at Lake City. A half hour into the voyage Captain Wethern noticed a gale heading toward them from the Minnesota shore. He turned the
210:. Approximately 215 people were aboard the vessel when it overturned and as a result of the accident 98 passengers drowned. An excursion barge that was being towed by the
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to meet the storm but a large wave struck the ship, tilting it at a 45-degree angle. While still tilted the ship was struck by strong winds that capsized the ship.
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left Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin, at 7:30 am for its trip to the encampment south of Lake City towing a covered barge named the
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532:"98 people killed Day-long excursion on Lake Pepin turns into one of the deadliest disasters on Upper Mississippi"
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The return trip was scheduled to leave between 5 and 6 pm that evening, but the national guard had scheduled a
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amidship. She had a displacement of 110 long tons (110 t) and a height of 22 feet (6.7 m) to her
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board who would also take affidavits from the survivors of the accident as part of the investigation.
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419:"Day-long excursion on Lake Pepin turns into one of the deadliest disasters on Upper Mississippi"
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was rebuilt and placed back in service until it was scrapped a number of years later.
390:. The hull, engines and barge were recovered and purchased by the former owner of the
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736:"Story of ill-fated Belle Mac and of Sea Wing and J. S. told by "old timers""
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573:"The Horse Has Gone Now Comes The Official Inquiry Concerning The Barn Door"
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During the inquiry, it was found that while the previous captain of the
359:, board along with Captains John Monaghan and Michael F. Chalk from the
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Built in 1888 at Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin, as a sternwheel rafter, the
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534:. ECM Publishers, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008
714:"When death rode a tornado: The sea wing tragedy on Lake Pepin"
1032:
This Storied River: Legend & Lore of the Upper Mississippi
311:, which would carry a number of the day's passengers. The
1066:
Sea Wing Disaster in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
509:"Minnesota History: Most deadly shipwreck is least known"
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had occurred earlier in the evening farther north in the
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It was reported in August 1890 that the wreckage of the
394:, but the boilers were not recovered at that time. The
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was 135 feet (41 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m)
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During July 1890, a Sunday excursion was planned from
878:. No. 16. Door County Advocate. August 9, 1890
619:. South Washington County Bulletin. 7 February 2003
303:On the morning of the excursion, 13 July 1890, the
643:"Shipwrecked on Lake Pepin: The Sea Wing disaster"
444:
597:. No. 41. The Deseret Weekly. July 26, 1890
552:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
262:was powered by a six piston steam engine. The
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161:2 steam engines, 10 in diameter, 6 ft stroke
1131:1890 natural disasters in the United States
1035:. Wisconsin Historical Press. p. 150.
1010:. The Worthington Advance. August 21, 1890
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641:Johnson, Frederick L. (17 January 2017).
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190:occurred on July 13, 1890, when a strong
483:. The Indianapolis Journal. 18 July 1890
108:Foundered with the loss of 98 passengers
1086:Maritime incidents in the United States
988:. St. Paul Daily Globe. August 21, 1890
834:. St. Paul Daily Globe. August 23, 1890
667:. The Pittsburgh Dispatch. 15 July 1890
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177:Towboat being used as an excursion boat
900:. St. Paul Daily Globe. August 1, 1890
807:. The Black Hills Union. July 18, 1890
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386:was raised by the crew of the steamer
50:
944:. St. Paul Daily Globe. July 29, 1890
922:. St. Paul Daily Globe. July 26, 1890
856:. St. Paul Daily Globe. July 24, 1890
763:. St. Paul Daily Globe. July 16, 1890
575:. St. Paul Daily Globe. July 22, 1890
412:
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7:
785:. Wood County Reporter. 24 July 1890
712:Remington, Harry (4 November 1934).
1116:Shipwrecks of the Mississippi River
1106:Steamboats of the Mississippi River
14:
966:. The Evening Star. 17 July 1890
738:. La Crosse Tribune. 27 May 1916
238:were the cause of the accident.
54:
1091:Natural disasters in Minnesota
16:Excursion boat overturned 1890
1:
1008:"The News Briefly Chronicled"
507:Brown, Curt (April 2, 2015).
63:
716:. Minneapolis Sunday Tribune
617:"Riverboats get Kraft touch"
453:Minnesota Historical Society
964:"Government To Investigate"
1152:
1081:Maritime incidents in 1890
230:area, it is believed that
121:110 long tons (110 t)
1101:Wabasha County, Minnesota
1096:Goodhue County, Minnesota
595:"The Lake Pepin Disaster"
447:Minnesota Weather Almanac
112:
73:
53:
481:"The Ill-Fated Sea Wing"
443:Seeley, Mark W. (2006).
277:Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin
1029:McCann, Dennis (2017).
942:"Conflicting Testimony"
898:"The Sea Wing Disaster"
217:upper Mississippi River
113:General characteristics
37:44.548458°N 92.325368°W
854:"The Sea Wing Inquiry"
687:"The Sea Wing Tragedy"
421:. EMC. Archived from
169:Sternwheel paddleboat
153:4.5 feet (1.4 m)
42:44.548458; -92.325368
876:"Notes and Opinions"
665:"Giving Up Its Dead"
298:Lake City, Minnesota
208:Lake City, Minnesota
145:22 feet (6.7 m)
137:16 feet (4.9 m)
129:135 feet (41 m)
761:"Is He In Durance?"
388:Edward S. Durant Jr
294:Red Wing, Minnesota
33: /
986:"His License Gone"
783:"A Mournful Scene"
378:Salvage operations
1126:1890 in Minnesota
1042:978-0-87020-784-6
920:"Bad For Wethern"
832:"The Law Invoked"
361:Duluth, Minnesota
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423:the original
417:Budig, T.W.
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242:Construction
236:thunderstorm
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118:Displacement
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256:pilot house
228:Twin Cities
192:squall line
67: 1889
40: /
1121:1888 ships
1075:Categories
645:. MINNPOST
429:2008-05-23
402:References
204:Lake Pepin
166:Propulsion
28:92°19′31″W
25:44°32′54″N
548:cite news
341:Aftermath
309:Jim Grant
275:Based in
232:downburst
224:tornadoes
196:excursion
97:Completed
1048:19 March
1014:12 March
992:12 March
970:19 March
948:12 March
926:12 March
904:12 March
882:12 March
860:12 March
838:12 March
811:12 March
789:19 March
767:12 March
742:19 March
720:19 March
692:19 March
671:19 March
649:11 March
623:19 March
601:14 March
579:12 March
538:11 March
515:11 March
487:19 March
396:Sea Wing
392:Sea Wing
384:Sea Wing
368:Sea Wing
335:Sea Wing
331:Sea Wing
313:Sea Wing
305:Sea Wing
281:Sea Wing
264:Sea Wing
260:Sea Wing
248:Sea Wing
212:Sea Wing
200:Sea Wing
188:disaster
186:Sea Wing
83:Sea Wing
61:Sea Wing
457:185–186
350:Inquiry
326:whistle
288:Tragedy
271:History
198:vessel
74:History
1039:
463:
279:, the
258:. The
222:While
142:Height
126:Length
206:near
174:Notes
150:Draft
89:Owner
1050:2017
1037:ISBN
1016:2017
994:2017
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950:2017
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625:2017
603:2017
581:2017
554:link
540:2017
517:2017
489:2017
461:ISBN
252:beam
183:The
134:Beam
105:Fate
100:1888
79:Name
296:to
202:on
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
