New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-08
TERRIFIC GALE on LIKE ERIE-LOSS
or LIFE.
corespen6rpce Of The N. Y. Trlb1ne.

CLEvELAyD Tuesday, Dec ). 1854.
On Sunday morning, Dee 3, commenced one OF
the most tremendous gales We have experienced for
years. II began from the northeast, and continued
all day sunday without abatement, accompanied
with driving tnow and piercing cold.
On Monday morning the gale had increased in fury,
tie wind having veered TO the northwest. Soon
after daylight the schooner Omsh bound from Toledo
10 Ossego, laden with corn and pork, With Captain
Kech and six hands, one Of them boy OF fourteen,
was discovered hard upon the stones Of the unfn-
ished west pier, ammec fast between two parallel
rows Of spiles some two hundred feet from shore AMI
with connection save the struggling spiles, over
which the waves every moment dashed.
Her bottom snd stern we're pounded 10 pieces by the
breakers Her bow had been forced VI by the waves
ard upon this her crew had taken refuge, huddling
themselves together and constantly exposed TO the
dreDchiDg aud freezing spray. The first effort to
them made by the Government life boat
from the East pier Just opposite but it stove in
moment upon the spiles. second attempt, blythe
lie-hOet of the propeller California met with the
same fate. at o'clock the news spread through the
city and thousands tbrOneed the piers aid in
the Iescue. The seas terrible, the cold severe
abC for the beDumbed sailors there seemed 40 nope.
The spray dahed over the piers, COS erios tue res
cueTs with cl0Gks Of ice. AbOat 10 o'clock he crew
maIsged TO let rope drift ~ the end OF the West
pier. To this those shore attached larger hue,
which was then haaed on board and made fast to th3
fOremast
This now seemed the only way Of escape. james
Bur young nan Of nineteen, first ait' mpte1 the
petilous passage. lie worked hs way aouy some
tgeIy yards, clngiDg By his hands and fret, shsn
lie stopped lis Chi I'd hands could york ~ lJn5er,
biz sueDgth was gone. For moment he hung - his
only hope but nstufe gave way and ihrO ~ing no bis
baLds IN despair, lsll into the boiling waves. R.sns
to The surface be grssptd spie with both arms, sn1
for five minutes held fast. Soon a terrible wave tore
him away aud dove him on. Again no zrasPed
q Init nfn ft4 H fHflI
he sunk before eyes, his last look implorng Tor
help.
second Of the crew, ming himself ~ toe line
by a string under his arms say ed the perbus pas
sae a. from the top of t1e forenast to the shore.
Watched by thousands Oi ANXIOUS hearts, ne pro.
cfe6ed safely tO within foty feet of the shore when
the rope that held HIM up encountered knot IN the
line. Over this he could ut get and there, Tor ten
minutes, lie hung, his clothes partly tUr1 from him,
bis strength gone. and the waves dashing over him
every moment. Backward and forward he swung
by tie force OF the waves, ana his death seemed lu
eyiiabe, when ole Of the crew clumb to the topmist
and cut the line. He fell into the surge the
swept Lnn forward; the lac was hauled ia iion tao
shore, al be saved, 80 chilled that be could NOT
walk or talk for hours.
About this tine the schooners M1nsoon and Ros-
cius plugging as if every moment they would % 10
TIE bottom, aiih cell frozen and cre~s nearly -,
made The haibor passing within 80 feet OF tue Inflated
Ouab. ~ whom they could render no assistance.
Al this time--l2 O'cOck-tbe gale blew 5rcer than
ever end the line baving been cut, all hope of saving
the rest of the crew seemed gone. They we're plainly
il sight, sitting 6lmOst mOuOuless in the bog, MT
bteCing the motions vi thOs inds shore 10 pay out
another line. The spray had frozen all over the cord
age and bOwspIit, aud the poor fellows seemed .
have abaI dored themseles to despair Attempts
ere made with rockets and cannon 10 cast ne over
the ship, but the force OF the Wind rendered them
truiiless The crowd upon the piers had nov become
immenee.
Mayer Brownen being on the ground, requested
Capt Monroe, Of The propeller Pausdssett, ~ 20 ~
then relief.
Ii WIS a fearful voyage but Capt. Monroe WIS the
man for it. He fred up forthwith, and, asslAted by
company of brave volunteers, about 81 OolOck maze
the attempt. He headed for the wreck, reached u,
plunged upon the sples backward and forward, while
lines were thrown TO the sufferers, who SAD to say,
had life enough left 10 them. One, in attempt
ing TO climb the propeller let go and sunk to rlse
no more. One Of the propellers crew, by lur5h,
was thrown over, and also lost Another ped into
the rigging Of the schooner and remained on board.
The force of the waves terrific, and the
propeller was forced 10 retire up the nver -Four OF
the 0mahs crew, with one from the propeller, were
now ON the wreck. The latter made the benumbed
crew slap their hands and arms, and move round a
little, 10 keep from freezing.
About four o'clock the propeller again turned her
head toward the scene of danger. Advancing, she
struck the spiles before reaching the wreck and was
compelled again 10 recede before the heavy Sc -.
A third atienpt was soon made, when s1e reached
the schooner, and though the propeller rolled aod
pitched and thumped on the spiles as every moment
would be her last at each surge toward the wreck,
the lines were cast and man drawn on board. One
poor fellow. however, whose chilled hands could not
held on the line LET 90 his grasp and sunk into the
boilil waves.
As each one was drawn on to the propeller, tie
immense crowd gave vent to their JOY by hearty
cheers. Many were moved to tears.
just before the last attempt mln was Knocked OF
the pier by the propelers cable, and immediately
sunk.
Tie propeller II wss found, had stove in both bows,
as6 lie was iun up the river and sunk il seyenf'0t
water. She will be pumped out aud repaired az small
expense.
About ) o'clock another schooner was 6eAchef
about forty rods from the East Pier, bu, all hands
were saved.
While tbese poor sailors pershed before our eyes,
thousar ds inwardly cursed the Government, which
car spend millions upon the sesboerd, out graIges
hpndreos here Had the West Pier been completed,
as il ought 10 have been years since, this terrible
catastrophe would never have hAPpensd