The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-09
MAN THE LIFE BOAT!
Desperate Struggle for Life on Lake
Michigan.
Fourteen Men Rufieted by Angry
hiilows-Ten Lives Lost-De-
tails of the Disaster
Other Fatalities.

CHICAGO, oct. 9.-Jake Carsen, a laborer,
arrived at South Chicago early in the morn
ing. He swan all the way from the Hyde
Park inlet with the aid of plank He said
that he had left sixteen of his comrades
clinging to piles about two miles out in the
lake opposite Hyde Park. The men
were sent out to help construct the lake
tunnel, and We're all lodged in
shanty temporarily built for them Last
night the shanty was carried away by the
storm Word was at oncs sent out to thu
life-saving station.
From Hyde Park, with the aid of glasses,
the piles can be observed and the forms of
eight men The waves are dashina over
them. 1t is feared that the other eight VINO
were there when Carsen set out on his plank
have been washed off and drowned
ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER.
For some time past a gang of fourteen men
have been engaged upon tho new crib that is
being constructed for the Hyde Park water
works, about a mile from Cheltenham beach
At the mouth of the tunnel which leads to
the shore and above the crib had
been constructed a large platform, about
forty feet square, supported by piles,
which were bound together by heavy
chains. Upon this platform had been built
small cabin, in which the men slept and
had their meals. they having lived there
for the past three weeks. The platform was
supported by heavy timbers resting on the
plies. Wednesday morning about 5 O'Clock
the sea became SO heavy that portions of the
platform had been washed away. The men
awoke about $50 and found spray swith
every wave washing the sides of
their hut They were not much alarmed,
and proceeded to get their breakfast. The
meal was eaten and preparations made for
the days work. The sea in the meantime
ran hig her, and about o'clock huge wave
struck the hut, tearing it from its foundation
and carrying it into the raging water. Then
| followed a scene of the most narrowing de
| scription. Fourteen men were struggling in
the debris of the building, and in a short tim,
not vesti.e Of the wreck was visible
| Twelve of the nel succeeded in climbing
upon the huge stringers that held the piles
together and lying face down with theil
arms around the beam, they waited the ar
rival of assistance. Every moment increased
I'll eli danger and Il Q waves, with terrible
| force, tore them one by one from the timbers
until only eight remained These, with the
| sight Of the assistalc5 that was coming in the
| shape of the life-saving crew of the Chicago
station, clung with bleeding hands and
waited
In the meantime on shore everything was
being done for their rescue The crew of the
Chicago life-saving station had put off with
sail and made for the scene of the accident
| They arrived about IL O'Clock, and wher
they were within throwing distance line
was made fast by the almost drowning men
to the timbers and made tight from the boat
Then each shivering man with un-
ceI tain grasp clutched the rope and hand
over hand worked his way toward the
boat through the surf. Out of eight mer
who made the attempt only four lived to tel
the tale of the terrible hours that they had
| spent on the spars. The boat, which was
then about mile from shore, gave way and
in twenty minutes was landed safe on tn,
shore, where hundreds of people awaited
| their rescue.
Those who were saved from watery
grave are:
Peter ThieS, cook; Martin Nelson, laborer
Han5 Chri, tianson, diver; Robert Christian
son, labOrer.
Those lost are; Lewis Ainsworth, assistant
boss; Andrew Ainsworth, lahorer; vii
Han, superintendent; K Corbyn, boss
Charles Manski, Iaborer; Charles FaIk
mason; D. Smith, laborer; Otto Moncofsli
laborer; William Moncofski, laborer; Klau
| ClauSen labOrer