Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-03-08
Winter Cruising on Lake Michigan
Ten days in the Tce-Three Men
in an Open Boatl-Unprecedented
-MiraculOus Escape. 1

II Unuer thlS head the ChlCago OemocrntlC
Press Of Saturday relutes the thrilling ad.
ventures Of Capt. EAssoN, Of the now famous
little sloop Bddy Ann, which entered Chica-
90 harbor ast Thutsdsy, after having been
cast. away in the Lake for almost month
In the memorable. storm OF the 2lst of Jonu-
ary The sloop. sppcNed of Chicago. having
on board Capt E.,,bHa three mer, She could
not make the piers, came to anchor, was
soon surrounded BY ICE, and rode out the
storm well slrdasA ia thc night the wind
changed to tie West, Durkee's dredge broke
loose, struck the s.oop, and parted her cabin
in an,iastanG "Now for.i, men," shouted
Capt. Z. "n'ake all sail, we must catch the
ice, work through il if we can, and try to
make the Michigan shore before it does."--
Away went the sloop, the helm lashed, until
she lodged in The ice some miles from shore.
The-crew escaped to the land, leaving the
Lady Ann to her fate. The Press says:
For several daYsihe sioop passed hlher and
thilher abOu, the head of the lake, and at last
lodged 10 the ice about ten miles from shore,
near New Buffalo, where the Captain was
yctres,ing, as Il INVITING him to "come
aboard" He accepted the challenge, pre-
vailiDg upon two men to accompany him
They were actuated Jess by the hope Of Pc
cuniary reward, than the. desire to perform
great feat and ,ohslp a skipnats. -..
The s!oop was lodged in field of ice, be-
tween which and the field lodged upon the
shore, intervened an open water about ten
miles wide. Hastily constructing light
skiff, and putting it on runners, the three
meE started with u months provisions to
reach the sloop. The wind was south and
warm when they drew their boat over the
ice and launched il in The clear water. They
had rowed about half the distance when the
weather suddenly changed to intense cold.
Brsvely they rowed on. The ice began to
form rapidly around their frail skif. Their
! progress was slow. The cold grew more in
tense. The ice made faster. The wind
came into the northeast and blew gale.-
Night came on. They could move their boat
no more in any direction, aud yet they were
q mile from the vessel In an open boat, ten
feetsby four, its sides only few inches above
the water, with nc protec' ion against the
cold but their ordinary clothing, these three
men stared one ans.~tr in'' tic 'face as the
darkness came upon them. Capt. Easson
never gave up, whateyer may have bton
his thoughts or fears. One of bis compan-
ions, overcome with the terror Of their situa-
ton, lay down in his boat and cursed his own
folly. The Other kept up better courage.
Capt. Easson had in his pocket bottle Of
brandy. lie knew just bow to use it. Drn.
king none himself, that he might exercise u
better control over himself and his compan-
ions, he gave them from time to time just
enough to animate them, land there, in that
little space, he kept them boxing and scuf-
fling about with him to keep them and him
self from freezing to death. The wind in
creased in fury and drove the outward field
OF ice towards the shore, breaking up the
thin ice around them and piling the cakes
one upon another and driving them some.
times over their little boat as well as under
it. The frni thing wSs oftcn nearly crush.
ed. Once mass OF fee drove under one
side, nearly turning the boat over. As quick
as thought Capt. Easson and one OF the men
jumped together upon the upper edge OF .he
boat the iurce of the concussion breaking
the cake and saving them from instant de.
s,ruction. Daylight dawned upon them, and
soon after they drifled up to the ice on the
shore over which they escaped 10 land, with
only their feet frozen.
! Capt EAssos could prevail upon no ono a,
New Buffalo 10 make another effort to reacl
the sloop, SO he reluctantly went dcwn to the
shore, took good long farewell! look at hel
single mast pointing upwards umorg the ice
bergs, with his pennant still flying, and then
! hurried away by the railroad to his home
Racine. But the laot look at that Igalan,
little sloop, aud the thought of her, waiting
for him To come and save her, still haunted
him. He found among The veh,urous spr-
its wnlering at that port sailor named
Horace Van Dozen, who heard his story
with interest caught his spirit and offered to
join him in cruise on the Lady Ann. They
kept their project secret, the one from his
wife and the other from his sweetheart, and
going to New Buffalo, laid in their supplies
dragged them over the ice to the vessel, and
entered upon their uncertain, dreary voyage.
Their stock Of supplies consisted OF -four
salt, a song book, meat, matches, coffee
brandy, Bible, pack of cards, und fid.
die. EAssoN when he Cannot possibly do any
| tnlnB elsey Gun SET norsehhlr ana CatHut tO-
gether by the ears so as to bring out "Devi's
Dream" Fishers Hornpipe," and other
! similar melodies, in a mana or that would al.
most,wake the dead.
Having established themselves on board
these two adventurers eu;,away the ice from
the sides of the sloop, and patiently waited
for something to turm sP.s Soon after go
ing aboard they drlted out of sight OF land
and life becaue mono,onous. They soon ex-
hausted their Inventive powers in every vari.
ETY. oil cookery they could produce from their
assortment Of edb.es. Whenever they
emerged into clear water, they would make
! sail towards Racine, or il il was only little
| clear spot, they would sail around in circle
for the fun of it, until the Ice closed in on
them again. They made u note OF the name
! of each day as it passed, that they might not
forget when Sunday came, so that they could
run, up a flag, put away the caids, song book
and fiddle, and bring out their Bible. One
day they passed neur Duree's dredge, lifted
entirely out OF water by the ice, but right side
up. and unbroken.f On nnother thew saw