Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-12-02
Fifty Hours Adrift orr ~ Cap
sized Boat.

!. SuOICS Ol OlU OCcull, OF our urea
inland seas and are accustomed t,
see the waste Of waters dashed
against the shore under the beat
u, ing of the wintry gale, who cal
, fully appreciate the dangers t.
i, which those are subjected who
j., "go down to the sea in ships am
>, do business in the great waters.
!, \ class of men who are particular.
i. 10 exposed to the perils of the
waters, are the fisherman. The
business Of catching fish is actively
prosecuted on the west shore OF
Lake Huron, the main fisheries be-
ing located at Au Sable, Harris
| vile, and as far north as Thunder
= Bay. These men pursue their avo-
cation late in the season, often VEN
turing ont a long distance from
shore, and at times when a careful
attention to the weather prognos-
tications would warn them that
safty existed only on terra flrma.
The Courier Of Saturday published
a brief special to the Bay City
Chronicle, stating that Frank Nc
Auley and William Walker hardy
fishermen in the employ Of James
Craig Of Detroit, had left Sturgeon
Point at I o'clock on Tuesday
morning, and had not been heard
from up to Thursday night, and it
was believed that the boat had |
capsized and the men had persisted.
Such was not their fate, however,
but the perils they encountered .
form chapter Of thrilling interest,
as well as of incredible suffering
and endurance. The full particu-
lars we CLEAN from the Detroit Free
Press aud the Bay City Tribune.
As We stated above, at : o'clock
on Tuesday morning, their nets
being already loaded, NcAuley and
Walker set sail Tor their fishing
grounds. Their craft was the or
binary fish boat-the boat common
to all the great lakes-sharp at
stem and stern, with a good keel
and beam and two masts-a craft
that with proper management is
capable of withstanding much sea
and heavy gale.
Ten miles from shore they set
their nets. The wind had increas-
ed and kept coming in fitful squalls
that blackened the waters like
shadow and surmounted every
wave with angry combings. Nc
Auley and Walker were glad to
have done with the nets. The
thickness Of the weather increased
the clouds hung low, and the shore
faint distant streak, was only
observable because it was lighter
hued than the tempestuous waters.
They put their boat about and
headed home. The sails were reef
ed and the boat lightened of her
weight Of nets, careened to the
gunwale with every puff of wind
that came.
Three miles from the place where
the nets had been put, and seven
miles from the shore, a gust Of
wind struck the fishing boat, and
though Walker put the helm alec
and McAuley started to let the
sheets fly, neither were quite
quick enough and the boat went
over.
Under water, under the boat,
with heavy wooden clothing on and
heavy fisheimen's boots, neither OF
the men can tell exactly how he
managed to come to the surface.
They came, however, in an instant
TO the top OF the waves, whose
foaming crests beat savagely in
their faces. Walker rose close to
the boat and clambered upon the
bottom. McAuley had to swim
} some strokes to reneh 1t, hut he did
and was assisted up. The boat
was tossed like a cork, still the
masts and the spread canvas kept toll
erably steady aud prevented any
possibility Of its being righted. The
two fishermen grop,d for the ropes
that held the sheets, and having
} Ivy good fortune found them, dashed
} themselves to the boat. They beat
their hands to keep themselves
warm, and peered about as well az
+, they could see II relief was at hand
/. Every now and then the furious
5 driven spray would dash over them
: and then again for an hour NO
: water would touch their clothing.
! They could do nothing bnt wait.
: There was no device by which tn, >