Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-26
AN ICE PACK TN A LAKE.
TERRIBLE EXP PERIENCE ON
LAKE MICHIGAN,

Ten Men Make a Dangerous Trip to
the Shore from An Imprisoned Pro-
peller-The Boat Itself also Reaches
Safety at Last-The Disastrous Nip
of the Michigan-But Little Hope for
the Wisconsin.
LUDINGToN, MICH, March 25.-The
propellers Flint and Pere Marquette No.
z, which left Milwaukee eleven days ago
and has since been bound in the Ice about
% miles off Little Point Sable, reached
here last night. The clerk, eight passen-
gers and the wheelman were here some
hours before the steamer, having left her
80 miles OFF Little Point Sable. Making
shore at the point they came the rest Of
the way by land. Their trip from the
boat to the shore was a dangerous eue.
the ice breaking up and cutting off all
communication with the boat. They left
at O'Clock Monday morning. and all
went we'll until they met an opening In
the ice 80 feet wide about 1: 80 O'Clock. 1t
was then necessary for them to cut
a large cake of ice and one of the party
ferried the rest across, one at time.
ON DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE.
They met thin ice at 2:3O O'Clock and
crossed it by spreading out and all hold
ing to a line, the ice cracking under their
feet. At 3:45 O'Clock. while crossing a
field Of ice half mile wide and four
inches thick, they found it to be moving
three miles per hour, and the wind blow
ing up very fast. Several broke through
the Ice. j. o. Touchette, a passenger.
had very narrow escape. At 4:30
O'Clock their chances looked slim for
getting to shore. Two of the passengers
gave up several times. AT $3.50 O'clock
they reached the point, got a team and
went to Wears station, where they took
the cars. They were badly used up.
There have been no advices from the
propeller Wisconsin, ten days out, nor
tAe City OF Ludington, seven days out,
since they left this port. There are fears
that they have met with disaster through
croWding of the ice.
THE STORY OF THE ''NIICHIGAN' CAP
TAIN.
CHICAGO, March 25 Capt. PrindiViIle.
OF the propeller Michigan, which was
crushed in the Ice and sand in Lake
Michigan last Thursday, the crew having
gone on board tug lying in the ice near
by and thence making their way over the
ice to Holland, Mich, arrived here to-day.
He says that the steamer was well down
In the water when tue squeeze came
which crushed her, no ice having formed
beneath her 70 support her. He says the
tug to which they escaped and on which
the men still remain is perfectly safe,
lying on top of ice so that she cannot be
gripped, and that when thaw comes she
will settle easily into The water. Capt.
Prindiville asserts that he never before
saw so much ice on the lake.
SIXTY MILES OF SOLID ICE.
For sixty miles south of the straits of
Mackinaw the ice is solid entirely across,
and of an average thickness Of thirty
inches. He believes that 1t will be inn
possible for vessels to get through the
straits to Buffalo before June 1. In re-
gard to the Wisconsin, which is the twin
of the lost Michigan, Capt. Prindeville
was 10th to express an opinion. He said,
however, that Capt. MeGregor, her COM
mander, was a brave seaman, and that if
any man could rescue her he could. She
was more heavily loaded than the Michi-
gan and deeper in water, and therefore
more subject to the grip of the ice. 1t
might be that she had already suffered
the same fate as the Michigan. The Wis
consln has not been heard from for some
time, and vessel men here express grave
fears for her safety and that OF her crew.