Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-27
LOST IN THE STRAITS.

SmTerfnas and Death In an attempt to
Cross from Beaver Island to The uain-
land.
Little Traverse, Mich, Correspondence.
One Martin Rouse, a resident Of this
place. who with others has been at work
getting out railroad ties on the Beaver
islands, arrived home on Saturday last with
dreadful tale of suffering and loss of life.
1t seems that there was some dissatisfaction
on the island, and on Tuesday morning he
and Charles Odel and Mrs. Odell, with their
two children, a boy about and little girl
about six years old, left the island in small
sail boat with the intention Of making the
mainland at or near Gross village, about
twenty miles distant. 1t was q lovely morn
ing, and there was no ice to b, seen until
within about mile and half of the main
land, when they came in contact with masses
of floating ice drifting southwark from the
straits. Seeing an opening they passed into
it for quite distance, when the ice grew
thicker and at last hemmed them in and
crushed their boat so that it leaked badly and
confined them in that place. Then began to
grow colder and the Toe held together in large
masses. Here they were compelled to stay
without provisions and in freezing condi-
ton. They at last left the boat, on Thurs
day week, exhausted, and attempted to get
away on the dangerous ice. They came to
an opening of few feet in the ice, which
they easily jumped over, but it was then
separating, and upon Oiell attempting to
cross with his boy in his aams, on an oar
that lay over the gap, he fell in, and only
after great deal CT difficulty succeeded in
getting out again. He then STATED back
to the boat to get an ak, with which to cut
off a piece of ice, with the intention of
getting on 1T and showing across from one piece
to the other, but this they found they could
not do, and they then urged Rouse to pro-
coed, if pos ,ible, to the land and
get help; but the ice kept break
ing up more and more, and drifting away
from the land, and Rouse, in attempting to
cross another break, only after the greatest
difficulty, succeeded in getting out, the ice
slsnting upward, and he only succeeded at
last in saving himself by catching hold of a
small projection and raising himself up by
degrees. Weak and exhausted from hunger
and cold, he again started on but he again
had another break of several rods that he
had to swim, and at last neared the light
house, on an island about five miles fl ON
the main land. He found no one, but there
were matches and plenty Of wood. with
which he made fire, and stayed there all
night, and the next day came to the main land
in a boat he found at the lighthouse. He
cot to the light house about on Thursday,
and Immediately rung the bell, and did
everything that suggested itself to him, but,
though he could see at great distance the
woman walking backward and forward, to
and from the boat, the man and children
could not be seen. Odell either being sunk
in enc of the breaks or lain down in the boat
to freeze to death with lis two children.
Yet he could not aid them, and the next day
nothing Of them were to be seen. Ten In
dams, in small boat, started yesterday to
fiud them. They could see the boat anou.
five miles out, in the thick ice, but con'd
not reach it. To-day the steam-tug lying
here started after them, with what result So
cannot tell until she comes back.