Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-04-02
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
THURSDAY. APRIL 2, 1885.
THE MICHIGAN.
Captain Prindville Recounts the Experien-
ces of Himself and Crew.


From Chicago Inter Ocean.
Captain Redmond Prindiville, COM
mander OF the propeller Michigan, ar
rived in the city yesterday forenoon.
He was accompanied by his father Capt.
John Prindiville, who want to Grand
Haven as soon as he heard of the fate OF
the vessel and the rescue Of her crew.
Captain Prindiville Is the hero OF the
most remarkable adventure that ever
befell crew on the lakes. For forty
two days he and his crew OF ID men were
prisoners aboard the Michigan, drifting
around the lake at the mercy of the ice.
and practically out Of the reach of assis-
lance if any had been needed. A less
stauRch vessel than the Michigan would
have been sent to the bottom of tho lake
long before she went under. She left
Grand Haven Feb. 9th in light trim for
Milwaukee,, because the wind had sud-
denly shifted to the Eastward aud had
opened a passage out OF Grand Haven
harbOr. Captain Prindivills followed
the open water, hoping that it might
lead to a passage to the west shore, but
after he had steamed about twenty miles
In a sOnthsrly direction the wind veered
around to the westward again, and the
ice returned and closed in upon the
Michigan so quickly that retreat to
Grand Haven was cut off. She was
caught about twelve miles off Holland
and there she remained during the
weeks Of hard freezing weather which
followed. A f,ld Of
HEAVY BROKEN ICE
spanned tho lake from shore TO shore,
and it was impossible to move the boat
in any direction Her immense engines
were powerless. After lying IN this DO
sitiOn long time, Captain Prindiville
determined to sead at least one-half of
the crew ashore in order to prevent fam
inc ia the event that the Imprisonment
weuld last very long. Ons-half of the
men aboard volunteered to undertake
she freezing walk across tho ice fields,
and the thrilling adventures Of Kinney
and his companions are already too we'll
known to be repeated. Shortly after
they had reached land the wind shifted
again, aad Captain Prindiville made
another effort to free his boat from the
ice prison. He followed one lead and
then another day after day, and each
time her progress would be cat short by
a massive wall of ice, as impsnstra BILE
as a wall OF granite. Then the gap she
had been following would Suddenly
close. and the immense body OF ice
would rush down on the fated steamer
with terrific force against her sides, pill
ing up almost to her cabins. The crew,
all of them old winter sailors. did not
realize the peril, but regarded these
changes philOsophlcally.
diville, what tremendous power there
10 m ioA ~ IN ulnV n U
way. But never thought that 1t would
effect the Michigan, because she was
built TO Withstand just such force.
But this il by all odds
THE WORST WINTER
we hive ever had on the lakes, and |
cannot see how so much ice could aecu-
mulate anywhere"
Many efforts were made to reseHe the |
Michigan. and the tug Arctic was sent
to get her out Of her perilous position.
But the tug cOald not get nearer than
SIX miles fr0m her at any time, and pro-
visions had to be carried to her at that
di-tasse. Last Thursday morning Cap
tain Prindiville espied gap ahead
which led to the wsstw ard, and no start !
ed up the engines without delay, hoping
that il might lead him TO clear water,
and thence to a point Of safety. But he
had scarce ly gone two miles when solid
ice was seen ahead and the Michigan
had to be brought TO dead stop. Then
the wind sprang up fresh from the west
ward and theIe vas movement in the
ice to the ROrthward Of the vessel. Soon
it began to move toward the steamer
with tremendous velocity and solid
body of it miles In extent, crashed into
her side. The vessel shook from stem to
to stern under the shock and the next
of her pumps showed that
water was pouring into her hold through
a hole amidships. The Ice had torn the
iron side OF the vessel as If it had been
paper. A supreme effort was made to
save the vessel even after this accident
and all were called to man the pumps.
They struggled all day against the fatal
water, but it gained on them, and at A
o'clock in the afternoon life-bOat was
lowered and the sinking vessel was de-
serted. The life boat was drawn to a
point from which the vessel could be
seen to disappear without sndaEgsring
the lives Of the men who had labOred so
faithfully to preserve her. A few minu-
ties after they had reached safe dis
tanee she disappeared through the ice,
going down stern first. For moment
the place where she had laid was dis
turbed, but it was soon
COVERED OVER WITH ICE
and then the crew started to cover the
six miles which lay between them and
the tug Arctic. They remained aboard
the tug until Monday morning when
they started for land twelve miles away.
The.jeurney was slow and tedious, be-
cause the ice was billy and broken, and
the utmost caution had to be used to |
avoid air holes. One man named Rob
inson became separated from his ship |
mates, and becoming discouraged he lay |
down and would have persisted had not |
George Sheldon and another man re-