, 1872-12-20

THE STORM AND THE SAILORS.
The Propeller Atlantic Frozen Up in
st. mary's Rlver-An Account OF xfat
! Homeyvnrd Journey OF the Crew
Exciting and Perilous Adventures.
From tie Bu6alo Exprcss, Dec. II.
Our readers arc probably aware that the storm
| on Lake Superior last month"; in nddition tt
! WrecEng q number OF veaseIs, Was the csuBe
of the involuntary retirement OF several 9th,
era to- very inconvenient and unconfortar
bic winter quarters, tho crews Of which
ing and privation before reaching their homes
On Friday morning last John Maltbie, clerk
Jerry Rodgers, engineer; T.. B. Allen, steward
OF the propeller Atlantic, and e number Of the
crew arrived in this city.
The Atlantic left Duluth with mixed cargo
on tho Esd Of November, and reached Sault Ste.
Marie on the evening Of the 26th, being obliged
to'lay at Marquette some time On account OF
3 severe storm, which, though it abated
slightly before the steamer left Marquette,
came on with tcdoubled fury Immediately
after the arrival at tho sault, and the Atlantic
was compelled to lay ut tile foot Of tho canal for
two days. During this time tho thermometer
fell to 20 degrees below zero, and ice formed to
the sickness Of four inches in single night. On
the morning Of the 26th, tho weather being
somewhat milder, the steamer, in company with
tho propeller St. Paul, started down the river
AL went well until tho boats reached Mud
Lake, which was found to be completely
frozen up. Al attempts to force pas
turned in the evening to Sailors Encampment,
forty miles below Lake Superior, hoping that
some OF the iron propollerB which we're aboyo
would succeed in getting through the canal in
time to relieve them from their unpleasant pre-
dicament. After waiting until the S0tl, all hope
OF release was abandoned, and tho work Of pre-
pairing tho boats for winter was commenced
This was finished on the 3d OF December, and
on the morning Of tho 4th the officers and crews
Of the steamers Atlantic and St. Paul aud the
started for De Tour, . little settle
ment on Iako Huron, at tho mouth
of the river. 6ipkeepers nero left
on all tho boats, Captain Fred. Miller, the mate,
and one dsck-hand remaining with the Allan
tic The party from that propeller numbered
about thirty,-Mrs. Henry, the colored steward
ess, being in the company. They all donned
helr heaviest clothing, procured Ehoc-packs and
mocoasins for their feet, and sailed out with @
Goodly supply OF rations and an Indian guide, FOR
Q yak OF thirty miles, the route lying over tho
frozen channel Of the river ard through almost
unbroken forests. About t1o feet OF SNOW had
fal1en, which concealed the weak spots in tho
ice, and, before the party had proceeded many
quickly rescued, however, but in tho course OF
tho day several shared tho sane fate, though
fortunately 40 lives wero lost After proceed
ing Twenty-Five miles clearing occupied Ly The
cabin OF q squatter was reached, and here num-
ber OF the pnrty, who felt unable to proceed
farther, -enained for the night. About five
miles further on, twenty more Of the men, be-
coming completely exhausted, gave up, and,
entering tEo woods, canped out until the next
day. The remainder of the party kept on to De
was spent in the dwelling Of A1r. Newell, tho
only white settler in the place. It was hoped By
the leaders Of the party that propeller would
be found st De Tour, on which they could EN-
bark for home. This resource falling them, and
tho stragglers all coming in on the 9th, two
Elackinac tishboats we're hired, and on the morn
ing of the 9Th start Was mnde for Sheboygau.
The crew OF the sailing vessels embarked
on the first boat, and were soon out Of sight.
The crew Of the Atlantic hired boat from
worthy in every respect, but, upon getting
outside Of the harbor, the Ice melted from the
bottom and the water poured in through every
seam. The wind waa blowing q gale, heavy
snow-storm vas falling, and it was With the ut
succeeded In returning to the harbor. Mr.
Newell, it eeemed, Was not content with placing
the lives Of thirty human beings in jeopardy,
but charged $50 for the use Of his boat
The first boat with the sailors on board made
about fifteen miles, and Was then obliged
to put ashore on account Of the storm.
The men spent the night in the woods,
and suffered terribly from the intense cold
Starting again On the morning Of the 7th, they
u4aCk1Qat pElQE6 QaTKr ana m4Ua the
run to sheboygan the next day, where they
found the propeller Benton, and, informing tho
Captain hlcGregor, that about sixty
men we're waiting at De Tour, he started to their
relief On Monday morning, tho 9th. In the
meantime the party at De Tour had not been
Sunday morning, being determined to reach
Sheboygan il possible. Theweathor had not mod
Grated in the least and the storm, which had only
snbsided little, cano on with renewed fury,
Bay, at which point Is located 3 saw-mil and
lumber camp, owned by the man whose nnme it
bears. The wind ut the time Was directly of !
shore, and. for four long hours the boats wero
lacked again and again, in vain effort to reach
shut out al view Of the land, and every drop Of
,onverted into solid Ice. The D clothing
IT the sailors was frozen stiff, and !!
several instances the men fairly broke i
he ropes. At last, when hope had almost He'd, i
he wind shifted little, and the boats succeeded
n reaching the landing. Every 1nan On board had |
'ome portion OF his body frozen, and most Of |
hem we're lifted from the boats and carried to |
,lr. Bunker'a house by the lumbermen, who had ;
,een an1iously Watching the boats for hours. /
The party we're made as comfortable as possible |,
y Mr.. Bunker, and as the storm did not abate !
1t all on Monday, an Indian guide was hired and !
were made to walk the remainder !
On Tuesday morning, the wind having again !
subsidized, it was deemed best to take to the !
,oats again. During the stay Of the party at !
3unker's, the Ice had formed over a foot in :
hickness upon the bay, and the boats we're !
lauled over land nearly mile and launched. !
After sailing for ahout three hours, q cloud OF ;
moke in the horizon announced the proximity i
II 4 steamer, the boats we're headed in the d. .
ection Of the smoke, and in . short time /
he party were safely aboard the Benton, |
vhich had been searching for them for the
'reced1ug twenty four hours, and whose Cap
ain and crew had about given thom up for lost.
n addition to the crews Ut the Atlantic and ST.
PAUL, over one hundred other benightad marin
rs were aboard the Benton. Tho propeller
cached Port Huron Wednesday noon, and from
hat point her passengers departed for home by
all.
This article would DO incomplete without !
ono reference to Captain McGregor Of the
Benton, who, although entirely ulacauainted
With the dangerous coast of the north shore
+ Lake Huron beyond Mackinaw, left . safe
tarbor in the midst of {. severe storm to render
ssistance to brother mariners in distress. His
oble, unseltish conduct, prompted by 10 hope
+ reward other than the consciousness which
lways follows the performance Of deed of
t1.n Il.