The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-11
A DIRE DISASTER.
Terrible Catastrophe on Lake
Michigan, Near Chicago.
The Heavy Sea Washes into the Lake Thir-
teen Men at Work on Crib Two
Miles from Shore-Only Four
Survivors.
A SORROWFuL TALE.

CHICAGO Oct. 9.-Of Cheltenham beach
at Hyde Park, a mile out in the stormy lake,
fifteen men awoke in the dusk of yesterday
morning to find that they were cncompaSSed
by death. OF this band only five reached
the shore alive. The rest We're drowned.
The Board of Trustees of the village Of
Hyde Park have been engaged in construct
ing new water system for the last two
years. This summer tunnel one mile out
under the lake was finished. Three weeks
ago huge wooden tower to be used as
a part of the crib was towed to the mouth
of the tunnel and sunk. Hean & Corbyn, of
this city, were the contractors, and Gener-
al William Sooy Smith was the engineer.
The contractors erected spiles about the
sunken tower, built thereon shanty, and
with gang of men went to work. The
contractors, with their men, lived in the
shanty and slept there The lateneSs of the
season made speedy work necessity. It
resulted in the death of the contractors and
eight of their workmen. At 80 o'clock
yesterday morning Robert Hawkins, chief
engineer of the Hyde Park Water
Works, noticing that the lake was very
rough, assembled to the tower and looked
out over the lake. The shanty was still
there, but spray was breaking over it Half
an hour later Mr. Hawkins again looked
out on the lake. The shanty was gone. 1t
had been washed away He at once gave
the alarm. With the aid of his field-glass
he saw nine men hanging to the splcs and
stringers about the wreck. Every wave
broke over them. Word was at
once sent to the Vessel-Owners Tow
ing Company, asking for tug.
The answer finally came that the lake
was too rough, and that there were too
many shoals off Chetenham beach. 1t was
eight o'clock when word finally reached
the life-saving station. The boat was ailoat
five minutes afterward and started on a
journey of seven miles, with a heavy sea
and gale blowing.
They arrived about eleven o'clock, and
when they were within throwing distance
a line was made fast by the almost drown
ing men to the timberS and made tight
from the boat. Then each shiyering man
with uncertain grasp clutched the rope and
hand over hand worked his way toward the
boat through the surf. Out of eight men
who made the attempt only four lived to
tell the tale of the terrible hours that they
had spent Oh the sparS.
Early in the morning when the shanty
ildt SolIC w piVCCo INlduoo'h cNNuiSu
plank and decided to take his chances of
being carried ashore by the wind and waves.
He was cast on the beach at South Chicago
completely exhausted, but still alive. The
list of lost is as follows:
w. II. Hean, contractor thirty-eight years
old, married. leaves wife, Chicago;' knowl-
ton b. Corbyn, contractor, forty-one years
old, lea es wife and sixteen-yearod daugh-
ter Chicago; David Schmidt, twenty-five years
old,wife and no children, South Chicago; Peter
Eleiason, South Chicago; Charles Fax, thirty
years old, unmarried, South Chicago; Will
lam Roswoski, fifty years DID, married, South
Chicago; Otto Roswoski, twenty-five years
old, son of William Roswoski; Charles Moh-
Sky, forty-two years old, wife and four chill
dren: Andrew Ainsworth Manchester En-
gland; Il. Il. Auster, thirty years old, Hamil-
ton, Ont
The men who were rescued say that the
structure was not considered safe and that
they had protested against staying there
over night, but they had been assured that
it was perfectly secure and that the water
would never reach it.