The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-11-19
Lost OIL the Lake.

PORT ARTHUR, ONTARIO. November
1O.-A terrible marine disaster, resulting
in the drowning of forty eight persons
and the loss of one of the most valuable
passenger steamers on the Lakes was
reported last night when the steamer
Arthaba.ca arrived. On board of tie
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 G2 persons thai
sailed for this port from Owen Sound On
the Algoma last Thursday.
The Story of the disaster. as related oy
Capt. Moore, is, that the Algoma passed
through St. Mary's Canal, bound for this
port, last Friday noon. Soon after
reaching Lake Superior the wind began
to freshen up from the Northwest, and c
great bank of leaden clouds along the
Northern horizon denoted the approach
of heavy weather. Realizing, however
that the Algoma was one of the stroDges.
and most powerful steamers afoat and
well able to cope with even severe gales
Capt. Moore kept her on her course.
But as night approached the wind con.
tinued 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 10 make.
and before midnight Lake Superior was
lashed into a wilderness of seething
foam, while the tempest screeched and
howled and great seas swept completely
over the struggling steamer. The sltua.
ton was made all the more terrible by q
binding snow storm that set in before
morning. It was impossible to see the
length of the steamer. Passengers and
crew were terrified beyond measure and
momentarily expected to see the steamer
plunge to the bottom. By the instruc'
tions of Captain Moore, the officers cir
culated among the passengers, trying to
allay their fears. They were panic
stricken, however. and huddled together
in the cabin, where the screams and
prayers of women and children could be-
heard above the laundering of the gale.
Saturday morning Isle Royal was
sighted and Capt. Moore headed the
steamer for Rock Harbor, where he
hoped 10 gain a shelter. The island
forms natural harbor of refuge, but
near the entrance there is dangerous
reef, and just as the ste .mer was nearing
the entrance she struck the reef. There
was terrific shock and then the steamer
came to full stop. The passengers
rushed out of the cabin and beseeched
the officers to tell them what had hap
pened. "We are on reef" replied the
captain, "but if you will only keep calm
as possible, I trust all will be safely
landed" Just then one of the crew
reported that the steamers bottom had
been punctured and that she was filling
with water. The boats were at once got
in readiness and all started to leave the
steamer, but just as they were about to
lower them the steamer slipped off the
reef and disappeared with an angry roar.
The water was covered with the strug-
Cling 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, as they
we're without oars. Capt. Moore, how
ever, wrenched the footboard from, the
bottom of the boat, and with that as a
paddle succeeded in working the boat to
the island, where the survivors were
picked up by the Arthabasca.