Connecticut western news., 1885-11-18
LATEST NEWS NOTES.
Happenings of Interest to AZ
 At Home and Abroad
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
Wreck of the Steamer AlROma on Lake SuperiOr-Running on the ROcks-Inny Passengers nnd Some of the Crew Find Watery Graves.

fearful disaster occurred on Lake Su- perior, of Port Arthur, lSaturday night The magnificent ironclad steamer Algoma, of the Canada Pacific Railroad, was wrecked and many lives lost.
 The first that was positively known of the disaster was when the stermGr Athabasca, of the same line, arrived at Port Arthur, with the crew of the Agoma (consisting of thirteen) and two passengers, who were the only ones saved. The Athabasca, which left Owen Sound two days after the Algoma, came upon the wreck at Isle Royale and found the crew and two passengers in a perishing condition on the island. The wreck had been dashed by the maddened waves against the rocks and finally beaten against the shore of the island The crew and two passengers saved themselves by taking to the lifeboat and battling with the waves until shore was reached. The boat was washed over several times by the waves, but rishted again, while tho men clung with the despair of death to the sides of the boat, and succeeded in reaching land almost dead from exposure and exhaustion.
 The orm continued to rage furiously all night long. The rescued remained on the beach watching tho wreck beat against the rook-bound island and seeing dead bodies dashed in the surf against the shore. The Athabasca came along about noon, and as the channel is narrow, could not avoid seeing the wreck and the distress of those on the island. A boat was sent ashore and brought the rescued to the Athabasca, which get sail for Port Arthur, where it arrived about seven o'clock the same evening. There is intense excitement in the city, as many had friends on board. A list of cabin passenger lean be had at Toronto or Sault Ste. Marie, where manifest of passengers is given to customs there.
 The Algoma was & thoroughly built and splendidly-equipped, Clyde-built steel steamer, lighted by electricity, her gross tonnage being 1,780, length 270 feet, breadth 38 feet. She was complete in every detail, the furnishing has~, Ir1~ rio fn fhn Apa steamers. She cost $450, 900 and is insured for $500, 900.
 The Agoma left Owen Sound Thursday afternoon with thirty-eight passengers, prin- cipally Canadians, but there were some few Americana. All went well until the storm struck the ill-fated vessel. The snow and hail and sleet were binding. The speed ot the boat was reduced, but aS the storm continued to rage it was impossible to determine absol- utely what course the boat was pursuing.
 Suddenly great crash was heard. and the vessel rebounded and quivered like an aspen leaf. Good God p said the captain, ''she's struck Our doom has come p' Ten seconds later all was the widest confusion and alarm. Those who were on deck roared their alarm, while the shrieks of the milder sex were terri ble to listen to- Crash crash and the stout vessel pounded the rocks The cracking of the timbers and the swaying of the vessel warned all that death ID terrible form was upon them. The relentless wind seemed to scream It's satisfaction, while the snow and sleet drove against the half clad passengers.
 'It's no use to describe the Fcene," said one informant; "nothing worse ever occur ed on earth.' In their madness, when the waves were washing the deck, a number threw them selves into the foaming pillows. Others, when 8 great wave would pass of the deck, which was swaying from side to side, were swept into the sea like corks. A few hung on to ropes or to tue masts but the majority seemed to abandon themselves in the wild alarm and despair Even the crew seemed powerless, so stricken were they with the awfulu sddenness and stupendous character of the disaster.
 Meanwhile the boat rapidly went 10 pieces through being dashed agaInst the rocks. The crew, all Of whom except the waitreRBes had citing to tho rigging, managed during slight Hull in the storm 10 place themselves In a lifeboat and cut the fastenings, but in an in- stant wave swept them from the ll-iAted wreck. Amid the awful roarS of the dying and the terrible dashing of the waves the boat was borne onward fast. It might be mentioned that two Of the passengers had managed to placa theEnselves in the boat be- fore it was cut away from the wreck.
 Every effort that had been made to launch the boats during the early confusion and hor- Tor had failed. Meanwhile the hfeboat and its occupants had terrible experience on the open storm tossed lake.
 All who could bound themselves to the boat, while tue remainder held on "like grim UedIu gO Lu6 blueoy oAp0Cblub every AOnAehh to meet death either by drowning or from ex- posture and cold. the latter being intense.. Once the boat was washed over by the waves and one of the crew swept away, but the frail craft righted itself and was swept on in the comparative darkness.
 After half an hours experience of this de- scription the boat suddenly struck some rocks. The occupants feared that all was over with them, as the craft capsized, but to their sur prise when thrown out the water was only g few feet deep, and 10 their joy they discovered that they were on land.
 After remaining there an hour or more ex- posed to the clements, the storm abated and the sky cleared. It was then discovered that they were on Isle Royal and that the vessel had been wrecked about mile from shore, on the great boulders that exist near the channel. It was about ten o'clock in the morning, and the half-dead crew remained there until late in the afternoon, when the Athabasca came along and picked them up. They were then taken to Port Arthur.