New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-13
THE WRECK IN SAGINAW BAY
srFFERINGs OF PASSENGERS AND CREw.
TIE STEAMER oCONTo STRIKING BOTTOM AT MID
NIGHT IN A GALE.


NIGHT IN A GALE.
DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 1.-The steamer
OcOnto left OscOda Frida. December T. at D. M and
soon encountered gallo When the storm set ia 1t be-
came impossible to There were twenty-five passen.
gers and twenty five mcmbers OF the board At
II o'clock on Friday night Charity Island light was
lighted Within fifteen minutes tho OcOnto struck bot
tom at the point Of tue island Frank PEPPER
rst-assst engineer who arrived here yesterday, de
scribcs the wreck as follows:
"Our starb0ard bulWarlis stove in. and all the
upper ratings, OF the lie boats, and all the light
freight on the hurricane deck were washed away We
we're IN gale of wind and IL tluding snOwstOrm. Inc
heavy that could not keep the boat going
Finally light sighted. Everybody took 1t Tor the
Towas light In fact it was the Charity Island light
The captain the boat around To feel for the entrance
and the next thing knew there was terrific shock
We had grounded about feet OF water but whether
rocks or sand could not tell We could see that
about a mile from land As soon as the boat
struck the began dealing out life preservers After
got ready for the ice BATH i'll which Of us could
have live fifteen minutes, discovered that there was
no leak.
"When day broke set cOlors at hafmast and
began blowing the whistle. At about Ia o'clock we
sighted the lighthouse keeper and his assistant on the
shore We got our small metallic lfeboat the SIDE
and it OF ashore There fOund two fish
huts We Their brought the passer gerstwenty three in
a-ashore. Two women and child were taken direct
to the light keepers house. and the began keeping
house the hsh-huts. They have food enough to last
tEemstwo three weeks, ami plenty OF blankets. On
Monday morning our party came away In large yawl
The party consisted Of John Van ~yke Of Of the
owners Of the OcOntO, Tom Croker. John Cayanaugh
Walter BOstwick James Ross, all OF the crew. Anthony
Potts, Of Forestville and myself We took aboard a
compass two bushels of salt and some provisions We
started In the midst Of cake ice. Every minute or TWO
the spray would dash aud freeze IA 1t struck
When got within four miles Of Ca>evile sc found
that solid. yet was not strong enont II
to walk upon We hOlstcd storm signal. and began
cutting our way with axsa Two boats started ont to
help u.s. hut could not reach To add To our dslndy
We found hat the solid Ice detached from mo main sh0fe
increasing in thickness every minute ana That II
WAS drifting down the bay. taking Us win IT, We cut
pushed. rD"ed and struggled Ike mad, reaching shore at
last o'clock Monday eyeuin ght miles below Case
vile. having dglitel that far III the lee
EIght more Of the siipwrecied crew and pa7NenEerS
landed Last TOwas yesterday afternoon TINS party
consists OF Charles ReardOn, rst mate David ~ Leary
steward ana ak iassengets lhey Lelt tHc O'o q"
O'Clock Thursday afternoon IN ya"l ihree o. Tue
passengers Mr. McCu pugh 81 Fore-tvle ANA Moses
laueI and Thomas Dickinson, OF Alpena AT the ume
Of evnS they had heard nothing OF tht tate OF tue seven
meuhcr- Of the whC ett tor shore on Tuesday Ia
small boat Tue thirty -four persons remaining on the
saud have enough t. eat for ie" days bat are down
hearted All II the -hanty except Captain McGreSor
the first engineer ana one passenger VINO are on inc
boat lue steward mate" qua xix Passengers walked
from Point Lpokout last ToWAs. and Frustrated
Just before the Oc,nt) struck Charo. Brown, Goorrd
cook died 0f fright lie was buried on Charity Island
Captain Plough aud the llfc saving crew OF Last IOWds
nave started fOr the island.
The following are the names OF the passengers that are
ohtluabe AT Present; g. Douglas, Lexington hlrh :
Fred Wolf Fore tylle; william Carr, canada; William
Bradley, Lexington; Mir. Richmond. sand Beach; Moses
Iaucr wife and child AlPcna; Miss Henry. MuskeSon,
Thomas DNon Apeud; James farley; odui'"o' I'm ~
AiedIaugI. AlVrnt; william savage. Detroit; Nicholas
rol4 iorestyle The mate says their ierl1nce the
night oi ia" storm was ISh'il ana thh tue Ga-cI was
greatly augmented by number ot horses and some cal
c Which were board breaking from their stalls and
t,mpedu-. Several of the an nas weio 50 severely
injured tuat they had to be Killed.