The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-11-18
MARINE DISASTERS.
Forty-Eght Lives Lost in the Wreck Of
the Steamer AgOma.
Graphic Account of the Terrible Scenes,
Before and After the Wreck, bya
Passenger-A Schooner Goes
Down.

marine disaster. resulting in the drowning
OF forty-eight persons and the loss of one of
the most valuable passenger steamers on the
lake, was reported last night when the
steamer Athabasca arrived. On board the
Athabasca were Captain James Moore, COM
mander 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 last
Thursday.
The following are the survivors: w. J.
Hull and W. b. Macarthur, of Meoiord.
Ont. Captain. John Moore: first mate, Hast
ings; second mate, Richard Simpson. wheel
man. Henry Seur; watchman, John c. Nc
Nabb; fireman, =. McCalgan; deck hands,
r. Stevens, James Bolton, Daniel Iaughlin;
walters, John MeLane, George Mccall, John
Mckenzie.
The Captain was badly injured. The ships
papers were lost and the passenger list could
not be obtained
The following is list of the lost so far as
known: Mrs. Dudgen and her son, aged ten,
of st. Paul; Mr.. and Mrs. Frost tor Foster)
relatives of K. p. Butchart, of Owen Sound;
George Pettigrew, chief engineer; Alex. Nc
Dermott, of Sarnia, second engineer; Mr.
Mackenzie purser, nephew of Alexander
Mackenzie, of Sarnia; Alex. Taylor. chief
stewart. of either Buffalo or Cleveland; Mr.
Jones, steerage steward, of Scotland. The
other names, consisting of deck hands fire.
men, walters and others of the crew, can not
be obtained.
The story of the disaster as related by
Captain Moore, is that the Algoma passed
through the 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 great bank OF
leaden clouds along the northern horizon de-
noted the approach OF heavy weather Re-
alizing, however, that the Algoma was one
! of the strongest and most powerful steamers
afoat, and well able TO cope with even
a severe gale, Captain Moore kept her on
her course; but night approached the
wind continued 10 increase in volume
and by dark had developed into one of
the hercest and most destructive gales ever
experienced on the Upper Lakes. As
the gale increased and the sea began 10 break,
and before midnight Lake Superior was lashed
into wilderness of seething foam. While
the tempest increased and hOwled, great seas
swept completely over the struggling steamer
| The situation was made all the more terrible
| by the binding snow storm that set in before
morning II was impossible 10 see the length
| of the steamer. The passengers and crew
were terrified beyond measure ana momen-
tarily expected 10 see the steamer plunge 10
the bottom. BY instructions of Captain
! Moore, the officers circulated among the pass
| engeTs, 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 children 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 shell
| ter The island forms natural harbor OF
| refuge, but near the entrance there was 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 full stop. The passengers
| rushed out of the cabin and beseeched the
officers TO tell them what had happened.
| I'VE are on reef, replied Captain Moore,
''but if YOU will only keep as calm as posi-
| ole, ] 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 of
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 the boats but were
| pOwerless TO save themselves, as they were
without oars. Captain Moore however,
wrenched foot-board from the bottom of
/
| ing the boat to the island, where the surviv-
| Ors were picked up by the Athabasca.
| Mr.. Bently, the manager of the line, has
| sent out tugs from here with instructions 10
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. The tugs are how at the scene OF the
] wreck.
One of the rescued passengers gives a
| graphic account of the terrible scenes before
| and after the wreck. lit is use to des-
| cribe the scene" said he; nothing worse
| ever occurred on earth. In their madness,
| when the waves were washing the deck,
! number threw themselves into the foaming
| billows. Others, when a great wave would
| pass of the deck, which was sweeping from
side TO side, were swept into the sea like
| feathers. A few hung on TO ropes or 10 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 suddenness and
stupendous character of the disaster. Mean
while the boat rapidly went to pieces, dashed
| against the rocks. The crew, all of whom
| except the mattresses, had clung TO the rig
ging, managed, during slight lull in the
storm, 10 place themselves in lie boat,
| cut the fastenings ard in an instant wave
swept them from the ill-fated wreck. Amid
the awful roar of the 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 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 il occupants had
terrible experience on the open, storm
tossed lake. All who could bound Them
selves to the boat, while the remainder held
on like grim death to the sides, expecting
every moment to meet their death, either by
drowning or from exposure and cold, which
was intense, the half-dead inmates were
borne on. Once the boat 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 the rocks.
The inmates feared all was over with them
as the craft capsized, but to their surprise
when thrown out the water was only foot
deep, and they discovered that they were on
land. After remaining there an hour or
more, exposed to the elements, the storm
abated and the sky cleared. 1t was then dis
covered that they were on Isle Royal, and
| hot fbo hoA haon Qd Qhout