Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-23
The Recent Disasters ON Lake Michf-
gan.

The Chicago morning papers of the
18th contain detailed accounts Of the loss
of the propellers Equinox and Mendoza,
as given by rescued parties. The only
| known survivor of the crew Of the former
vessel reached Chicago on the 18th, hav-
ing been picked up by the schooner
Havana. His name is given by one of
the papers as Charles Burns, and his story
is condensed as follows:
Burns, who was awheelsman, remained
in the WheelhOuse until five minutes Of
the time the Equinox went down. When
the line by which the Mayes was towed
was cut the propeller had nearly eight
feet Of water in her hold Her gangWay
had been stove in by the heavy seas and
| the salt between decks was washing over
board. She had only two boats. One
had been launched, containing Capt.
! Dwight Scott, the mate, two tiremen, six
/! deck hands and another man, unknown.
! There were twenty on board in all, in
Guiding two ladies. The propeller went
! down by the stern, and Just before the
sinking Burns and Capt Woodruff had
been working to get the second boat
launched The taclling caught, however,
andneither having knife with which to cut
the guys it became too late, and Burns
and Capt. Woodruff took to tenders, of
which the former secured two. The up-
| per works Of the propeller floated off, and
| Burns seeing the deck Of the pilOt-house
within short distance of him, struck out
| for it and succeeded in getting upon it,
| thus losing sight of Woodruff. The
| Equinox went down about ten miles off
| Point Sauble, at about two o'clock Friday
IL,
! quite certain that all, except those in the
| boat, persisted, as also Capt. Woodruff, as
the latter could not possibly live in that
! sea on the Tenders. The young ladies, the
| daughter and niece Of Capt. Scott, were
so overcome by fright that they were easy
| victims. Besides these ladies there were
left on board five persons. A blanket and
sheet, from the berth below the pilot
| house, were secured by Burns, and he
dashed himself to the uprights in which
| the wheel was rugged, and so tloated. He
went through terrible ordeal, and became
SO chilled and exhausted that had it not
! been for his precautiOn in lashing himself
! he must have been washed off and per-
| iShed. An hour or two after the sinking
Of the propeller the second cook came
| drifting in the vicinity Of Burns, who saws
| he unlashed himself, swan to the man and
| got him aboard the pilot-house deck, but
! he soon atterWard died and washed Off
| Later, the boat containing those mentioned
| above came along. Capt Scott asked
| Burns to enter it, but he preferred not, and
| the boat and raft soon afterWard separated,
the boat going Burns does not know
where. The gale was at its height, and
| Barns does not think Capt. SCOTS party
weathered it. At least, if the boat had
outridden the storm or been picked up,
! she ought to be heard from by this time
| Burns took to the tenders at about two a.
m Friday and was taken off his raft about
sixty miles off the Manitous, the middle of
| the lake at nine p. IN. Saturday, the raft
| going to pieces soon after.
Eight of the survivors of the Mendoza
| also reached Chicago on the 18th. One
| Of their number, seaman, tells the fol-
| lowing story:
There were twenty persons on board the
| propeller, including two ladies, the Cap
| tain's wife and the Stewards wife They
| had a prosperous voyage until they
about four o'clock Thursday afternoon,
when the wind began to blow gale from
! the northwest. A few hours later the
wind changed to the north, and fearful
sea was making. They passed Point Bet
| sey at quarter past twelve Friday morn
| ing, and the propeller, though laboring,
went along all right At about two o'clock
| one of the barges, the Morning Star, broke
! adrift. By this time the arches of the pro-
! peller broke away and she began to make
water. They then let 90 the other barge
| This was about eight miles east of Point
| Sauble. When it was observed that she
was sinking one of the boats was lowered.
The Captain was the first to enter the
| boat and the mate the second.
Everybody that could crowded into it.
| The crew were told not to get in it by
the Captain, but TO launch the second
| boat though he knew there was not time
enough to do it. Ten persons crowded III
the boat, and when the Captain saw his
wife was not in it he tried to have her
saved, and in the effort to do so he fell out
of the boat, and was damned between the
arch and boom. The Captain got back
| into the boat again, and more tried to get
| in, but they were driven back by the mate.
| The Captains father fell out, and was
| killed by being jammed between the bull
warkS and the hawser- box. In the effort
| to save the Captains wife, who was seen
| clinging to the hawser-box, the owners
| son. Billy Crossthwaite, I'd the second
| engineer were thrown out d the boat. No
effort was made to save them, and Mr.
| Crossthwaite climbed up on the pilot-house,
| on top of which he was last seen. This
left but eight persons in the boat. They
| pulled for a quarter of an hour toward
the sinking boat trying to save the Cap
tain's wife. At about three o'clock the
vessel went down stern first Nothing
| could be heard from those left on board OF
| the wreck, except that the Stewards wife
| cried: Oh, my God!" The wind was
terrible, and the waves were filling the
small boat in which they were, but by bail
| ing they managed to keep it afoat. They
were on the boat twenty-nine hours, and
were once passed by vessel which he IS
| confident was the schooner Emma A.
Mayes. and, though they made signs of
| distress no notice was taken Of them, and
| the schooner passed on. When they neared
| land they saw small schooner coming
toward them, which proved to be the Adj
| die, of Manitowoc. They were taken on
board and kindly treated by the Captain
| and crew and taken into Manitowoc.