Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-20

One body was found, that of man abou
80 years old, with black hair and sandy
mustache. In the pocket of his coat was q
letter bearing the address, William Lau
rey, 131 Madison street, Chicago His
face was badly jammed. and his hands
lacerated. The vessels yawl, with the
name Menekaunee, was near by, unin-
jured. 1t is thought she had crew of nine
men, and that she broke as soon as she
struck. No other bodies have yet been
discovered
Another wreck was discovered two miles
south, where the same chaotic wreckage
was seen by the Free Press correspondent.
The entire stem of the schooner Marinette,
of Racine, Wis, was discovered. AT .
neighboring farm house was bruised and
battered sailor. with lacerated hands from
which the flesh was stripped, and his feet
were badly swollen. He is c. w. Annis,
OF Port Huron, sailor on his first trip,
and is the only survivor of this wreck
THE SAILORS STORY.
The tug left for Chicago Sunday, her tow
consisting of the steam barge Manistique
and the schooners Marinette and Meme
kaunee. She met heavy weather on Lake
Huron, and was driven for shelter to
Presque Isle We then left and made a
ldlI pdSSt4G Oh lINhe MlCulSdu. w cNlltS-
day noon a southeast gale set in, with rain
and snow. At midnight, while abreast
of Ludington. six miles out, the
gale increased to almost a hurricane.
We made for the Two-River light, but
could fetch nothing. At daylight the Man
istique squared away for Manitou Islands
TO escape the onslaught of the storm. and
the tow broke up at 2:30. The steamer
left us to our fate. We signaled to them to
stay by us, but she steamed away and was
lost to sight in the snow squall. The Mari
nette pitched and rolled terribly, so that
we could scarcely keep our foothold. She
unshipped her rudder, becoming unman-
ageable, and then sprung a leak. Water
logged, she rolled her deck load off, taking
both rails and bulwarks with it. She
rolled her mainmast out, and in falling
it took the foremast and mlzzenhead.
We saw the Menekaunee drifting appar-
emily near us all day. She showed no dis
tress signal, while we tied our colors to the
mast. We sighted Frankfort during the
afternoon. We were hUddled in the cabin
where we built a temporary floor over the
water The Captain was washed over
board and drowned at o'clock in the
afternoon. We lowered yawl at O'Clock
and attempted to reach the land, but in
lOh onC a ANhhf
her useless, and we let her go adrift.
At 1890 she struck the beach broadside
and swung head to, and We rushed
out of the cabin. Our crew was
eight men, all told. Some huddled
under the lee of the cabin, clinging to the
timber heads, to the mizzen rigging. The
stewardess, Mary, was clingiug to me and
CRYING. helped her up the shrouds, and
she tried to hold on until L could fasten
her, but she could not stand the cold, and
suddenly fell down across me, nearly car
rying me along, and
FELL INTO THE BOILING SEA
Beneath us. Her daughter, aged 3, the
pet of the crew, never left the cabin. but
was drowned there. Clinging to the rig
ging with me were French John and
Mr.. Cumfrey. Soon the mast fell
across the cabin We then clung
to the davits at her stern, the seas
dashing over US. The others we saw
gradually washed off, one after another.
At l o'clock Mr. Cumfrey and John said
they would try and reach the shore. They
each took a loose plank and started. AS
they neared the land 1 hallooed, How do
YOU get along?" The answer came, All
right" Then all was silent. The heavy
sea swept over the wreck, carrying me
along. 1 grappled small piece OF deck
plank, and after a terrible experience was
flung upon the shore. | crawled to the
house of Mr.. Mortenson, who took care OF
me- Our crew consisted Of the Captain
name unknown y VIM. Cumfrey, French
john of Alpena; c. W. Annis, Norwe-
gian: Mary and her daughter Minnie,
from Port Huron, and another man named
John l think the Menekaunee was water
affpr If
dark. She had crew of seven. The body
found is probably that of John Cotton,
married, of Port Huron. looked out ut
daybreak and saw a small steam barge
standing on the outer bar abreast OF here.
She came on broadside, and pounded fear
fully. l saw nothing of the crew, and think
all were lost.
THE FIERCEsT GALE EVER KNOWN.
CHICAGO, November 19th.-Particulars
concerning the great storm which has been
raging on Lake Superior show that it was
the fiercest gale that ever swept the lakes.
At Marquette the lake was lashed into q
sea of foam by the terrible winds, and sea
after sea rolled completely over the break
water, producing a tremendous current and
undertow in the harbor. Vessels at the
docks snapped their heavy breast-lines like
threads, and were soon compelled to go out
and lie at anchor. The breakwater harbor-
light was torn from its heavy timber fas-
Jennings and washed into the lake. The
tower was lifted by an immense wave and
hurled top-frst into the lake, where it
drifted rapidly away. The rescue of the
crew of the schooner Florida by the
tug Gillet was daring act, and
was witnessed by thousands of people who
thronged the beach. The Florida would
have made the harbor in safety but for the
binding snow When the storm abated a
little the Captain of the Florida found his
boat in imminent danger of being dashed
against the breakwater, and he at once
dropped both anchors in an endeavor to
save the boat. Captain Fink, of the tug
Gillett, steamed to his rescue. He saw that
he could not save the vessel, and bent all
his energies towards rescuing the crew.
The Captain endeavored to get up to the
Florida several times, bow on, but was un-
able to do so, and finally backed up, get
ting the tugs stern under the vessels
quarter.
THRILLING INCIDENT.
The Floridas crew then began to leap
for their lives, very difficult thing, con-
sidering the immense breakers which
swept the schooner fore and aft and kept
tue Olllell jumping dDOul. AlieA tntee VI
them had reached the tug safely heavy
sea threw her against the Florida, and for a
few minutes It looked as if the
Gillett would share the schooners
fate. Her engine was on a center,
and her wheel could not be moved either
way, while great rollers were sending the
tug toward shore rapidly. Three men in
the crank-pit, however, managed to turn
the crank just in time to enable the daring
Captain to save her and return to the work
of rescue After the Gillett was in posi-
ton again two more sailors made the leap
in safety, and then only the Captain and
mate were left.
The Captain was not willing to leave the
vessel before the mate was safely off but
the latter refused to jump, although re.
peatedlv ordered to do so by both Captains
Finally he crept over the side of the Flo
rida and clung there, despite the entreaties
of the men on the tug below, who wanted
him to let himself drop, and even attempted
to pull him down. but were unable to loose
his hold. Just as he clung there great