Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-11-19
ICHIGAN. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER le, 1885
GONE TO THE BOTTOM.
The Canadian Steamer Algoma Wreck
ed ON Isle Royal, with Little
Warning.
Thirty-seven Lives Reported Lost,
Meeting Death Under Lake Su-
periOr's Waves.

A terrible marine disaster, resulting in
the loss Of thirty-seven human lives, oc-
CURED near Port Arthur, on Lake Superior,
on the night of the 8th inst, the particulars
of which are embraced in the following tele-
graphic reports from the scene Of the ca
lamity: The Algoma, one of the iron-clad
transfer steamers of the Canadian Pacific,
left Owen Sound, Ontario, last Thursday.
While rounding Isle Royale the steamer
Athabasca sighted the fragments OF wreck
on the treacherous reef. A rescuing boat
was manned, and, after considerable diff
Guilty, made the shore, rescuing the crew
thirteen men-and two passengers of the
ill-fated Algoma. They reported that thirty
seven passengers had perished in the wreck.
The survivors could not have endured the
hardships Of exposue and hunger much
longer. When they were landed at Port
Huron by the Athabasca late this evening
many of them were dangerously prostrated.
Port Arthur is on the extreme northern
coast of Lake Superior and distant from
here nearly 500 miles. The scene of the
wreck is southwest from Port Arthur thirty
miles or more. All the facts known here
are gathered from personal dispatches an
nouncing the loss of relatives or friends,
and from two kilograms to the Canadian
Pacific officials, briefly outlining the man
ner of the catastrophe. 1t appears that
heavy storm prevailed on the lake Sunday
night, one of its features being dense
fog. Shortly after the Algoma rounded
into the straits which Isle Royale skirts
she crashed into a concealed reef, and
few moments later the boat was shiv-
cred asunder. 1t collapsed SO quickly
that many of the victims pariehaa N thair
the inclement weather. Others, who reached
the deck, were given no assistance, and
clung to the rigging in despair until ingulfed
or swept away The crew, frenzied by the
disaster, thought only of saving themselves.
With quick rush for the nearest boat,
they focked in and swung it from the davits
before the passengers could follow. Two,
however, contrived to crowd in, leaving the
abandoned ones, among them several wom-
en- and children, helpless and hopeless on
the deck of the doomed steamer. The boat
was capsized several times by the waves,
but was righted again. The survivors sue
ceeded in reaching land, almost dead from
exposure and exhaustion.
The scene of excitement is terrible. 1t
is impossible to get any well-defned or
completely connected story of the terrible
disaster which has brought gloom to hum
son and w. B. Macarthur, one of the pas
sengers who survived, were interviewed, and
| q story obtained of which the following is
fair synopsis
Tne steuIIfer left Owen Sound last Thursdoy
afternoon with thirty-elght passengers, chiefly
All went well during the early part of the voy-
age, and the vessel passed up st. Marys River
| and Sault ste. Marie, where she coaled, 1t was
! Friday about noon when she passed the latter
! place, and soon after steamed out into Lake
Superior. Tho weather was calm, but as even-
| ing advanced signs of storm were brewing.
When spoken to by passengers Capt Moore
| shook his head ominously, and all realized that
q storm Of unusual severity was blowing.
All trusted in the stout steel craft, which was
| deemed of equal strength to the average sea-
| going vessel. Evening closed in, and the Algo-
| ma held her course toward Port Arthur, while
the storm increased in fury and caused the great
waves to pound the vessel, which was tossed
about like feather The timbers were heard
TO creak, but little danger was apprehended ON
the score of unsoundness. As night wore on the
storm seemed, il possible, to increase in vio-
lence Snow and sleet descended, and the ele-
| ments appeared in their angriest mood. Some
retired to their berths, but the majority, who
were suffering from nausea, kept watch. At the
time when day should under ordinary circuIn'
stances have broken, darkness continued
the air was terribly dense. The steamer
still hold her way and as fan
progress had been made notwithstanding
the severity of the storm, IL was thought that
the Isle Royale which is located n short dis
tanco outOide of Thunder Bay and. about forty;
five miles from Port Arthur must be near al
hand The island is long but comparatively O
narrow, rocky one, and its vicinity is treacher
ous, owing to the large number Of powders
which exist about ii. The channel by which the
bay is entered, runs close to the island, ano
Capt. Moore realized the necessity of progress
ing with the utmost care. Fog-horns were
blowed and signals of distress sounded. The
speed Of the boat was reduced, but as the storm
continued TO rage, IL was impossible to deter
mine absolutely what course the boat was pur
suing, Suddenly q great crash was heard, anC
the vessel rebounded and quivered like an asper
leaf
sGood Godl" said the Captain, shes struck
Our doom has comeP
Ten seconds later all was the widest confusion
and alarm. Those who were on deck roare(
their alarm, while the shrieks Of the milder SCI
were terrible. Crash, crash and the stout yes
sci pounded the rocks. The cracking Of thu
timbers and the swaying OF the vessel warned al
that death in a terrible form was upon them
The relentless wind seemed to scream its salts
faction while the snow and sleet drove agains
the half-clad passengers.
@It's no use to describe the scene," said on,
informant. Nothing worse ever occurred OF
earth. In their madness, when the waves wer
washing the deck number threw themselve
into the foaming billows, Others, when
great wave would pass over the deck, which wa
swaying from side to side, were swept into thu
sea like feathers. A few hung on to ropes or Z
the masts, but the majority seemed to abandon
even the crew seemed powerloss, 80 stricken
were they with the awful suddenness and stu
pendouB CnarhcJer OF the ulShbUeI. mehuWnll
the boat rapidly went to pieces, dashed agains
the rocks. The crew, all Of whom except tn
mattresses had clung to the rigging, managed
during slight lull in the storm, to place them
selves in a life-boat, cut the fastenings, and Il
an instant q wave swept them from the ill-fate'
wreck. Amid the awful cries Of the dying AM
the terrible dashing of the waves the boat wa
borne onward. Two of the passengers hal
managed to place themselves in the boat befor
Il was cut away from the wreck. Any effort
that had been made to launch boats dun
ing the early confusion and horror had failed
Meantime the life-boat and its occupants had
terrible experience on the open, storm-tosse
: lake. All who could bound themselves to tn
boat, while the remainder held ON like grin
death to the sides. Expecting every moment
meet their death either by drowning or fron
exposure or cold, which was intense, the hall
dead inmates were borne on. Once the boat wa
turned over with the waves, and one OF the creN
washed away, but the frail craft rghted itsel
and was swept on in the comparative darl
ness.
AFTER half an hour the boat suddenly struc
some rocks. The inmates feared all was owe
, with them, as the craft capsized, but, to thei
surprise, whom thrown out, the water was onl
! a foot deep and they discovered that they wer
ON land After remaining there an hour O
, more, exposed TO the elements, the storm
abated, and the sky cleared. It was then dis
; covered that they were ON Isle ROyale, and tina
tho vessel had been wrecked about a mile froI
, shore on the great powders that exist near th
| channel 1t was about 10 o'clock I'm the morn
ing, and the half-dead crew remained ther
until late I'm the afternoon, when the Athabasc
came along and picked them mp, They wer
then taken to Port Arthur
| " -.zz-..z--------------
8 HELMBoLD, of buchu fame, who was &c
| out of an insane asylum by ex-Judge Cur
: tbs, looks we'll and hearty, though shown
signs of increasing years. One OF his al