St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-03
THE LOST STEAMER.
Almost Certain That the w. L..
Gilcher Has Foundered in
- sJ.tr Lake Michigan.
Not One of a Crew of Seventeen
Believed to Have Been
Saved.

CLEVELAND, o., Nov. although
nothing definite has been learned, it is
almost certain that the big steamer re-
ported foundered north of the North
Manitou islands, at the foot of Lake
Michigan, is the big steel steamer w.
l.. Gilcher, owned in this city. In
speaking of the reported loss OF the yes
sci. Capt John Barlow, of the firm Of
Moore, Barlow & Gilchrist, agents and
owner of the boat, said:
81 have heard nothing from the
steamer Gilcher. She is several days
overdue at Milwaukee. The last news
have of her is when she passed Mack
inaW iii company with several other
vessels. | am greatly worried about
her. She was loaded heavily with coal.
am almost positive, if she is lost she
went down at the foot Of Lake Michi-
gan"
The Gilcher is one of the largest
steamers on the lakes and the largest
one ever built in Cleveland. She was
rated among the big carriers and has sew
eral big cargo records. She was built
by the Cleveland Ship Building com
pany, and is an exact duplicate OF the
steamer Western Reserve, which was
lost with all on board OIL Lake Superior
the latter part of August.
1t was learned this morning that the
vesselmen have frequently expressed
the opinion that the Gilcher was not as
strongly built as she ought to have
been; that the steel plates put Ill her
were rather light for boat of her size.
J. C. Gilchrist, when asked about this.
said he had 10 reason to believe there
was any foundation for such an opinion.
AS far as can be learned the vessels
crew consisted of eighteen men. Capt
Weeks about month ago, while IN
Buffalo, discharged most of his old
sailors, nearly all of whom hailed from
Vermllion. and hired others. whose
names are not known to the owners OF
the boat.
The Gilcher was commanded by Capt.
l.. Ii. Weeks, man OF the hlgheSt
standing in marine circles, anu reputed
for fearlessness, skill and good judg-
ment. Up to noon today no trip sheet
bnor ANYTHING could be discovered which
would tend to show the names of the
seventeen members of the crew. There
/ were no visitors aboard. The crew OF
| the schooner probably numbered from
eight TO twelve men, and the total loss
of life will prove almost as heavy as
that Of the Western Reserve horror.
CHICAGO, Nov. 2.-Recent gales on
| the lakes were probably the most de.
! structiye to shipping in the history OF
| he inland marine. The losses for the
\ ast five days were estimated by under
\ itsrs yesterday to be about S45o,O0o.
Il, full dozen boats have passed out
HN ,tence, and not less than twenty
I va steamers have been lost. The
nearest approach to the recent gale in
|. the amount of property losses was the
great storm on Thanksgiving in 1889,
when the losses exceeded 100000.
| Other storms have greatly exceeded
| this last one in the number OF sailors
| lost, but not in valne OF property.
The insurance losses for this season
are already greater than in any previ-
Gus year in lake history. Most OF the
business, particularly on the large steel
steamers, was done at low rates, ana
the company which comes. out at the
end of the season wit. put a heavy deficit
will be fortunate.