The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21
THE LATE STORM ON THE LAKES.
The Stsry Told by Captain Walker Ashley of
the Steamer Manistique.

DETROIT, Nov. 20 "A Free Press special from
Frankfort says: The missing steam barge
Manistique, of the ill-fated Oscoda barge line,
arrived here at 10 o'clock this morning Hun
dreds of citizens crowded the harbor to see her.
and great excitement prevails She reports the
following craft safe at South Manitou island
this morning: Baldwin and tow; ColweI and
barges; schooner Alice B. Norris. r. B. Hayes
Melvina Bacon and the Mysaris. The schooner
Libbie Nan is ashore near the lighthouse. She
is scuttled and lies easy The British
schooner r. Norwood, of St GATHERINGS, blew
away her headstsy and jibs. Capt. Walker Ash
iey, of the steamer Manistique, says "On
Wednesday morning, at z, we had the Manistique
abreast. wind east-northeast The wind shifted
to east-southeast. and it was raining. blowing
nnd showing We Rugged the shore and had
the Point au Sable light abreast at p An
hour later the wind shifted to the southwest,
blowing lively gale. We made for shelter at
Two Rivers point Ran until 2 A. M, pitching
and rolling at an awful rate. About fifteen miles
from the Wisconsin shore huge waves swept
over the steamer, taking with them part of our
deck load. We then squared away for the Man
ito1s. have sailed the lake for years but that
was the worst have experienced. The waves ran
80 high at times we could not see the masts OF
our consorts. The barge Marinette Capt Will
and she broke loose about in the morning,
when we were about in midlake. ] hoped she
would be able to sail and make harbor, but it
was impossible for us to aid her during the hur-
ricane that prevailed The Menekaunee broke
away at o'clock Thursday morning. Her steer
ing apparatus was evidently out of order They
were taking in sail when we lost sight of her.
We steamed before the gale and reached shelter
at the Manitous. The crew of the Marinette
was eight, all told.
James Shelter first mate of the Manistiaue.
corroborated the captains story. He says: 81
was in charge of the steamer when we rolled the
deck load off. At o'clock the Marinette broke
her eightinch hawser aud was lost to sight in a
few minutes. The Menekaunee broke new nine
inch cable at A. NJ. We could not help them.
We thought the Meneksunee would go ashore.
but not with such terrible loss Of life"
Captain T. E. Mathews, of the Point Betsy
Life Station, reports the coast all clear MP that
way. The schooner Sophia Luf arrived last
night. She was out four days 10 the gale, and
weathered 1t out in mdake. The wind shifted
around so that she could not make any port for
shelter. She reports passing through acres OF
floating lumb Der and wreckage, abreast of Point
au Sable AS far as can be learned the crew of
the Menkaunee were: Capt James Cox mar
ried, of Port Huron; mate. John Bunting;
Michael johnson. John Davidson. cook of Port
Huron; John Cotton, Dan Wheeler and an
known. supposed to be VIM. Lawry. of Chicago.
Nothing has been said of the steam barge said to
have foundered near the wreck of the Marin
cite. All kinds of rumors are afoat but are I'M
reliable. 1t is still too rough for boat to visit
the scene. One rumor says it is the Maud Pres
ton. of ST. Joseph, but this is doubted. No
wreckage has washed ashore from her. Active
search is being made the beach for miles
after the bodies of the victims of the storm
MILWAUKEE,, Nov. pa special to the Even
ing Wisconsin from Manistee, Mich. says the
steam barge Manistique arrived at Frankfort
this morning. in search of her consorts the
Marinette and Menekaunee, which were lost off
that port on Thursday night. As far as known
20 steam barge was wrecked in the vicinity of
Frankfort. The schooner Libbie Nau, of Chi
,ago, is ashore on South Manitou island. A tug
has gone to her assistance.
DETROIT, Nov. 20-The Hiawatha,. included
in the list of lost vessels sent from Chicago this
morning, has arrived safe at Port Huron This
will reduce the loss vessels and cargoes to
$500 000 There were ten lives lost on the Lu-
eerne, which sank off Ashland. Wis. making the
total lives lost thirty nine, so far reported