The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1890-07-17
A Crowded Excursion Boat ON
Lake Pepin Overturned
by the Wind.
One Hundred and Fifty Human
Beings Precipitated Into
the Water,
And Only Fifty-one of That Number
Accounted for-The Others Un-
doubtedly Drowned.
Seventy-five Bodies Have Been Recovered So
Far-Some Of the Horrible Details of
the Disaster.

LAKE CITY, Mimi, July 14.-The most
disastrous cyclone that has ever struck
this community passed over this city at
o p. M, Sunday, inficting the loss of life
of probably 100 or $50 people and dam
aging property to an extent that at this
writing cannot be estimated. About
dark terrific wind struck the city. Trees
crashed against houses and missiles were
flying through the air. The worst of
the storm was over in half an hour, and
soon after it was learned that
A Horrible Calamity
had befallen the community that has
not been equalled since the cyclone at
st. Cloud some years since.
People began to gather on the streets
and in few moments the news was
scattered abroad that an excursion boat
With Over 200 People Oh Board
was capsized in the middle of Lake
Pepin. The boat proved to be the
steamer Sea Wing, which came down
the lake from Diamond Bluff, small
place about seventeen miles north of
here, on an excursion to the cncamp-
ment of the First regiment, N. G.. S. NJ,
A barge was attached. to the side
of the steamer. When about opposite
Lake City the boat began to feel the eff
fects of the storm. But the officers kept
on their way. The storm increased as
the boat continued up the lake, and in
fifteen minutes was at his height.
Nearing Central Point, about two
miles above Lake City, the steamer was
At the Mercy of the Waves.
which were now washing over the boat
and all was confusion. The boat mo-
mentarily ran onto bar and the barge
was cut loose, and the steamer again set
adrift in the lake. A number of those
on the barge jumped and swan ashore
AS the barge also floated again into the
deep water, those on the barge saw the
steamer as it was carried helplessly out
into the middle of the lake, and as they
were being tossed about on the raging
waters, they were Mortified moment
later to observe the steamer capsize and
its cargo of $50 people
Precipitated Into the Lake.
Those ON the barge remained there
until they were drifted nearer the shore,
and they were all rescued or swan
ashore. There We're about fifty in all on
the barge. The boat turned bottom
upwards, and only about twenty
five people were observed to be floating
on the surface. These caught hold of
the boat and climbed up on the upturned
bottom, those first securing Il position
assisting the others. Soon the storm
began to abate, and in half an hour
lights were observed fitting about the
pier at Lake City, opposite which point
the upturned steamer had been driven
before help could reach them. How
ever, the poor creatures who yet re.
manned to tell the horrors of the night
were again submitted to another battle
with the elements. With no word OF
warning, and as they were just begin
ming to hope that they would be taken
off by the citizens of Lake City,
The Boat Again Turned Over,
this time on its side, and again all of
the twenty-five remaining souls were
uuTlcu lutO tuc Wdtel. VI t-ltSc sSNttal
were drowned before they could be
brought to the boat by those who sue
ceeded in remaining afiOat and again
securing hold on the boats side.
Capt. John, an eX-steambOat man, who
was an eyewitness of the wreck from
the shore, says: II never saw a worse
sea on Lake Michigan than was running
along the middle of Lake Pepin at that
MI 20 fhnflTh h..1 hos
skiff that ever was built could live five
seconds after leaving the shore, but there
is no telling what can be done when
brave men stand willing to do it.
One Brave Man,
Corp. Perry, of Battery A, tried to get
crew to man boat for the first trip, but
it looked too much like throwing lifn
away, and the fellows didn't want to go.
At last one young man volunteered and
these two together saved sixteen lives,
and would have saved more but for the
fact that the boat got stove in against
the wreck and
Came Near Drowning the Rescuers
themselves before they got ashore from
tie last trip. Other rescuing parties
afterwards started out, and many lives
were saved at great risk"
AS soon as the word reached the Camp
volunteers were called for, and everyone
volunteered to assist in rescping the liv-
ing or searching for the dead. Adjt.
Gen. Mullen Immediately took charge
Of the regiment. and the search was
Systematically begun and carried on.
Body after body of men, women and
children--in some cases ALMOST Of whole
familics-was taken from the water,
some of them alive, others unconscious
but not dead, and yet others from which
the breath of life had forever fed. And
80 it went or. AS fast as the bodies
were taken from the water they We're
identified by mourning friends and rela-
tives and placed in coffips for transpor-
tation to their homes.
BY 2 o'clock a. m. fifty bodies had
been recovered, identified and sent to
Red Wing. By s o'clock eight more
had taken the same mournful journey,
and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon seven
others were added to the gruesome nun,
Der that had been carried by boat to
Red Wins.
The Death List. -
Following are the drowned as far as
reported: Mrs. w. S. Baker, Cena
Baker, Kate Burkhardt, Minnie Fisher,
Annie Snider. Fred Hottoman. Anna
Way, Charles Dinslage, Kate Daley,
Phoebe Bearson, Cord johnson, George
w. Nelson, Flora Smith, Mrs. F.
Hemftling, Miss Siebrasse, John Schoef-
fer, two children Of John Schoefier,
Q. A. Anderson, Wilmot, 8, D.; Peteg
Gerken, Melissa Ann Harrison, Il.
oo,, Daar1 Mathew, E,n,,oo Na1cop Mics