Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-03
Manned the Life Boat
Perilous Trip Of a Crew of Life
Savers,
WHICH CLOSES WITH A TRAGEDY.

Bra,ing the BflIows Safely to IA Wreck
anil Return Only to Meet Fatal Disas-
ter Within Reach of the shore-Five of
the Occupants of the Boat Lose Their
Lives at the Last Moment-The Lost
Onss-Disaster at Sea.
SAID BEACH, Mich, Oct. 3-Five MEM
bers of the crew OF the barge So Clair, which
went to pieces at the anchorage off the har-
Dor, We're lost under distressing circum-
stances at Port Sanjlac yesterday morning.
Just before dark Monday evening the look
out on tie life-Saving station saw the barge's
signal OF distress Size was pitching and
plum ing in an alarming way, and sea after
sea WAS sweeping her from forecastle to
cabin The keeper of the station thought she
could not withstand the terrific battering all
night, and, ordering the men to their sta
tons the big hfs-boat was launched and
manned Il was a perious undertaking to
row out past the protection of the break
water, but the hardy life savers urged on
by he CHEEKY song If their commander, ac-
comp iShed 1t in safety. The boat was tossed
about like a cork Oae instant it would be
riding trumphantly on the crest of wave
/
| down into what seemed bottomless
| abyss. and then it would disappear as com
| pletely as if the angry waters had swallowed
| it. As it rose and fell hundreds of spectators
| who were watching its slow progress held
| their breath through fear. 1t seemed to
| them that the slender craft must be toppled
end over end before it proceeded much far
/ ther beyond the protecting shelter Of the
headland But the sturdy, athletic fellows
in the thwarts. and the grizzled Old man in
the stern sheets only took more vigorous
| grip on their cars and pulled with steadier,
/ longer stroke as the danger increased Sea
| upon sea tumbled in over the bows and wet
| them to the skin, and the fierce blasts which
| swept through the lake with irresistible fury
nearly froze the blood in their veins. For
two hours they pulled squarely into the
teeth OF tine gale, and then, as they were well
to windward of the laundering barge, they
put about and made for her with the assist
ance OF a s;aysail which had been rugged
for the purpose of running.
Of the return trip Capt Plough, OF the
Sand Beach Life-Saving station, tells the
following story;
we reached the st Clair all right and got
the crew of SIX men aud one woman into our
boat, making sixteen persons on board. 1t
was blowing much harder by that time, and
the sea was WY heavy; We knew we could
not reach the harbor egain, and started of
down the lake Tins was at Il p m.
short time after leaving the st. CLAIR, huge
breaker boarded us and carried away our
rUdder. The boat succeeded in freeing her
self, and We continued on our course Dur
ing the night we wree filed five or six times
but the boat behaved well and emptied her
self each time.
Il had never been into Port Sanlac hut
the old members Of the crew thought Their,
would be no trouble IN making a landing
under lea of the do-k We Passed cluse ley tn
end OF the dock AMI tried to get as mucl
under the les a possible, When just insid
the end, we were swinging round in tn
trough OF the sea and another treake
struck US, turning the boat twice over.
was under the boat for little while, bu
caught hold of a rope and pulled mysel
from under when another sea washed M
on top Of the boat near the bow, where
hung until we reached shore Before capsI2
ing We hal wrapped what clothing We cout
spare around the lady. ami when she wa
: thrown out she was carried down by them
Some of our crew were thrown some distauc
from the boat, but swan back again
Two of the crew of the S. Clair, cluug t
the boat, and rescbei shore We were a
nearly. exhausted whom we reached shore
: and could not have stood it ten minute
! longer
The names OF the lost are: Capt
: C. H. Jones Of Eay City, Mich; Henri
: Anderson, of Aust.aiis, sailor; George McFaI
= lane, Of Cleveland. sailor. Lnrus F-rtaw, @
Bay City, sailor; Julia GreaWraath, Of Seb
WANG, cook The names Of the rescued arj
Maurice McKenns, Of Bay city, and job
Rose, of Detroit The bodies OF the browne
d have not yet been recovered.
Cant Jones was an oli-tima master, an,
= was well known all 0rer the i1.;es