The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-12-15
A Flint and Pere Marquette Liner
Driven Ashore in Whiteflsh
Bay.
A Binding Blizzard Ragged, Making
the Rescue of Passenger
Difficult.
Surf Boat Sent from Milwaukee Over
land TO Aid in the
Rescue.

MILWAUKEE, Dec. BIN binding
snow storm and terrific easterly gale,
the passenger and freight steamer F. 81
p. NJ. No. 3. Of the Flint and pere Mar
0uette line, was driven Oh the rocky
shore OF Whitefsh bay at an 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 10
men, and with IA passenger list number
ing IS person. 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 gal steadily increased in vio-
lence, and by o'clock the storm was Of
Unusual severl,y even for this season of
the year.
Encountered - Blizzard.
About $3.50, when the steamer was
within IL or Is miles of Milwaukee, she
encountered 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 Whitefsh bay.
8 : 1,x, ta,xw
miles north of milwaukee harbor. At
that point the shore of the lake makes a
sweep inland and forms wide bay, but
1t is wholly unprotected from gale
from the east. The bottom of the lake
is a mass Of huge boulders, the shore il
steep and at places bold bluff rises
almost perpendicularly from the waters
edge. For this reason, the effort at
rescue We're 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
I sea, and it was deemed equally imprac-
ticable for tug to attempt to tow the
boat to Whitefsh bay. The surf boat
was therefor placed on the surf cart
and the boat was taken overland to the
beach opposite ths spot where the dis
! abled steamer lay Great difficulty was
experienced il 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 II difficult tC
use the surf boat.
From the beach the steamer appeared
TO be in a very bad position She lies
about 800 or 800 feet from the shore and
has swung broadside TO the seas. She is
pounding heavily on The rocks and l.
evidently full of water. The passengers
have taken refuge Oh the cabin and ap
pear to be i'll no immediate danger, but
this fact did not deter the life saver'
from fastening the work Of rescue.
Into tho surf.
The surf boat was speedily trnndlet
to the verge Of the ice covered beach ant
two score of willing hands forced tht
boat into the waves. The crew pulled
against high gale and big seas, bu
after struggle of IS minutes the life
savers reached the side Of the vessel
The passengers and crew remained il
the cabin until the surf boat was clost