The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-11-11
From the Erie Dispatch.

hHrfs IN the Water Without Food
! Reward Offered for the Body of Capt.
/ Gintz.
] From the Erie Dispatch
/ Charles Lostrom, the only survivor
/ Of the Ill fated bark Excelsior, arrived
IN this city on Saturday, and the re-
porter interviewed him last evening,
and learned from him the facts of the
/ laundering of the vessel. his own es-
cape. &c
/ On Sunday morning at about five
O'Clock, when in Thunder Bay, Mr.
/ Lostrom saw the light on the Thunder
/ Bay Islands; the wind was then blow
/ ing gale, AMI the vessel was labo1ing
and heaying with a wind from the
south-sOuthwest. At that time she was
making for Pressure Isle, and had she
weathered the gale for half an hour
/ longers she would have arrived in smooth
waters. A reef was taken in the main
sail, but it was carried away soon after;
the ore-throat-halyards were then car
ried away also. Then as much of the
square sails were set as could be got at
and the vessel was put before the wind;
then rove the throat halyards, but had
no chance TO hoist the foresail before
| the bark went down.
After making the sails, and when all
hands were at the pumps, Captain Gintz
went round to all the men and shook
hands with every one, saying "good
bye, boys, we are going" The gallant
fellows all remarked mo, no, Captain,
we will be saved yet. Mr. H., and
three or four others went aft with
knives in their hands to cut the boat
fall, but before that feat was accom-
plished, a heavy sea knocked them back,
and the vessel commenced to sink
This was the last time ne saw Captain
GintZ. When the vessel went down q
suction or m@lstrom was produced
which drew down the men to con
siderable depth. Our hero found not
face, and at one time thought he would
be strangled, but he arose finally nd
saw the mlzzen-mast which had been
pulled out, and a part of the cabin
which had broken in two where the
mast went through it. There were at
this time some few planks floating
about, and the wreck of the cabin,
which Mr.. l.. Immediately swan to and
succeeded IN getting upon, and by dint
of almost superhuman efforts main
tanned his hold upon, until he was
picked up. After he had been on the
cabin about ten minutes he saw four of
the men on planks, he could not tell
who they were. In few minutes after
that the men had all disappeared,
and he had no doubt they all went
down and we're lost.
Throughout the day Sunday and
Sunday night, Mr.. l.. persevered and
chung TO his frail craft, the wind blow
ing tiercely all the time. At times he
would become benumbed and exhaust
ed, when he became insensible and sew
eral times found himself in the water,
which had the effect to restore him to
consciousness. On Monday night soon
after sunset, he saw land, and deserted
southampton Light, and about four
o'clock Tuesday afternoon was picked
up by party of fishermen, some seven
or eight miles from the Canadian shore,
in an in6ensible condition, after having
been in the water about tifty-eight
hours without food.
There were nine persons on board,
Captain Samuel Gintz, of Erie, Jacob
Cotter, first mate, of Buffalo: the sec
ond mate was from Buffalo, where he
leaves a wife. Mr.. L. did not know
his name, nor the names of the other
men With the exception of the Cap
tain, himself and the cook, the men
were all shipped at Buffalo. The cook
was a married man and leaves ii wife at
Detroit.
As soon as Mr.. LOstrom had recov-
cred from his exhaustion he took pro
peller at southampton and came very
near being shipwrecked second time
at a Canadian port this side; the pro-
peller struck in entering the harbor,
and he ran forward and jumped upon
the pier.