The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-14
THE PERILS OF THE LAKE.
CHE STEAMER OCONTO WRECKED
OFF CHARITY ISLAND.
Seven Persons Missing and Believed to
Have Pcrished - The Cook Dies OF
Iright-The Mates Graphic De
scription of the Catastrophe.

FAST TOWAS, Mich. Dec. 1.-THE ter
riila suffering endured by the crew and
passengers of the wrecked propeller Oconto
| viii j went ashore on Charity island, Lake
Huron, last Sunday, rivals i'll heartrendiug
details The most thrilling tales of fiction eyrl
| pcuasdby Cooper Marryat on Russell ChaI.
| ke8rdon, first mate of the Oconto, arrived
| here Friday in company with the steward,
David N. Leay, having voluntarily riskcd
their lives to save their shipwrecked COM
| parlOus, who have nothing to shelter them
| from the wintry blasts and raging SNOW
storms hut II rude hut For days they have
| been eagerly waiting for some boat to come
| TO their rescue but as no assistance has yet
arrived those Oh the island believe tieii
| companions, who succeeded i'll reach
ing ,ald Monday night, must have per
| i>itd. knowing nothing OF their rescue,
| they naturally suppusa Tie world he
| heye, thc Oconto lost with all hands Finally
| i, vas decided that SOME attempt must be
| Haa" 10 reach the main land. As the
| tunHto's boats We're gone and there a
| i.tt'Cn-nle stretch oi water to cross, the
| t,at was considered almost impossible until
| a battered yaWl-hoat was discovered hdlf
| buried in the sand, on the edge of the island.
| Ihi~ yawl was all that remained of the
large Jos ih, which was wrecked thcre s3y-
| erit months ago
~ ttF'l az 'tb Atit ann 'siI 'lllliN ~
| paired, Il set of oars made, and a start made
for land. Six gassange.s accompanied tine
| mate and steward, and the trip consumed
| three hours, during which a binding SHOW
| Storm ragged. They landed at Point Lo k
| OUT. and al proceeded to Alahas;er on foot,
Hhcto the passengers remained, The mate
and steward procured team and drove
| through tha woods to Ibis port, cx-
iscting to secure aid Capt. rlDu...
and HI brave crcw Of life-say,ls
Immediately volunteered to 20 to tho
rcscne, and at dayhroak left here Ia
wagons with their beach apparatus They
viii drive to Point lookout and then luii
out to the scene Of the wreck in their life
boat, bringing all ashore who desire TO
come. Capt Mct;rcgog, who n part owner
of the OcoUto, will probably remain with
the wreck, in company with several Of the
crew who have signitiel their intention Of
sticking by their brave commander through
thick and thin. There are thirty-two per
sons all told on Tie island Two are conf
pletely prOstratcl from nervous excitement
and one, the co|orel c"o is dead They
have no medicine, ANA the stoci, pf proyi
sons is almost exhausted.
The story of the WRECK as related by ilo
mate is as follows: '''lhr Oconto left Oscola
Mt + O'Clock last Friday afternoon with "a
full load Of miscellaneous merchandise,
twenty-five passengers, including two
women and crew of twenty-five That
night we encountered II frightful gale. The
wind blew perfect hurricane sweeping
the furious seas completely over tho
steamer, and the binding snow
storm that prevailed made it i'm
possible to see the length of the vessel
ahead. 1t was the worst storm ever eX-
pe"ienred on Lake Huron We headed her
into the Eala, however, hoping to make
TaWa, lay. While the gale was at its
height some of the cattle and hor. cs on the
main deck broke loose and created Il stam-
l'Cdc We had great difficulty in securing
the terrified hrules, and one of the deck
hatttl-- narrowly escaped death. He was
caught i'll the teeth of frightened stallion
and hurled across the deck, but fortunately
struck against bale of goods with no
greater injury than several bad bruises
The live stock also fare, badly and several
had their legs broken.
''McanWhile the gale ragged furiously and
the passengers became paniC-stricken Ii
did iool; rs if our ,ttu'h little steamer would
never survive the fury OF the tempest As
started below noticed a strong smell OF
smoke and on entering the cooks galley
tound the stove rel llt and the woodwork
in flames Selling Il bucket of water
threw it on the fire ard cXtinguished the
flames. The second cook was lying in his
bunk, yelling like n na.iac. | began up
braidng him and the cook, who was
lying in the other buntS, for permitting the
steamer to catch fire But the second cool;
kept screcchn@ and yelling and the first
cook made not the slightest reply to what I
said.
II grabbed him by the shoulders and
started to pull him out of his bunk, when to
my horror found be was rigid ! sat hun
up in the corner and threw 10 bucket of
water over him, hui he did not revive and
found he was dead He died of
sheer fright. Fairly Saturday morn
i,g wo %'g;,to1 Charity island light
and ch,ekt! down. III vessel struck |
several times and then sht was lei 20 on the |
beach under Il full head of steam, that being |
the only sure way Of saving our lives as the
steering gear Lad lie, ONE disabled Sun !
day all of u- went ashore on the island with |
the aii Of lie lightlcu II keeper. Seven Of |
tha p9s,'ul erS nnd crew left us Monday |
morning I'D the lighthouse-keeper's boat, |
promi,ias to send al as soon rs they !
reached g mainland. but as none arrived |
VIC thougi they must he lost"