The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-19
THE REAPER.
He Gathers a Harvest OF Over
One Hundred Human Lives
on Lake Pepin.
The Terribly Destructive Work
or Raging Storm On the
Father of Waters.
A Pleasure Party Returning
From Visit to the Militia
Camp Swamped by
the Waves.

Oh CuEuSy 0NculuS 0ho Lobh hSb'
at o. clock the pleasure steamer Sea
Wing was riding the placid waters OF
Lake Pepin, an enlargement OF the
Mississippi river extending from near
Lake City to Reads Landing, Minn.,
having on board 200 happy. merry
souls, who were enjoying an outing
and seeking to escape the burning Ju.
ly sun.
An hour later the lake was the play
thing OF q tornado. The steamer lay
at the mercy OF wind and wave. The
hand OF man was powerless before the
mighty, merciless wrath OF nature.
In few minutes the steamer was ov-
erturned and OF the 200 excursionists
probably not more than so reached
the shore alive.
The pail OF night aided to the hor-
rors OF the catastrophe, and the az
onizing cries OF men and women whose
loved ones were carried down to
death made the shore OF Lake Pepin
an inferno OF woe and suffering.
The steamer Sea Wing had come
down the lake from Diamond Bluff, q
small town about TT miles north of
Lake City, on an excursion to the en-
campment OF the 1st regiment, which
was being held about mile below
Lake City. The day was happily
spent, and at 8 p. m. the boat started
on the return trip. There were then
signs OF an approaching storm, bat
they were not considered serious
enough to warrant delay in starting.
There were about $50 people on board
the boat, while a barge attached TO
the side Of the steamer carried about
so more. As the boat reached Lake
City the effects OF the
RISING TEMPEST
began to be felt; but the officers OF the
boat were not alarmed and the Sea
Wing moved steadily on to her fate,
tine doomed passengers even then not
realizing their peril. Fifteen minutes
later the storm was at it's height.
The Sea Wing was now nearing Cen
tral Point, two miles above Lake City.
She lay at the mercy OF wind and wave.
Soon she struck sandbar and the
hilh waves came dashIng over the
boat. The barge was cut adrift and q
moment later the steamer was clear
of the bar. The barge foated into
deep water and remained upright, be-
ing so low as to offer little resistance
to the waves. But the lated steamer
was swept into the middle OF the lake,
the toy of the tempest. A moment
later she was capslzed and $50 souls
began the hopeless struggle tor life.
shore. and it is thought that all on
board were rescued.
The boat was overturned by the
combined resistless iorce Of q huge
wave and q sudden, mighty blast oil
wind. She turned completely over,
carrying the greater number Of her
passengers beneath the waters. About
%, however, were thrown clear from
the boat, and most of these were able
to return to the craft and climb upon
her bottom, whence they shrieked
Justify for help. The scene was an
awful one. Through the blackness OF
the hight came the roar OF the tempest
and the cries of the living. Ever ana
anon fitful fash OF lightning reveal
ed tho tossing surface OF the lake, dot
ted here and there with the vainly
SlrUnfing forms OF the doomed pas.
eSnN6xs. But the majority,
WELD FAST BENEATH THE BOAT,
never came to the surface alive. Ia
few minutes q dozen or more row
boats were manned and put out from
the shore, although the high sea OF
waves had not yet subsided, and after
securing the lake for a quarter OF an
hour the upturned boat was at last
discovered. the 90 or more remaining
people clinging to the boat were res
cued and brought to the shore. mat
OF them being men who could swim.
At O'Clock next morning about
20 bodies had been recovered.
Corporal b. L. Perry OF st. Paul,
saw the wreck and at once hast.
ened to the shore to render such
assistance rs was possible. Finding
q man standing near boat on the
shore he asked to be taken out into
the storm TO the overturning boat.
Being refused he threatened to kill him
unless his orders were obeyed and
with the help OF his unwilling assis-
tant, he saved the lives Of 15 or 16
women.
A dispatch from Red Wing, Minn.,
dated the 14th inst where most OF
the excursjonists resided says that it
is fully settled in the minds OF the peo.
pie who have relatives and friends
that were on the excursion that there
are about so or 90 missing. The
probabilities are that all these are in
the wreck, which lies of the point at
Lake City. The undertaking estab.
lishment was 30 crowded with people
looking for friends whom they feared
had gone down in the terrible disaster
that one could scarcely gain an en-
trance. Many women were carried
helpless from the building and cases Of
entire prostration were OF frequent
occurrence.
Business wss at q standstill. the
stores were all closed and verybody
was standing on the corners talking
about the wreck.
The most terrible thing that has
happened so far is the fate OF John
Gerkin and his entire family, consist
ing OF
FIVE CHILDREN AND HIS WIFE.
The whole family went down, and
there are no orphans left to mourn
the tate OF their beloved parents. 1t
was all Que can bear TO see the grief
stricken men and women walking aim.
lessly mp and down the mourniul look
ing streets.
As the boat landed which brought the
remains OF the dead from the scene OF
the disaster, sorrowful looking girl
was seen standing on the wharf anx-
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