Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-04
A LAKE HORROR.

eisht PERSONS DrOwned-Vivid tDescrin.
ton of the Terrible Gnle on Lake SUI
p%erior-Drivcn Upon a Reefand Wrecked.
PoRT ARTHUR, November 1O.-A terrible
marine disaster, resulting in the drowning.
Of forty-eight persons and the loss of ono
Of the most valuable passenger steamers on
the lakes was reported Monday night when
the steamer Nhabasca arrived. On board
the Athabasca were Captain 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
Tuesday.
The following is a partial list of the lost:
Mrs. Dudgeon and her son, aged ten, of St.
Paul; Mr.. and Mrs. Frost Tor Foster), rela.
tives of r. p. Buthart, of Owen Sound:
George Pettgrcw, chief engineer; Alex Nc
Dermott, of Sarnia, second engineer: Mr..
Mackenzie, purser. nephew of Alexander
Mackenzie: Alex Taylor, chief steward, of
either Buffalo or Cleveland; Mr.. Jones',
Storage steward, of Scotland. The other
names, consisting of deckhands. tircmen.
walters, and others of the crew, cannot be
obtained.
The story of the disaster, as related by
N"It"il Nhoo!t, 10 uldt tUc AlSOllG passed.
through the ST. Mary's Canal, bound for thi,
port, last Friday noon. Soon after reachiny
Lake Superior the wind began to freshen up
from the northwest, and a great bank of
leadcn clouds along the northern horizon
denoted the appearance Of heavy weather.
Realizing, however, that the Algoma was
one OF the strongest and most powerful
steamers aiioat, and we'll able to cope with
even a severe gale, Captain Moore kent her
on her course. But as night approached the
wind continued to increase in violence and
by dark had developed into one OF the
fercest and most destructive gales ever ex-
pericnced OF the upper lakes. AS the gallo
increased the sea began to make, and before
midnight Lake Superior was dashed into a
wilderness Of scething foam, while the tenn
pest screcched and howled, great seas swept
completely over the struggling steamer.
The situation was made all the more ter
rible by the binding storm that set in
before morning. 1t was impossible to sec
the length of the steamer. The passengers
and crew were terrified beyond measure and
mOmentarily expected to see the steamer
plunge to the bottom. BY instructions of
Captain Moore the officers circulated 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 the women and chill
dren 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 a
dangerous reef, and just as the steamer was
nearing the entrance she struck the reef.
There was a terrific shock and then 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.
w are on a reef" replied Captain Moore,
but il you will only keep as calm as posi-
BILE l trust all will be safely landed" Just
then one of the crew reported that the
steamers bottom had beenpunched 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 We're
about to lower them the steamer slipped off
the reef and disappeared 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 tho
boats, but We're powerless to save them
selves, as they were without oars. Captain
Moore, however, wrenched a %foot-board
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 Athabasca. Mr.. Bentley,
the manager of the line, sent out tugs with
instructions to search Isle Royal for any
survivors who may possibly have got ashore,
and to pick up and 4 k care of any bodies
that may be found.
one OF the rescued passengers gives a
graphic account of the terrible scenes before
and after the wreck. ut is no use to at
tempt to describe the scene,'' said he;
nothing worse ever occurred on earth. In
their madness, when the waves were wash
ing the deck, a number threw themselves
into the foaming pillows. Others, when a
great wave would pass over the deck which
was swaying from side to side, were swept
into the sea like feathers A few hung on
to ropes or..to the masts, but the majority
seemed to abandon themselves in the wild
alarm and despair. Even the crew seemed
powerless, so stricken were they with the
awful sudlenness and stupendousness of the
disaster. Meanwhile the boat rapidly
rocks. The crew. all of whom ex-
cept the mattresses, had chung to the
rigging, managed during a slight lull in the
storm to place themselves in a life-boat, to
cut the fastenings ard in an instant a wavo
swept them from the Inflated wreck. Amid
the awful roar of TIE dying and the terrible
dashing of the waves the boat was borne
onward. Two of the passengers had man
aged to place themselves in the boat before
it was cut away from the wreck. ANY
efforts that had been made to launch boats
during the early confusion and horror had
failed. Meantime the life-boat and it's oc-
cupants had q terrible experience on tho
open storm-tossed lake. All who could
bound themselves to the boat, while the re-
maindcr held on like grim death to the
sides, expecting every moment to meet
their death either by drowning Or from ex-
posture and cold. One of the boats was
turned over with the waves and one of
the crew washed away, but the craft righted
itself and was swept on in the darkness.
After half an hour the boat suddenly struck
some rocks. The inmates feared all was
over with them as the craft capsized, but to
their surprise, when thrown out, the water
was only a foot deep. and they discovered
that they were Oh land. After remaining
there an hour or more exposed to the ele-
ments, the storm abated and the sky cleared.
1t was then discovered that they were on
Isle Royal, and that the vessel had been
wrecked about a mile from shore on the
great boulders that exist near the channel.
1t was about ten O'Clock in the morning and