Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-20
ADRIFT ON A LAKE
Perilous Trip of the Staunch
City of Fremont.
BUFfETED BY ANGRY WAVES
She Struggles Heiplessly in Fierce
Storm, Finally Reaching Chicago
in Safety, Although Disabled.

OHICAoo, Jan. H. W bi.c the pstiH-
wind which blew over the lakes satnr-
day was at lie highest, and the zee
cakes were bufieting the east shore. the
steamer Cisy of Fremont, big freight
boat of the Milwaukee 4 Eastern Tran
fer company, was struggling toward
Chicago. Her rigging WAS covered
with frozen spray and thick layer OF
ice made her upper deck dangerou to
the sai.ormen who crawied about on
their hands and knees. After twenty
four hours fighting the storm the City
OF FREMONT finally backed down to the
Goodrich docks Sunday afternoon, and
seventeen bruised and half frozen men
crawled down her sides. The boat left
Milwaukee at Q O'Clock Friday night
bound for st. JOSEPH. Mich, with
thiriy-fve carloads of -four. Following
the custom of lake seamen. Cap
tain John A. Donneliy kept the
west shore as far down as Crosse Point
and then squared away for st. Joe. Al
that time the wind was blowing from
the south and the air was wild and un-
seasonable. AS the boat steamed toward
Michigan the wind shifted steadily
toward the west. and it was blowing
Just little south of west when the
steamer was near the Michigan shore.
The day had become cold and thick
and the sea was running 50 high that
the captain decided to put about and
make Chicago. st. Joe is a wicked
.arbor, and Captain Counelly
thought that the bar could not
be crossed in such a high sea.
She Was Put About.
The boat was put about and headed
for the west shore. She was doing we'll
IN spite of the terrific wind and the
fur;ous slugglng of the ice fields when
the valves bf Der air pump gave out and
nected with the engine became Of no
longs up I'm Sault Ste. Marie, put the
pony pump. as it Is called. into service,
but before that had done much work it
was clogged with wood in taking out
the bilge from the hold and it had to be
repaired. Two hours were required to
get the pouy pump in shape. Mean
time the big boat was in the hands of
the storm. The gale had increased in
violence and it was sending the waves
crashing against the snip. Some
times the water leaped over
the sides of the boat and carried chunks
of ice of hundred weight against the
cabin. While the men were repairing
the pump the steamer was plunged this
way and that, swinging from end to
end. now leaping to the air and
then lunging back to be deluget by the
icy water. There was no keeping her
to her course. and in the two hours re-
quired to repair the pump she drifted
miles and miles up the ice-covered lake
ano was SCARED fore and aft by the
floating cakes.
sixty-Miie Gale of Wind
When the pony pump bad been
cleaned the City of Fremont started for
the west shore. With her compressor
she could make about ten miles an
hour. but with the pony pump her
speed was not more than two or three
miles. The gale had increased in vio-
lcnce and was driving over the lake at
gait of sixty miles. A boat headed
for Chicago drifted north from her
course. The crew cnuld rot go over
her deck and the rigging was stiff with
ice. Every hour or so the boiler would
have to be filled. There Was nothing
to do but stick for the west sLore, and
the ship was kept pointed this way.
Every raan aboard was cut or bruised
from being hurled about the ship,
when land was made about Waukegan.
The boat held the lee shore all the way
down. and early Sunday morning. after
ploddlng run in the face OF q bitter
wind, the crew saw the crib light shining
sunday morning the boat swung down
tho river ard tied up. She looked like
fairy boat. for she was cove I'd with
ice from end to end. There was
eighteen inches of water in her hold
and her men looked like return party
from northwest "a as.age exploring ex-
petition. They wtre worn out. frost
bitten and hungry. and some of them
who had Jared a long time on the lakes
declared the passage the worst they had
ever known. Il wasn't much scared
said the engineer last night. "because
thought the pony pump would do al
the work. but it was a mighty hard
run" Nearly all the cargo was saved
and the damage TO the boat can be re
paired IN few days.