Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-11
4 TBRyxLfN0 ADTBNTURE.
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Detroit Mich special says: Three
fishermen living 1t Groose Point, four
teen miles above this city. on Lake st.
Clair. had . thrilling experience yester-
d.v and the night before. Their names
are John vernier, Charles Reno, and
victor Rousseau. They left their homes
IN Monday afternoon in fishing boat,
going out into Lake st. Clair to take up
their pound.nets for the winter. They
were caught by the cold snap
of Monday night and frozen in.
The ice was too heavy for
them to row through and not
strong enough for them 10 walk on. As
a result, they were compelled to stay
out eli night in the piercing cold, with
nothing to eat or drink, and with no
covering or other means Of keeping
warm. When dsy broke yesterday
two Of them could be seen in the boat
standing up and breaking the ice with
their oars, and at times stopping to
warm themselves by Shaping their
hands on their shoulders. One of the
men occasionally ventured out on the
ice with the painter of the boat in his
hand to try and drag her along. At
last he was seen to break through the
ice and pull himself back by the rope.
The third man could be observed, by
the aid of glasses from the steeple Of an
old French church, lying in the bottom
Of the boat apparently helpless.
A binding snow-storm set 10 at this
time and a fierce wind sprang up,
pilipg the ice in high banks along the
shore, and the situation became every
moment more critical. A desperate
effort to rescue the imperilled men was
resolved upon, their distracted relatives
making frantic appeals to the assem-
bled crowd Of people to do this. A
large fish.boat was secured, fully
equipped with pike-poles, life-lines, and
graphing. hooks, and stock of pro-
visions. Shortly after 8 O'Clock the
boat was pushed out into the grinding
ice, manned by six men. The crowd on
shore watched the rescuers until veil
of snow interviewed. The men in the
boat were last seen working with will
and urging their craft slowly but surely
in the direction of the sufferers. There
was a long and perilous trip before
them. They were obliged to go at
least mile and half out into the lake
before being anywhere near the i'm
perilled men. Then cropping search
through the snow-storm was probable.
Finally there was to be the struggle
back to shore. AS the day wore along
the anxious friends on shore began to
realize the peril to which the rescuing
party had exposed themselves. 1t be-
gan to be feared that nine men instead
OF three would be lost in the binding
storm, and it was determined to secure
a tug at Detroit and send her in search
of the two parties.
During the day two parties came to
this city to secure help. Late in the
afternoon ferry-boat left her route in
the river and steamed up into Lake St.
Clair in the direction where the men
were supposed to be. In the mean
time efforts did not slacken in the i'm
mediate vicinity. In the afternoon the
storm abated, so that both Of the par
ties in the ice could be seen from shore.
About 200 excited people lined the banks
and watched each foot of Roadway
which the rescue party made. The boat
moved very slowly, however. and it
became apparent that the relief would
be too late. Then Richard Moran and
his two sons determined to adopt new
course. Instead Of taking large and
cumbersome fish-boat they rugged sew
eral light duck skiffs with rollers under
meath. These could be rapidly pro-
PEELED through the water and rolled
over the ice. The trio started out, and
were soon abreast Of the first rescue
party. The latter had abandoned their
efforts and turned back for the shore.
The Morans reached the sufferers about
3 o'clock, and the crowds along the
bank were crazy with joy and excite
ment at the successful result.
Then the homeward trip was COM
menced. 1t was observed on shore that
but five figures worked with the pike
poles. At 5 o'clock a shout went up
as the frail skiffs pushed over the shore
ice and the three brave rescuers aud
two survivors stepped ashore. The
ioy soon turned to sorrow, as it was
learned that young Charlie Reno was at
the bottom of the lake. The two
survivors were more dead than
alive, but in disconnected words
they told how young Reno had
heroically struggled to save them
all. and finally died in the attempt.
The party had despaired of getting as
sistance from land. Their only safety
seemed to be to walk over the floating
ice. Whether it would sustain them
was a doubtful question, but Reno
finally determined to solve it. He
stepped on broad cake, and was soon
flying landward over crunching ice and
intervening stretches of water. Sud-
denly he disappeared. The water closed
over him, and then the ice, The suf-
ferers were Mortified to see their CON-
panion die before their eyes without
any possible effort on their part to save
him. They suffered intensely from
hunger. Their sturdy frames withstood
the cold, but broke down from want of
food.
There is little chance Of securing
Reno's body before next spring. The
deceased was a well-known young
French resident Of the Point, and
descendant Of one Of the early settlers.
He was about twenty-eight years old
and unmarried.
A Rare Discovery.