Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-13
A TERRIFIC SHOCK.
TERRIBLE Loss OF LEE.
Screams of Women and Children
Heard Above the laundering Gale
1.-The Story of the Disaster as Re-
lated by Captain Moore.

PORT ARTHUR, ONT, Nov. 10.-A
terrible marine disaster, resulting in
the drowning of forty-eight persons
and loss of one Of the most val
liable passenger steamers on the lakes
was reported in last nights storm when
the steamer Artharbasca arrived. On
board the Artharbasca were Capt. Jas.
Moore, a member of the Canadian rail
way steamer Algoma, two passengers
and eleven Of her crew. These were
all that were left of sixty-two persons
that sailed from this port from Owen
Sound on the Algoma last Thursday
The story Of the disaster as related by
Capt. Moore is that the Algoma passed
through st. Mary's canal bound for
this port last Friday noon. Soon after
that on Lake Superior the wind began
to freshen up from the northwest and
and great bank of leaden clouds
along the northern horizon, denoted
the approach of heavy weather. Real
izing, however, that the Algoma was
one Of the strongest and most power
full steamers atioat and well able to
cope with such gale, Capt. Moore
kept her on her course, but as night
approached the wind continued TO in
crease in violence and by dark had de-
veloped into one of the fercest and
most destructive gales ever experienced
on the upper lakes. AS the gale in
creased the sea began to make, and be-
fore midnight Lake Superior was lash
ed into wilderness OF seething foam,
while the tempest screeched and howl
ed. Great seas swept completely
over the struggling steamer. The
situation was made all the more ter
rible by binding snow storms that set
in before morning. IL was impossible
to see the length of the steamer. The
passengers and crew were terrified
beyond measure and momentarily ex
pected to see the steamer plunge to tht
bottom. By instructions of Capt
Moore the officers circulated among
the passengers trying to allay thei
fears. They were panic stricken
however, and huddled together in the
cabin where the screams Of women anC
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 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 ter
rife shock and then the steamer
came to full stop. Passengers rushed
out of the cabin and beseeched the
officers to tell them what had happen.
ed. 1--WE are on reef" replied the
captain, "but if you will only keep as
calm as possible, trust we will all be
safely landed" Just then one Of the
crew reported that the steamers bot.
tom had been punctured and she was
filling with water. The pumps were
at once got in readiness, and all started
to leave the steamer, but just as they
were about to lower themselves the
steamer slipped off the reef and disap
peared 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 boats but were
poWerless to save themselves
as they were without oars
Captain Moore, however, wrenched
a foot board from the bottom of the
boat, and, with that as paddle, sue
ceeded in working the boat to an island
where the survivors were picked up by
the Artharbasca.
Mr.. Bently, the manager of the line,
has sent out tugs from here with in
structions 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.
One Of the passengers gives agraphiC
account of the terrible scenes before
and after the wreck: "Its no use to
describe the scene," said he, "nothing
worse ever occurred on earth. In their
madness, when waves were washing
the decks, numbers threw them
selves into the foaming bill
lows, others when the great wave
would pass off the deck, which was
swaying from side to side, were swept
into the sea. A few hung to the ropes
or masts, but the majority seemed to
abandon themselves in wild alarm and
despair. Even the crew seemed pow
erless, so stricken were they with the
awful suddenness and stupendous
character of the disaster. In the
meanwhile the boat rapidly went to
pieces, dashed against the rocks. The
crew, all Of whom, except mattresses,
clung to the rigging, and managed,
during the lull in the storm, to place
themselves in lifeboat and cut the
fastening. In an instant a wave swept
them from the fated wreck amid the
awful roar of the dying and terrible
dashing of waves. The boat was
borne onward. The lifeboat and oc-
cupants had terrible experience on