The sun., 1872-12-28
COLD wxAruEs IN rHs xoRrHwssr
4 Fieet ef Vessels Frszsr Il ~ Sasit Bt.
Msrie-Ths Orsws Preparins fer Tramp
Of Piny Mtles Thrsush the Snow.
Rko~. A. .ls<

/ ting In OF the winter has not been Known The
| autumn for the most part had been unusually
into taIdy prsp.r.ticn.. The hut.jo ana chi
Governor Of the state Of Michigan advertised to
Sd Of December. and the lake was full OF vessels
But his majesty who sits enthroned among the
| iceberes ruled 70 close navigation sooner than
Cold winds skirmished around from the north,
war Threatened from the northeast. Jack Frost
sneaked around setting his engine crs to bridg-
g up PIX ths o, ,6sSv % streams ms and binding she
yember Just at the close of q snow fall
from the northeast, the signal was given, and
| the northwest. The Thermometer quickly ran
down to Is degrees below zero. and the mighty
iron-bound shore.
VESSELS SEEKING HARBoR.
/ Vessels sailing were covered with ice way up
their rigging and some of the propelers had
zons rolled so that her arches touched the water.
or the vessels that reached the Sault, the Japan
Duluth without stopping. She ran up under the I,,
rocks at one time, and all hope was given up OF
saving her. Her captain rang his bell TO put the
vessel forward, but was misunderstood, and the
engines set to backing. Just then the vessel
rolled, ainging him to the railings, where he
hung over the boiling waters, so that he could
not rectify the mistake. The blunder, however,
| saved them, for in backing she rRhted around
ware and piano played skittles with each other
6TSls5s me- and Dasterng her passenger He,
hour from barrels shifting.
RUNNING BEroRB THE STORM.
The Peerless, Of the Peoples Line, got under
cover from the storm before II reached lts cli-
max. This vessel has guards on her sides, after
the model of the Lac la Belle. so that she rolled
put very little. Al through the storm she had
| ing dishes. Capt. Mckay, with his usual prii-
dence and skill, smelled mischief In the wind
and made for quarters In a bay about ten miles
a inatt TAAf aaat
the rocks, running wildly before the storm, but
| Capt. Kelley kept cool and worked her into port
with nothing more than general scare.
For long time the sailors at the Sault watch ed
| for the Arizona who had left eight hours ahead
OF the st: Louis from Duluth. Her wheel was
loose, and many hearts were uneasy lest she
might might have ave been dashed to pieces On Thanks
seen coming down the canal. Her bows We're ali
stove and her main deck was sight indeed. A
| couple Of barrels OF beer nrst started, rolling
| helter-ekclter over the decks, bursting In bar
| rels OF hour and mixing their contents with the
waves that washed In her bows, Three OF her
bruised In the turmoil OF shifting freight.
NUMBER OF VESSELS IN PERIL.
The John A. Dix had two barges laden down
to the decks with iron ore. These, her. captain
men were left to the cruel mercy OF the waves.
| on the way down the Dix passed the Golden
blown %WS But shs dd sto sSs sso
| passed hhe Exile N similar distress. with her
i
| the top ofsher rigging. Her captain was pleaded
with by the captains and citizens here TO 90 out
OF the Golden Rule and Exile but nothing could
| move him until the night OF the 2qth inst when
morning, however, ho made excuses and would
| not so. His milk OF human kindness Is rather
diluted Men here were very angry, as no one
was In a situation to go out but him. Execra-
tons were hurled upon him on every hand, and
itw9uld have taken little for many to lay their
| The Cuyahoga came In last, but behind the
| fury Of the storm. The crew of the Golden Rule
managed by superhuman efforts to gef q Jib set
and ran her into the Ice. whence they escaped
| 70 tue shore; The tug Gushing has gone after
her canvas blown low away. but got In ssfe mao The S
Middlesex sank, but her crew were rescued by a
tug. The Hemisphere, William D. Brown, G. G.
| from, but II Is hoped that possibly they may
have slipped into some refuge.
DANGER TO THE CANAL
Meanwhile, the, water arose so high that Il
flowed over the banks of the canal. breaking
| through in several places. The cut for the new
| canal was soon filled with water which went
rushing down. Threatening to wash away the
locks. canal Offices. and the warehouses at the
lower end Of the town. The superintendent,
shut the guard gates, so that the supply OF
water was shut OF, and the pressure on the
and slush into the entrance, which froze so hard
that IL was impossible. Men were set at work
TO open the locks and the .Propellers be
| News came at this time that the st. Paul and
the Atlantic had been janming at the ice in
mud lake, and wereFompelled To lie up for the
winter. This dampened all efforts and the ves-
| sells prepared to lay up.
Never before were there so many vessels
| caught up In the lake. There are only ave out
OF sixteen steamers below. An immense ex-
pense will be incurred In shipping crews TO them
In the spring. Besides, II win be impossible to
repair them. Men here say that the danger Of
being laid up here will never be remedied until
the canals absolutely closed on the 18th
| or Goth Of November. So long as the time OF
closing Is extended, shippers will delay their
goods and shipping as long as possible.
THE SEVERE WEATHER BROKEN Up.
| At the last moment of writing the severe
| weather is broken up, and Is considerably
| milder. II heavy rain should fall the Ice
might bo loosened SO that some of the boats
might get down. II Is barely possible, however.
The little tug Gushing has been striving to open
the ice out to the lake, that vessels might get
| In from Marquette. She has also rescued the
crew Of the Exile. Too much praise cannot be
| given to Capt. McNorton for his earnest endeav-
He works his little tug almost In the space Of a
teacup, and he sticks to IL, too. Captains are
unanimous in the opinion that he Is the best tug
commander In the Sault.
| Tomorrow the crews will start In sections
| overland to the Straits OF Macklnaw. The jour
ney Is 1fty miles right through the woods 1t Is
hoped that at that place there will be some boat
on down through the lower peninsula. There
are four OF five women among them, and they
1 will no doubt experience considerable suffering.
They go through a wilderness covered with
three feet OF snow, An Indian runner will
bring this correspondence down to the Straits,
| with the expectation that lie will return In
| throe days.