The Fitches raised nine children in their West Bloomfield home—sons Stewart, Lodowick Jr. and Elisha, along with their six daughters. By 1850, all but two of the children had left home. Elisha went to sea and quickly rose to be the master of various United States mail steamers, notably the Washington. Lodowick Sr. died on April 20, 1854. Elisha had much on his mind when he left New York for Southampton, England, a few days later.
On May 2, he came across the packet ship Winchester, which had been de-masted in a major gale, causing the ship to go adrift with 482 passengers and crew aboard. Maneuvering the Washington as close as he dared, Elisha dispatched his first officer and four volunteers to board the Winchester. Their boat began to sink as they reached the ship, but the rescue team was “snatched from a watery grave,” as the Sabbath Recorder reported.
Elisha directed lifeboats into position, and the last survivors left the ship only minutes before it sank from sight. Several persons had died in the storm, and the crew had laid them out on the rolling deck. Remaining to be the last persons off the wreck, Washington’s first officer P.W. King and the captain of the Winchester made one final survey of the dead and found a woman who was still breathing. For their heroism, Elisha and his crew were awarded medals and large monetary rewards and were repeatedly feted in New York City.
Elisha went on the command the steamship Sonora, carrying passengers from New York to Bremen, Germany, and died at sea aboard the ship on July 22, 1858, leaving his wife, Louisa, with four children in Brooklyn.
Wicked Lewiston: A Sinful Century
By Steven Branting
On May 2, he came across the packet ship Winchester, which had been de-masted in a major gale, causing the ship to go adrift with 482 passengers and crew aboard. Maneuvering the Washington as close as he dared, Elisha dispatched his first officer and four volunteers to board the Winchester. Their boat began to sink as they reached the ship, but the rescue team was “snatched from a watery grave,” as the Sabbath Recorder reported.
Elisha directed lifeboats into position, and the last survivors left the ship only minutes before it sank from sight. Several persons had died in the storm, and the crew had laid them out on the rolling deck. Remaining to be the last persons off the wreck, Washington’s first officer P.W. King and the captain of the Winchester made one final survey of the dead and found a woman who was still breathing. For their heroism, Elisha and his crew were awarded medals and large monetary rewards and were repeatedly feted in New York City.
Elisha went on the command the steamship Sonora, carrying passengers from New York to Bremen, Germany, and died at sea aboard the ship on July 22, 1858, leaving his wife, Louisa, with four children in Brooklyn.
Wicked Lewiston: A Sinful Century
By Steven Branting
The Fitches raised nine children in their West Bloomfield home—sons Stewart, Lodowick Jr. and Elisha, along with their six daughters. By 1850, all but two of the children had left home. Elisha went to sea and quickly rose to be the master of various United States mail steamers, notably the Washington. Lodowick Sr. died on April 20, 1854. Elisha had much on his mind when he left New York for Southampton, England, a few days later.
On May 2, he came across the packet ship Winchester, which had been de-masted in a major gale, causing the ship to go adrift with 482 passengers and crew aboard. Maneuvering the Washington as close as he dared, Elisha dispatched his first officer and four volunteers to board the Winchester. Their boat began to sink as they reached the ship, but the rescue team was “snatched from a watery grave,” as the Sabbath Recorder reported.
Elisha directed lifeboats into position, and the last survivors left the ship only minutes before it sank from sight. Several persons had died in the storm, and the crew had laid them out on the rolling deck. Remaining to be the last persons off the wreck, Washington’s first officer P.W. King and the captain of the Winchester made one final survey of the dead and found a woman who was still breathing. For their heroism, Elisha and his crew were awarded medals and large monetary rewards and were repeatedly feted in New York City.
Elisha went on the command the steamship Sonora, carrying passengers from New York to Bremen, Germany, and died at sea aboard the ship on July 22, 1858, leaving his wife, Louisa, with four children in Brooklyn.
Wicked Lewiston: A Sinful Century
By Steven Branting
On May 2, he came across the packet ship Winchester, which had been de-masted in a major gale, causing the ship to go adrift with 482 passengers and crew aboard. Maneuvering the Washington as close as he dared, Elisha dispatched his first officer and four volunteers to board the Winchester. Their boat began to sink as they reached the ship, but the rescue team was “snatched from a watery grave,” as the Sabbath Recorder reported.
Elisha directed lifeboats into position, and the last survivors left the ship only minutes before it sank from sight. Several persons had died in the storm, and the crew had laid them out on the rolling deck. Remaining to be the last persons off the wreck, Washington’s first officer P.W. King and the captain of the Winchester made one final survey of the dead and found a woman who was still breathing. For their heroism, Elisha and his crew were awarded medals and large monetary rewards and were repeatedly feted in New York City.
Elisha went on the command the steamship Sonora, carrying passengers from New York to Bremen, Germany, and died at sea aboard the ship on July 22, 1858, leaving his wife, Louisa, with four children in Brooklyn.
Wicked Lewiston: A Sinful Century
By Steven Branting
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