The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-21
The Worst Gale for Years Sweeps
Over Lake Michigan.
SEVERAL VESSELS LOST.
Fourteen Lives Lost at the Milwaukee
Waterworks Crib.
Thc Sea Was the Most Awful One Ever
Seen in That LocaIity-The Life
Saving Crew Unable to
Reach the Men.
DROWNED.

JOHN MCBRIDE, engineer, of Chicago.
MICHAEL DYER, fireman, OF Milwau-
kee.
WILLIAM PRUEsNER, for ian, % Chi
cago.
GEORGE GREGG, lock ender, of Nil
waukee.
JAMES MURPHY, miner, o. Milwaukee.
JOSEPH PEzo1, miner, of Milwaukee.
GUsrAvE LoNovITCH, miner, of Mil
waulee.
PETER ScENER, miner, Of Milwaukee.
WILLIAM MARION, miner, of Chicago.
CHARLES JOHNSON, miner, of Chicago.
JOHN HEALY, miner, of Milwaukee.
FRANK BROWN, miner, of Milwaukee.
JOIN DoNoGAN, miner, of Chicago.
EDWARD CAnIBRIAN (colored), steward,
OF Chicago.
MILWAUKEE, April 2c.-The dreadful
storm of last night carried away the
house built on top of the crib at the
mouth of the tunnel about three-quart-
ers of a mile from the pumping works at
the foot of North street and fourteen men
were drowned. The shore of the lake is
strewn with timbers, boards, tools and
articles of clothing worn by the men in
the Inflated crib. The catastrophe is
supposed to have occurred about O'Clock
this morning.
At daybreak the men at the pumping
Station were notified that the house on
the crib had disappeared. The news
was soon known to the public and it was
an anxious crowd that stood on tie
shore and looked seward this morning.
The spectators were relatives of the men
who were in peril and pathetic scenes
were witnessed. The sea was the most
awful one anybody in the vicinity had
ever seen. The waves were fully fifteen
feet high and dashed over the crib with
terrific force. All that is left on the crib
is a couple of posts that supported the
house and one OF the pumps. Two large
boilers, the engine, one of two pumps,
the air compressor plant and 20 600 brick
that were on the crib have been washed
off.
Shortly after O'Clock one OF the spec
tators who was looking at the crib ex-
claimed, 81 see man, Others strained
their eyes and sure enough they could
see the figure ola man moving cautiously
about on the crib. 1t was only by cling
ing to the few remaining timbers that he
was saved from being washed off. He
waved handkerchief to let the man
know that he was seen, and looking
through glasses could see the man on the
crib answer the signal by waving one
hand while with the other he chung TO the
pump for life.
From her station in the lighthouse at
n q
messed the destruction of the crib house
She says it was washed away about 80
O'Clock, and the waves came with great
frequency and awful force. Just before
the house disappeared Mrs. Stebbens saw
several boards from the sides of the build
ing torn away. The opening thus made
seemed TO give the angry waves the oppor-
tunity it sought. and with one mighty
effort the house was lifted into the air,
and a second later the building disap-
peared as if swept away by an avalanche
Less than 10 minutes after the house was
wiped out the entire machinery and what
ever else was left was lifted bodily into
the air with the force of the waves and
wind and hurled into the raging sea.
The tug Welcome was dispatched to
the scene, and on account of the frightful
seas took life boat with crew of five
in tow. The battle of the Welcome
against the angry waves was watched by
thousands of people on shore whom the
report Of the account had drawn thither.
When Captain Peterson, after almost
superhuman efforts succeeded in reaching
the crib by means of rope, and with
life preserver around his body, be met
horrible sight. One man, James Miller,
>~vas still alive, and clinging to q pos
about him were the corpses of two OF
three of his comrades. Miller was res.
cued and conveyed to the Emergency
hospital, where he gave the following &C.
count of the accident tonight:
sit was O'Clock in the morning wher
he found water entering the alright com,
partment of the shaft where we had taker
refuge for the night. We took vote tc
decide whether We would risk leaving the
shaft. 1t was decided to leave and only
five Of MS succeeded in reaching the out.
side. Nine men who were not strong
enough to get out were drowned by water
coming into the shaft, and four out of the
fre who got out We're mangIed OF
drowned by the tremendous foods whict
dashed over the crib. AT what hour the
house was washed away 1 do not know, il
had disappeared when we got out of the
shaft.'
The seas which dashed the beach anc
shore of the break waters at this por
were the heaviest since the great storm,
OF January, 1891. Huge waves beat
against and over the government break.
water mercilessly and utterly demolishe:
about fifty feet OF the superstructure.