Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-21
Later.
THE LAKE ONTARIO DI-AsIER-TwENT
PERSONS SAVED.

| THE LAKE ONTARIO DISASTER TWENTY Two
PERSONS SAVED.
OswEGo, Nov. 19-The tug Gardner,
which left here for Sodus Point, yesterday,
returned this evening and reports eight
/ scows of the wrecked fleet on the beach be-
| tween here and SOdus. There were thirty
| one persons ON the fleet when il left the
river St Lawrence for Lake Ontario. Six
teen were taken TO Sodus on the tug John
| Hickler, six were rescued and taken to Sack
etts harhOr ON the tug Seymour, and three
who were on the scows are missing. The
number saved 50 far as known is -
| STATEMENT OF SOME OF THE SURVIVORS,.
SACKETTs HARBoR, Nov 19-Lewis, the
engineer Of the tug Seymour, SAYS about
| O'Clock p. M, the wind began 10 increase to
gale. At $40 Captain Logan of the tug
| Becker came along side the Seymour and
| called out that some of our scows were sunk
1t was then showing hard. Thomas Smith,
| fireman on the dredgc Gordon, says the
Becker came along side the Gordon at nine
| O'Clock, striking her stem and springing
plank and also cracking three planks which
then commenced to open and let in water so
fast il was impossible to keep her clear. The
| Becker came along side again ut twelve, and
the captain cried out, we are swapping"
Arnold said, Jump aboard the Gordon
and let the tug 20" which they did. The
Becker went down at once alongside the
dredge. Smith then went down forward
where the hosting and backing chain comes
through and took some old clothes and tried
to stop the leak, but the heavy sea rendered
all efforts futile lie went on deck and
Arnold told him to use under clothing which
was finer and would work to better advan-
tage He went down again and did the
best he could until the water rose in the
forward hold and pressed him against
the deck and put out his lamp. Then they
cut u hole in the floorof the fire hold and used
pals in baiing out and also pals in the en-
CINE room. The boat then careened over
and the water came in at the engine room
door. Blew the whistle several times for
the Seymour to come to their assistance but
could not see her turning around or coming
He was obliged to leave the engine room rs
the water was then waist deep. Smith said,
come with me-" and started for the tow
line Of the Seymour and went fifteen or
twenty feet on line. lie was too heavy
and returned to the dredge. When he
got back he called out for EaIan
and for Arnold but could get no
answer. They were carried of by the sea.
Then Smith got hold of Mrs. Palmer's hand
and her husband had her around the waist
She said, George, we must go He tried |
To cheer her So she would hang on Il few mo- |
menrs longer, but swell came and carried !
both away William Hogan was carried |
away about fifteen minutes afterwards, |
Samuel Logan next. Smith continues Il |
had just spoken to him. asking him il he |
could hold out until daylight, but got no re-
Spouse This left three Charles and Neal .
Hauthan and myself Charles llautlIan .
said, Il cannot hold any longer | told /
him to hold all he could. took hold |
If his collar and helped Neal IIauth-
an to standin.r position between
HIM and MT Ii was now getting daylight
and the Seymour came with her stern towards
US heaving line. hauled in the line with
uie hand holding the slack in my trrth and
holding ON TO Il plank with the other hand
made the line fast around them and then |
went aboard on the line and the other two
were hauled to the side together and rescued /
in an unconscious condition, one irothing at
the mouth.
c. F. Strah of the tug Ritter says About
eight O'Clock We were towing alongside of the
derrick with hawstr when the men com .
menced To call out that the scows werr 7
breaking loose told the fireman we would Z
drop back and for him TO haul in the haw- /
ser. lie did not get the hawser ill., Then .
called 10 the men of the derrick |
to let 20 the hawscr. They could not let 90 /
and ran out OF the pilot house Ia let 90 the
hlWser hut could mol Ito il, as the line was
ianmrd The tue WAS about caisl2ing ant,
| went To the pilot house and got an axe and
cut the hawser Then | ran alongside the
Gordon twice To gel lines, but could not get
near her without danger of sinking the Cor
don or ourselves. then ran back again but
the tow was gone 1t was about nine clOca.
| kept in sight of the balance of the tow UNI
til about twelve The tug Becker was
around without lights 1t was showing when
the Becker crossed our how. She called 10
us that they were sinking. told them 10
hold ON and would get alongside They
started oil before | could do So and that was
the. last saw of them. stayed around
until ten minutes after two and then the
fireman came and told me the wafer was up
to the crates. The syphon would not work
and the engine got hot 10y the coal getting
in the crank pin. told them We would
board the Seymour We ran alongside and
could have got aboard but did not see the
men get oil and she slipped oil again
told the fireman To tell the engineer next
time we got alongside We would Jump, which
we all did and let the tug - ndrift."
This tug was found next morning all
ri.,It