The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-11
THE WRECK OF THE ALGOMA.
The Number of Lives Lost by the Dis
aster Now Placed at Forty-Eight.
Captain Moores Statement as to the Loss of
His Vessel-A Survivors Graphic
Story of the Scene on the Wreck.


rne disaster, resulting in the drowning of forty
eight persons and the loss of one of the most
valuable passenger steamers on the lake. was
reported last night, when the steamer Artha
basca arrived. On board of the Arthabasca were
Capt James Moore commander of the Canada
Pacific railway steamer Algoma two passengers
and eleven of her crew. They were all that
were left of the sixty two persons that sailed for
this port from Owen sound on the Algoma last
Thursday. The following are the survivors:
W. ]. Hull and W. B. Macarthur, of Meaford,
Ont; Capt. John Moore, First Mate Hastings,
second mate Richard Simpson. wheelman Henry
Lewis, Waterman John G. McNabb, fireman P.
McColgar; deck hands r. Stevens, James Bolton,
Daniel Laughlin; walters John McLane, George
Mccall, John Mckenzie
The captain was badly injured. The ships
papers were lost and the passenger list could not
be obtained. Following is a list of the lost:
Mrs. Dudgen. and her son, aged ten, of St
Paul
Mr. and Mrs Frost Tor Foster). relatives of r.
p. Butchart. of Owen sound.
George Pettigrew. chief engineer
Alex McDermott, of Sarnia. second engineer.
Mr.. Mackenzie. purser. nephew OF Alexander
Mackenzie, of Sarnia.
Alex Taylor chief steward. either of Buffalo
or Cleveland.
Mr. Jones, steerage steward of Scotland
The other names consisting of deck hands,
fremen, walters and others Of the crew. cannot
be obtained.
The story Of the disaster, as related by Capt
Moore. is that the Algoma passed through the
ST. Mary's canal. bound for this port. last Fri
day noon. Soon after reaching Lake Superior
the wind began to freshen up from the north
west and great bank of eaden clouds along the
northern horizon denoted the approach of heavy
weather. Realizing, however, that the Agoina
was of the strongest and most powerful
steamers ahoat, and well able to cope with even
a severe gale, Captain Moore kept her on her
course But as the night approached the wind
continued to increase in violence, and by dark
had developed into one of the fercest and most
destructive gales ever experienced on the upper
lakes. AS the gale increased the sea began to
break, and before midnight Lake Superior was
dashed into wilderness of seething foam.
While the tempest screeched and howled. great
seas swept completely over the struggling steam
The situation was made all the more terri
BILE by binding snow-storm that set in before
morning 1t was impossible to see the length of
,rifed beyond measure, and momentarily expect
ed to see the steamer plunge to the bottom. By
instruction of Captain Moore the officers moved
about among the passengers. trying to allay
their fears They panic-stricken, however,
and huddled together in the cabin. where the
screams and prayers of the women and children
could be heard above the laundering of the
gale.
Saturday morning Isle Royal was sighted and
Captain Moore headed the steamer for Rock
Harbor, where he hoped to gain shelter. The
island forms a natural harbor of refuge, but near
the entrance there is dangerous reef. and just
as the steamer was nearing the entrance she
struck the reef. There was terrific shock, and
the steamer came to a full stop. The passen-
gers rushed out of the cabin and beseeched the
officers to tell them what had happened.
'We are reef" replied Captain Moore
'but if you will only keep as calm as possible, 1
trust all will be safely landed"
Just then one of the crew reported that the
steamers bottom had been punctured, and that
she was filing with water. The boats were at
got in readiness and ali started to leave the
steamer but just as they were about to lower
them, the steamer slipped off the reef and dis
appeared with an angry roar. The water was
covered with the struggling forms Of men and
women, and then all was over. Only fourteen
lived to tell the tale. These got into one of the
boats. but were powerless to save themselves, rs
they were without oars Captain Moore, how
ever wrenched a foot board from the bottom of
the boat, and with that paddle, succeeded
in working the boat to the island, where the
survivors were picked up by the Arthabasca
Mr. Bentley, the manager of the line has sent
out tugs from here, with instructions to search
Isle Royal for any survivors that may possibly
have got ashore, and to pick up and take care of
any bodies that may be found. The tugs are
now at the scene of the wreck.
One of the rescued passengers gives graphic
account of the terrible scene, before and afte T
the wreck. ''It is no to describe the scene y
he said; nothing worse ever occurred on earth.
In their madness, when the waves were washing
the deck, number threw themselves into the
foaming pillows Others. when great wave
would pass off the deck, which was swaying from
side to side, were swept into the sea like
feathers. few hung to ropes or to the
masts, but the majority seemed to abandon them.
selves in their wild alarm and despair Even
the crew seemed powerless, so stricken were
they with the awful suddennesS and stipend
character of the disaster Meanwhile
the boat rapidly went to pieces being dashed
against the rocks. The crew, all of whom except
the walters had chung to the rigging, managed,
during a slight lull in the storm, to place them
selves in life boat; they cut the fastenings and
in an instant a wave swept them from the i'll
fated wreck. Amid the awful cries of the dying
and the terrible dashine of the waves. the boat
was borne onward, Two of the passengers had
managed to place themselves in the boat before
it was cut from the wreck. Any efforts that had
been made to laanch boats during the early con-
fusion had failed. Meantime the life boat and its
occupants had terrible experience ON the Open
storm tossed lake. All who could bound them
selves to the boat, while the remainder held on
like grim death to the sides, expecting every
moment to meet their death, either by
drowning or from the exposure and cold.
which was intense. The half-dead
inmates were borne on. Once the boat was
turned over by the waves and one of the crew
..nnhna ..rax- h,,t the craft rirhted itself and