The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-11-22
SO far bear evidence of diving

recovered SO far bear evidence of dying
entirely from drowning none of them
had either eyes or mouth open, which is
common with drowned men, particularly
the eyes, and none of the bodies have
bloateda particle, although kept for near
ly week. The only evidence is slight
discoloration of the face, which shows
strangulation, but [ believe the breath
of life was so nearly exhausted from ex-
posure before they went under that they
took in very little water, and therefore
did not bloat.
l have theory but of course it is on
ly conjecture like the rest. In the first
place [ think those signals were flying;
had they not been they would probably
have been i'll their proper place, In the
flag bag in the second mates stateroom,
as my experience of vessel men has been
they were very careful of their colors,
but if they were not flying but have
washed from the cabin, why has not
something else come ashore along with
them ? There has been nothing of the
kind found. If that fact. g. the col
ors fying-is sufficiently established,
the theory of the Hurd having run her
down must fall to the ground. But it
does seem as if there had been collision
for it does not seem possible that SO
staunch a vessel as she is reported to be
could drop to pieces in that manner, but
it must have occurred before Thursday
night and north of the Two River point,
and in running back before the fearful
gale to seek some place OF safety or per-
haps drifting back before the gale in a
helpless condition. She had not round
ed the Two River point until after night
70 cO boz. oClnrcy that CT, hol in,
distress were not seen, but it is most
likely that she came back in helpless
condition, for she had evidently filled
and careened over on her beams ends,
when about abreast of Two Rivers,
right in the track of vessels, and there
most probably, the men, whose bodies
have come ashore, nave chung to the rig
ging, and the rest have gone to the bot
tom drowned. There they have chung
in their wet clothes, On that cold night
and in that terrible storm, so benumbed
and frozen that life was nearly extinct
when the propeller Hurd came along and
seeing no lights, and knowing nothing
was in the way, has ralzed her spars and
knocked those poor fellows who were
clinging there into the water, and as
they were nearly dead already they soon
drowned and one poor fellow in passing
over was drawn into their wheel and cut
to pieces, and the probabilities are that
he went in alive, for if dead he would
have been sunk out of the way. think
that accounts for tho bodies of those
that come ashore showing SO little evil
dence of drowning and also for the non
recovery of the other bodies, for those
that drowned when she first capsized
went to the bottom and will stay there
for the length of time that bodies gen
orally stay before rising to the surface.
Inasmuch as the theory that the Hurd
ran her down has been SO freely and
generally circulated here, and will be in
other places as soon as Mr.. Belyea gets
home, think it is no more than SIM
pie justice that all the facts be publish
ed. along with another theory fully as
plausible in my mind, and let people
draw their own conclusions between the
two.
Mr.. Belyea says that when he gets
home, if he finds there is no insurance,
he viii have the wreck turned over and
examined il there is, he expects the
insurance to do it at any rate, the. mat
ter viii probably be pretty thoroughly
investigated and may give some clue to
the manner in which the accident
happened.