Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-05-07
FEZzr.s OF LAKE rEPlS.
a st. Eaui Packet I'm n heavy
FForrns-xEescucGb by n Lumber
Esaft are. n Friendly Island.

ffrnrl the 81. Paul Pioneer, aprIl 20
The passengers on the little Mentor,
Graf, vel knew At our levee, hsd rather
lively experience last Thursday Of tie
peflls Of those who 60 down 10 the great
deep.' On the above day she lefs Reeds
landing, bound for the Chippewa river with
abou. s~ycn,y passengers ca board aud .
large freight-large for such a small craft.
After she got into the lake she encountered
a very heavy gale, one Of the seyerest, ac-
cording to the statement Of some OF the old
pilots, that they ever experienced On the
lake. She struggled through it manfully
until she came near the mouth If the Chip
pewa river At this point she became near
ly unmsrsgeable, having lost fifteen or
twenty Of the buckets of her paddle wheels.
At that time the chances seemed very slim
indeed that the passengers would be saved.
At this iuncture the steamer Johnny Smok-
er drifted alengsids. when to the danger Of
shipwreck Was added that OF cellision.-
The passengers on the Monitor cried out
Justify for assistance, and one OF them, the
gallant Deputy U. $. Marshal. from VINO.
ma, who stood on the hurricane Geek. ana
had rolled himself round aten-'oot board -
n lie preserver called out to capt. Hal, OF
the .JOnnUE = ~ ehAS1 ihNHA - tstN.
The response TO the request was 81 can
not. Charlie, have one hundred and fifty
passengers on board, and it would both
sacrifice their lives and yours were TO 10
60.
At this point lumber raj. drifted along
side. and an excited crowd II the passen.
gers jumped on board Of her, some throw
ing carpet sacks, trunks, bandboxss, and q
quantity Of miscellaneous articles Of ali
kinds aboard, and then following the same
themselves An unavaiing at,emp. was
made TO make the raft fast to the boat, but
it dritted away towards = small island at
the mouth Of the Chippewa, whore it
grounded. and the boat soon after followed
and also grounded short distance from il.
The Captain of the Monitor, on the boat
grounding, jumped into the water, and with
the assistance Of some Of the passengers,
succeeded in getting the women and child"
rem safely on shore and conveying them to
an Indian tspee, where they obtained shell
ter from the storm. Several Of the male
passengers Invested themselves Of their
overcoats and gave them to cover the ladies
and children. The Captain OF the Monitor,
and the engineer. Charley Fox, deserve
great credit for their exertions during the
whole Of this trying scene. After being
some time on the Island, Marshal Lewis
and couple Of others made their way, by
means Of . skif which they picked up, to
nondescript craft which was moored shor,
distance from the Island. technically termed
"gun boat" from which they obtained q
scanty supply Of provisions for the use Of the
furnishing oastaways. After remaining on
tho Island some seven hours, the Chippewa,
Captain Herman, came along and took oil
the passenger, safely on board and landed
| them at Eau Claire.
The passengers speak highly Of the kind
| treatment received from Capt. Herman, Of
the Chippewa, and the hospitabls manner
in which he placed every thing he had on
board at their disposal. Among those who
distinguished themselves prominently du
ring this trying ordeal, We may mention
the names OF Mr.. Fox. tho Engineer of the
b. at, Mr.. Lewis, Deputy U. :. Marshal for
the Southern District Of Minnesota. the
Captain, and Pilot, whose name wc could
/ not learn