The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-17
Lost on the Lake.

in the drowning Of forty-cight persons
and the loss Of one Of the most valuable
passenger steamers on the Lakes, was
reported last night when the steamer
Arthahasca arrived; On board Of the
Arthabasca were Capt. James Moore
commander of the Canadian Pacific
Railway steamer, Algoma, two passen-
gers and eleven of the crew. They
were all that were left Of the sc persons
that sailed for this port from Owen
Sound on the Algoma last Thursday
The following are the survivors, : W. j.
Hull and w. B. Macarthur. Of Meadforti.
Ont; Capt. John Moore, first mate
Hastings, second mate Richard Simpson,
. wheelman Henry Lewis, watchman John
c. McNof. fireman z. McCalgar, deck
hands Il. Stevens, James Bolton. Daniel
Lauhlin, walters John c. McLane,
George Mccall and John Mckenzie.
The captain was badly injured.
The ships papers were lost and the
passenger list could not he obtained.
The following is a partial Of the lost
Mrs. DudScon aud her son aged ten, of
st. Paul Mr.. and Mrs Frost (or Fostcr),
relatives Of R. L. Butchart Of Owen
sSSonnd; George pittigrew, chief cngin-
eer; Alexander McDcrmott., of Samia,
second engineer Mr.. Mckenzie, ne
phew Of Alexander Mckenzie of, Sarnia;
Alexander Taylor, chief steward, of
either Buffalo or Cleveland MI: ;Joncs
steerage steward, Of Scolafld:sF The
other names, consisting of deck hands,
fircmcn, WATERS and others of the crew,
cannot besoEtsinei.
The storysSf.the disaster. as related
by Capt. Modta .is that the Algoma
passed through ,Mnry's Canal, bound
for this poreSaasts Friday noon. Soon
after reaching Fake Superior the wind
began to freshcn up from the north west,
and Il great band Of laden clouds along
the n0thcrn horizon denoted the ap-
proach Of heavy weather. Realizing,
however, that the Algoma was one OF
the strongest and most powerful! steam
ers ahoat and we'll able to cope with even
a severe gale, Capt. Moore kept her on
her course. Hnt az night approached
the wind continued to. increase in
violence, and by dark had developed
into one Of the fcrcest and most
destructive gales ever experienced on
the upper lakes. AS the gale increased
the sea began to make. and before mid
night Lake Superior was lashcd into Il
wilderness of sccthing foam, while the
tempest scrcechcd and howled and great
seas swept completely over the Strug-
Cling steamer. The situ,ton was made
all the more terrible hy binding snow
storm that set in before morning. 1t
was impossible to see the length Of the
steamer. Passengers aud crew were ter
rificd beyond m easure and momcntarily
expected to see the steamer plunge to
the bottom. BY the instructions or Cap
tain Moore the officers circulated among
the passengers. trying to allay their fears.
They wero panic-stricken, however, and
huddled together in the cabin, where the
screams and prayers Of women and
children could be heard above the thun-
dering Of the gale.
Saturday morning isle Royal was sight
ed and Capt. Moore headed the steamer
for Rock Harbor, where he hoped to
gain shelter. The island forms natu.
raj barber Of refuge. but near the en-
trance there is dangerous reef, and lust
as the steamer was nearing the entrance
she struck the reef. There was n terrific
shock and then the steamer came to a
full stop. The passengers rushed out of
the cabin and besceched the officers to
tell them what had happened. 1--WE arc
on a reef," replied the captain, but if
you will only keep calm as possible, |
trust all will be safely landed" just
: then one Of the crew reported that the
steamers bottom had beet, punctured
and that she was filing with water. The
boats were at once got in readiness and
all started to leave the steamer, but lust
as they were about to lower them the
steamer slipped off the reef and disap.
pesred with an angry roar. The water
was covered with the struggling forms
OF men and women, and then all was
over. fE
Only fourteen lived to tell the tale.
These got into one Of the boats, but