Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-24
Disasters OIL the Lakes.

The gale which prevailed on the
lakes on Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday Of last week, was one of the
most extensive and disastrous that has
occurred for many years. Some thirty
vessels were wrecked and at least forty
lives were lost. The gale was accom-
panied with heavy snow squalls. A
great part of the United States was
visited by the gale, and in some places
railway trains could not be moved.
At Oscoda the schooner Sheldon ran
ashore, and at Tawas FIVE barges
we're wrecked. The entire loss to
vessels and cargoes is estimated at
100000 or 100000. Most of the
vessels that grounded will probably
be got afoat, and will prove a rich
harvest for wreckers. Among the
worst wrecks reported are thefounder-
ing Of the barges Menekaunee and
Marinette, off Frankfort. They were
owned by Loud, of Oscoda. Only
one man of the two crews is known to
be saved. His name is G.. w. Annis,
of Port Huron, and he gives the fol-
lowing account of the Disaster
ave loaded at Oscoda with lumber
for Geo. ii. Loud, the owner of the
lost vessel, and left for Chicago Sun
day, the tow consisting of the steam
barge Manistique and the schooncrs
Marinette and Menekaunee. We met
with heavy weather OH Lake Huron
and were driven to Presque Isle for
shelter. We then left and made
fair passage of Lake Michigan, pass
ing Frankfort Wednesday noon, with
the wind southeast, blowing a gale,
accompanied by rain and snow. At
midnight while abreast of Ludington
and about six miles out, the gale in
creased to almost hurricane. The
barge reached for the Wisconsin
shore, and made Two Rivers Light
but could fetch nothing. At daylight
the Manistique squared away for the
Manitou Islands to escape the fury of
the storm. The tow broke at 2:30 A.
NJ. about twenty miles off Manistique.
and the steamer left us to our fate.
We signaled to her to stay by us, but
she steamed away and was soon lost
to sight in a snow squall which came
on then. The Marinette pitched and
rolled terribly, so we could scarcely
remain standing. She unshipped her
rudder, becoming unmanageable, and
then sprang leak and waterlogged
and rolled her deck load off, both rails
and bulwarks being carried away with
it Then she rolled her mainmast
out, and in falling it took the fore
mast and mizzen-head. We saw the
Menekaunee drifting apparently near
us all day. She displayed no signals
of distress, while we tied our colors
to the mast. We sighted land during
the afternoon, which the mate said
was Frankfort. We were huddled in
the cabin, where we built a temporary
floor over the water. The Captain,
Chicago mani do not know his
name, but he was about fifty years
old-was washed overheard and
drowned at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
we lowered the yawl at 5 o'clock and
attempted to reach land, but in lower
ing we sprang leak, rendering the
frail craft useless, and we cast her
adrift. At10:30 the Marinette struck
the beach broadside and swung head
to. We rushed out of the cabin, and
the crew, eight in all, huddled under
the lee of the cabin, clinging to
timber heads. took to the mizzen
rigging, the stewardess, Mary, cling
ing to me and crying piteously. Save
me, OH save me- helped her up in
the shrouds and chung to her while l
sought to fasten her to the rigging.
She could not stand the cold and sud-
denly let go her hold and fell down
across me, nearly carrying me with
her, and fell into the boiling sea
beneath us. Her daughter Minnie,
our pet, never left the cabin, and was
drowned there. She was Is years
old
"Clinging to the rigging with me
were French John, and VIM. Cum
frey. Soon the mast fell across the
cabin. We then chung TO the davits
on her stern, the seas dashing over us.
the others of the crew | think washed
overheard one after the other. At 1
o'clock Cumfrey and French John
said they would try to reach the shore.
The schooner decks had broken off
and the lumber in her hold was wash
ing out at every wave. They each
took plank and | watched them as
they ncared the shore. | shouted,
how do you get along?' The answer
came, all right Then all was silent.
A heavy sea swept over the wreck,
me along. grappled a small
piece plank, and after terrible cx-
perience was flung upon the shore. l
crawled to this house and its occupants
took care of me. Our crew consisted
of the captain, William Cumfrey,
French john of Alpena; G. w.
Annis, a Norwegian from Capetown,
Norway; the cook Mary and her
daughter Minnie, from Port Hur n,
and man named John.
81 think the Menekaunee was
as we did not see her
after it grew dark. She had crew
Of seven, Capt. Cox, the mate Dan
Wheeler, two other young men, the
cook John, and John Cotton and
Mike johnson, of Port Huron. /
think the body found is that of John
Gotten, a married man who lived at
Port Huron"