Lawton of the Cortland noticed the Morning Star approaching them after he successfully repaired a lamp.
Captain Lawton rang a bell to warn the Morning Star's crew, but it was too late to prevent a collision.
[3] On the Morning Star, Captain Viger attempted to launch the ship's lifeboats, but she sank before they could be lowered.
Captain Viger and 14 other people survived the disaster by clinging to the remains of the ship's hurricane deck, which had been torn loose after the collision.
[4] In April 1980, divers Craig Hampton, Jim Kennard, and Don Muhleman discovered the Morning Star's remains off Lorain, Ohio.