Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-03
Relief Expedition Rescups all
Ice-BOund Barge In Lake
Michigan.
Men Tramp Ten Miles Across
Shifting and Preacher
GUS Ice.
The Propeller, George T. Bur
rough, Locked Fast For
Three Days.

CHICAGO, Feb. 27.-Shortlv after 5
o'clock this morning the steam barge
George /. Burroughs, which has been
ice-locked for three days in Lake Michi-
gan, arrived in the Chicago harbor,
having been picked up - two tugs.
the Tom Brown and the Protection
which were sent out after her by her
owners. The burroughs was sighted
at 10 o'clock yesterday morning by the
, two tugs. but it was o'clock in the
evening before they could reach the
ice-bound barge. She was then ten
miles northwest Of Michigan City. The
rescuing tugs furnished her with a
fresh supply Of coal and the Burroughs,
being powerful vessel of it's kind, led
che way back to Chicago.
Considering the awkward predica-
ment in which the vessel was place it
is fortunate that no lives We're lost.
Nor does there seem to have been any
suffering from cold or hunger on board,
according to the story related by the
, crew this morning, but the trip was a
! most perilous one on account of the
, lake being full of ice.
The barge left i1v,. ulzee for Chicago
Wednesday morning. and was due here
the same evening. She had a crew of
eight men, and was conveying steam
pump for the Lake View tunnel. The
crew consisted Of Nelson Napier,
Captain, Chicago: Grover Napier, mate,
Chicago; John Thompson, steward,
Chicago: Louis Grier, cock, Milwaukee;
Edward Porter, deck hand, Chica go;
Sven Larson. deck hand, milwaukee,,
and w. j. Healey, deck hand, Chicago.
Our trip was somewhat perilous, >
said John Thompson, the steward of
the vessel, but we were neither short of
provisions or coal. After seeing tina.
we were ics-bound Wednesday night,
CIpt. Napier said it would be impossible
to get through with the supply Of coal
on hand. We were in sight Oh
land and he asked for vol
unteers to Cross the ice tC
Michigan City. the nearest point, and
telegraph to Smaller < Schriglau, own.
ers of the barge, at Chicago for assist
ance, His nephew, Grover Napier, and
Healey said they would go, and they
started on their dangerous trip across
the ice Friday morning. reaching Mich.
igan City at $3.50 o'clock that after
noon. They telcgraphed Smaller &
S chniglau that the vessel was ice
locked and that the crew would be in
distress if relief was not sent immedi
ately.
The following day Capt. Napier
fearing that we would run short OF
p DIVISIONS if we the had to remain il
lce. said it would be necessary to re
duce the crew, and as it seemed to be
by that time pretty safe walking on the
ice three more men LETT and went tC
Michigan City. The barge was ther
left with only three of it's origina
crew-Capt. Napier, Engineer Porter
and myself. We We're comforta BILE anc
suffered no hardships other than The
cold blasts of the gale that generally
sweeps over the lake ut this season O
year. Our provisions would have LASTED
a week-that is. for three that remained
o the barge-but il we had used oul
coal in trying to buck the immense field
o ice that surrounded US the supply
W )uld not have lasted over a day and {
night.
The Captain knowing this, only
used enough of the coal to keep Us
warm and to prevent the machinery
a al steam pipes from freezing up. A
tn time were found by the tugs a
c oSse Point we had about three tom
o coal left. The tugs gave us a fresl
apply, and then the barge took tn,
lie Id and kept the ice out of the way O.
the tugs on the return trip to Chicago.
Upon receipt Of the telegram an
nouncing that the barge was e-bound
Smaller Il Schnigan sent out the Ton
Brown Saturday morning. 1t Wen
north and returned in the afternoon
not being able to find the barge
Sunday morning at 3 o'clock th'
Protection and the Brown, having
on board Napier and Herley, who hat
got here from Michigan City. agar
again started out. and seven hours af
terward the Burroughs was sighted
The tugs had hard struggle in reach
ing the barge. but shorty after darl
they had plowed through the ice ane
made channel through which tn,
Burroughs started back.