Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-15

A Flint and Pere Marquette Liner
Driven Ashore in Whitetish
Bay.
l BLINDING BLIZZARD RACED,

Making the Rescue of Passengers and
Crew a Very Difficult Matter Surf
o Sent Overland From Milwaukee.
Some Rescued and the Others Not in
Peril, Is the Sea Is Abating.
MILWAUKEE, Dec. 12.--In a binding
Hnow storm and a terrific easterly gale,
the passenger and freight steamer F. &
P. M. No. 3. of the Flint and Pere Mar
quette line, was driven on the rocky
shore Of Whitefish bay at all early hour.
The vessel is exposed to the full force of
the gale and is momentarily swept by
seas and spray.
The steamer left Ludington, Mich,
late Sunday, having a crew of about Is
men, and with a passenger list number
ing 1a persons. The lake was exceed
ingly rough during the passage, but it
was not until the vessel was approach
ing the Wisconsin shore that her situa-
ton became alarming. During the
night the gale steadily increased in vio-
lence, and by 8 o'clock the storm was of
unusual severity wen for this season of
the year.
Encountered a Blizzard.
About $3.50, when the steamer was
within 10 or Is miles of Milwaukee, she
encountered a blizzard. The atmosphere
became dense with sitting snow, which,
being driven by the gale, completely
obscured the north point light of Mil
waukee bay, and that at the Milwaukee
pier. In the storm, the steamer was
carried off her course, and in attempting
to feel her way into the bay she brought
up on the rocks in Whitetish bay.
The scene of the wreck is about six
miles north of milwaukee harbor. At
that point the shore Of the lake makes a
sweep inland and forms a wide bay, but
it is wholly unprotected from a gale
from the east. The bottom of the lake
is a mass of huge boulders, the shore is
steep and at places a bold bluff rises
almost perpendicularly from the waters
| edge. For this reason, the effort at
rescue were attended with
Great Difficulty and Danger.
The life saving crew found that it would
be impossible to pull the surf boat to the
scene of the wreck through the heavy
| sea. and it was deemed equally imprac-
| ticable for a tug to attempt to tow the
boat to Whitefish bay. The surf boat
was therefore placed on the surf cart
! and the boat was taken overland to the
| beach opposite the spot where the dis
abled steamer lay. Great difficulty was
experienced III reaching the beach, and
| when the crew finally arrived OH the
scene it was found that the high seas
and rocks and boulders that lined the
| bottom of the bay made it difficult to
use the surf boat.
From the beach the steamer appeared
to be in a very bad position. She lies
about 800 OF 900 feet from the shore and
has swung b%roadside to the seas. She is
| pounding heavily on the rocks and is
evidently full of water. The passengers
have taken refuge OH the cabin and ap-
pear to be III no immediate danger, but
this fact did not deter the life savers
from fastening the work of rescue.
Into the Surf.
The surf boat was speedily trundled
to the verge of the ice covered beach and
two score of willing hands forced the
| boat into the waves. The crew pulled
against a high gale and big seas, but
after a struggle of Is minutes the life
savers reached the side Of the vessel.
The passengers and crew remained in
| the cabin until the surf boat was close
to the steamer, and then from the shore
the crowd could see them assemble
around the rail, the men making
preparations to leave the wrecked
steamer. A whip was hastily arranged
OH the gait of this mainmast
and to this a sling wa attached.
A woman was swung over the rail
and ca efully lowered and she was