The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-06
A STORY OF SNIPWRECK.
Thrilling Narrative Of tho Voyage and Loss Of
tho Bark Ocean Wavos Of ChicaGO-Ofhcr
ITrarlxa.

tho Bark Ocean Wave, OF Ohicago-Osicr
Wrecks.
From the Chicago Tribune, Dec. 81
The story OF the voyage and shlpwreck oil the bar
Ocean Wave, Captain Henry Faith, winch lett tnls
port on the 1Cta OF November, bound Tor Ogdens-
burg, New YORK. viii give the reader some IDEA OF
the nardships borne by those who 20 down 10 the
III ships and do business in great waters. the
bark was g0odiy vessel, stout and stanch. with o
carrying capacity OF 800 tons and a OF eight
all told. she was built In 1884 and rebuilt and re-
modelled In 1856, since which she has ploughed the
rough waters OF the lakes IN hundred voyages. and
has weatnered a thousand gales. But she was NOR
tai like al earthly things, and she gave the ghost
the other day, ner Lmbers grooming In agony, and
the wind and waves nOwIlng dismal drge over the
catastrophe
On the 10th OF last month she sailed proudly pas,
the lighthouse IN the hands OF true sailor COM
handing gallant crew. Sne was laden with corn.
The WIND was lair and the sea easy during the day,
but with the night came down the storm and the
snow. The wind rose ana the waves high.
Nothing could De seen through the thick ana Opaque
snow. They knew they were on the lake. bus had
no means, except by dead reckoning, to locate their
whereabouts The storm increasing ana the wind
growing stronger every hour. from the northeast,
Tue ships head was put towards Milwaukee, and oy
good luck and the help OF Providence they made
That harOor during the day. About dozen YES
sels had found shelter there before the Ocean Wave
arrived.
ON the 18th the storm abated and the bark was
again bounding over the waves towards her doom.
Sne ran down the lake to Twin River Point, where
she anchored, In company with fourteen yes.
Sofa The snow compelled this sioppage. Twenty
i0ur hours more and the abated again,
ana again did tue bold vessel face the raging water.
she started with o light wind from the south
west, with little snow aud rough, but not dam
gerous sea. For two days she sailed through this
storm, and at daylight on the 10th doubled the light
snip ut the f0ot" Of the Stralfs near Point Wabpe
shank. Az tins time there were thirty vessels in
sight. There were premonittons of hard blow, the
barometer fell and the sky looked ugly oil over. In
the morning there was light wind from the east,
with little s0utharly ana easterly III It, At seven
O'Clock the same morning they ran into CheDoyRan
was let 90 with dfty-six fatnoms OF chain. The WIND
gathered In strength until Twelve O'Clock, when It
blew gale with snow from the eastnortheast. Il
was hercely cold; the men could hardly stay on
deck. Down went the head OF the vessel into every
trough OF the sea- and over her decks from stern 10
stern came each huge wave. Everything loose was
swept overheard. The water froze on the decks
untll the boards were QS smooth and slippery as
glass. but this can best he described In the terse
words of tns captain:-.Is was the biggest gale OF
wind ever saw blow; never saw the like before,
and no man ever did on the lake. The seas made
ciean breach over the decks. There was no walking
about It. but sliding right along"
Night came on. adding darkness 10 the scene,
making wind aud wave seem more hideous. Louder
and stronger blew the wind. Eacn mountain wave
struck the ships side reverberatng like thunder and
then mounting me deck lel IA vast volume upon IT,
ger Its piping and sending them oil to destruc-
tlon There was 9 lee shore little more than
mile and q half on. The second anchor was let 60,
and sixty tat hons Of chain was paid out on both.
Not an eye was closed on board the vessel that
night When death stares men in the face they do
not sleep. Every man was hanging on to some
thing. Midi night came and 1t was as dark as Ere
bus. The anchors began to drag, ,,, That was not
lee shore on which the waves beat and broKe in
their rage. The morning broke ard found the
winch was strewn with wrecks. The following
named vessels went ashore during the night
Tine Kate Kelley eapan Robert Hayes
Milwaukee, the bark Onconta, captain smith, with
wheat, from Chicago to Buffalo; the schooner Ply
mouth Rock, Captain Lewis, with wheat from Chi
cago TO Buiialo the schooner Bohemia with wheat,
winch was transferred to the schooner Canter to
take to Buffalo, and the Columbia Captain Thomas,
tug U. s. Grant The others were considerably
DAMAGED, but were taken s, to oheboysan BY tugs.
on the 18th the wind was light from the south
west, and the ocean Wave left Cheboygan with
course. she spoke the william y. ogden on her way
back to Cheboygan IN anticipation or the coming
gale The barometer fell during the day lower
tnan It mad been In the previous gale. Captain
taiih furled the squaresails, double reefed the
topsail, single recfed the ma nsai, and made
everything taut and trim. The schooner Lotus
was passed on her way to Saginaw. The Ocean
Wave put about and made FOR the STRAITS OF
MacEinaw. The wind blew furiousIy and The snow
aud seet prevented nythng from being seen. She
ran west by north for two hours, and at eleven
O'Clock tho course was changed TO west-northwest.
At halfpast eleven the men were sent aloit IN the
blowing out Of the botropes and had just reached
was running under the quarter. The captain jumped
to the quarter and remarked:-"That vessel y
ashore. down with the helm" The helm was put
down. out tnere was not room to luD, so tne stern
struck, and the vessel went the rocks sideways;
she struck one second and the next was fuil OF
water. The captain said, The sea burst the matches
and swept every thing or tho decks" Ihe crew
TOOK 10 the boat but never expected 70 reacn a
tho shore, which was an eighth OF mile
away. They were raised upon three or four waves
and dashed upon the beach. The captain sad ne
did not know how they got there Captain Purdy,
OF the schooner G. s. King. who was cast away
three days before stood the peacn Win MS crew,
holding lines ready to rescue the crew OF TUG ocean
wave. They found that the place they went ashore
was Hammond Bay. Besides the Ocean wave the
following vessels were wrecked there during the
gale--Tne schooner whitney, Captain Carpenter