The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-09
LAKE PIRATES.
Renaissance of Beaver Island, Lake Michigp

days" remarked weather-beaten hulk,
and he rolled his quid to starboard as he
cast side long glance at three or four
1incredulous young fellows who were
seated with him around ship-chan-
dler's store, splitting on the hearth.
"You youngsters must not think be-
| cause you can put two ends of a rope to-
gether, ana steer a vessel within four
| points of her course bright starlight
night, with the north star to look at, That
you're sailors and know all about the
lakes and the ,schooners that have
sailed them. When Bill Hayes, the Pa
| citic pirate, sailed on the lakes, he was
not the only one who could steal vessel
or lure one on to a rock-bound coast. On
| the east shore OF Lake Michigan were
| fellows who pretended to follow fishing
for a living; but who, ii the truth were
known, maue more by Turing vessels ON
to the beach by false lights, and robbing
vessels and crews, than they did by
their nets and hooks. For several
years the followers OF Joe Smith, the
Mormon, lived OH Beaver Island, Lake
Michigan, and several vessels disap-
peared in that vicinity in midsummer,
and neither they nor their crews were
ever heard from. 1t was said That the
Mormons boarded becalmed vessels,
murdered the crews, discharged the car.
goes on the island, and burned or scul-
tied the craft. Iron of pattern that
could only have been oil USE ON board
vesSels-traYelers and such like, and
pork and beef barrel.heads of brand
that Mormons never bought-were found
ON the island by sailors, and although
an effort was made to ferret out the
crime, nothing ever came Of it.
Gin the fall OF lS49 was fore-l-mast
10 l1,,i,r h..I,, ID,
was trim little thing-she would serve
as u yawl for the big nulks of tu-Iay-
clean and smart, but as wet as a musk
rat in spring-iine. AS we neareu the
Beavers on our passage to Buffalo from
Chicago, we caught it stiff and hard
from Ihe 'northerd,' and although the
| 'olu man' thought he could breast out
the breeze, he found when he worked
up abreast OF the island thai the seas
were too lumpy' Tor our duck, as she
was making dlves tnat would do credit
TO u loon. 1t was late in the afternoon,
we'll on toward the edge of nigntfall, ana
as the sky threatened snow, ii the wind
held, the old man concluded to go un-
der the Beavers and let go our mud
hooks until the STORM had spent It's
Jury.
"We made our lee, luffed the brig up
into the eye OF the wind, let go both
anchors, paid out chain, and soon the
little big was brought to a malt. After
the canvas was iurled, anchor watches
were appointed, and the rest oil the crew
turned in. About eight bells, midnight,
Jack Stevens, who was on watch,
shouted SO loud that had We been num-
mics instead OF men he must have
awakened us. We uid not scramble out
very lively until the male came to the
scuGLle and sang out, Tumble. up here,
you beef-eating, lazy dogs;' lor we
| Thought that Jack nau fallen asleep and
| tumDied off the forecaslle deck, and Was
frightened. When we heard the ma e, Il
! BIZ, brawny fellow, with a fist like a
sledge-lammer, we turned out mighty
smart.
On reaching the deck we could see by
| the lights III the MUrmOns' houses that
| the brig was drifting last toward the
beach. A couple OF smart fellows (mod-
esty forbids tnat should name one of
them, and, not to be partial, Pll say
notnlug about the other) ran nimuly up
| the lUre-rigglng, ana, quicker than
thought, cast the gaskets off the top
sall, and, as the buntllnes and cleW-
| lines had been let 60 on deck, rode
down The topsall halyards till the yard
was as high as the double reef, which
| had been tied outside, would permit The
yard TO go. The jib was hoisted, as also
was the peak of Lne mainsall, and when
the canvas filled the brig picked up her
feet ana claWed off the shore Ike a
| green turtle, after summing, digs back
to the water. The cause OF the briggs
dragging was pain 10 be seen as soon
as the matter was investigated. Both
| chains from the windlass to the hawser
pipes were, instead of being taut, ,as they
should have been had the anchors been
at the ends, lying on the deck. When
we pulled in-Joard the ends Of the chain,
we found That both chains had been cut
lnot far from the bow Win a steel saw
lieut. as clean and slick as though the
links had been held in wise. 1t was
evident that the Mormons had been at
work, and mad it not been for the timely
discovery of Jack Stevens we would
Isoon have been ashore and murdered.
We STOOD off and on until morning, and
lthen the 'old man' hove the brig to.
lowered the yawl and went ashore IL
lpry about and find the anchors, if posi-.
lbe. He said nothing, and, although he
Icould hear nothing, he saw by the faces
of the 'Latter-day saints that they were
disappointed at the turn things had
taken on the brig.
| "The brig never recovered the an.
lchors, and soon after the old man re,
turned aboard we sailed away. The
next season, while on a schooner hail
ling from Ashtabula i did not want tc
90 on an Ashtabula vessel, for you could
IalWays tell an Ashtabula sailor by the
Icanvas patches on his trousers, but hat
to or skip for salt watef), | saw the same
TWO anchors the brig lost the season be
Ifore at the Beavers. l spoke to the 'olt
.malp about it, and he told me that ht
& bought the anchors of the Mormons tha
spring. How did 1 know the anchors
Why, knew them by mar ks Tom Jones
a shipmate, made while sitting ON then
spinning yarns. Tom was bouncin,
big fellow, and he sat on the anchors 81
much that he marked them with hearts
canvas hearts ne had seWed on the sea
OF his trousers."-LOswego Palladium.