The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-21
IN A P|T|LESS STORM.
Fourteen Poor Fellows Lose Their
Lives at the New Milwau-
kee Crib
Most Furious Gale That Has
Howled Over Lake Michi-
gan for Yet1rs.
Cyclones Devastats the South. Hurrlcsues
Blow In tho North Deep snow In
tho Northwest,

|
about three-qaurtsrs Of milo from the
pumping works at the foot of North street
and fourteen men were drowned. The
shore of the lake ID strewn with timbers.
boards, tools and articles OF clothing wor n
by the men in the ill-fated crib. The
catastrope Is supposed to have occurred
about five O'Clock this morning. At day
break the mon at the pumping station we're
notified that the house on the ID had dis
appeared. The news WAS soon known to
the public and 1t was an anxious crowd that
stood on the shore and looked seaward this
! morning. Some of the spectators were
relatives OF the men who wore in peril, and
pathetic scenes were Witnessed. The sea
was the most awful one anybody In the
vicinity had ever seen. Waves fully fifteen
feet high dashed over the crib with terrific
force.
All that was left on the Grip was couple
OF posts that supported the house and one
of the pumps. Two large boilers. the en-
oine, one of the two pumps the air com
pressor plant. and 10000 brick that were on
the crib had been washed off. Shortly after
nine O'Clock one Of the spectators, who WAS
looking at the crib. exclaimed II can see
8 man!' Others strained their eyes. and
sure enough they could see the figure OF a
man moving cautiously about ON tho crib.
1t was on!y by olinRinR to the few remain
ing timbe that he was saved from being
washed off by the waves. Men waved their
handkerchiefs to let the man know he was
seen. and those looking through glasses
could see the man on the crib answer the
nv rf Ia
with the other he olunR TO the pump for
life.
From her station in the light house at
Northpoint. Mrs. G. S. Stebbins witnessed
the destruction ut the crib house. She says
II was washed away about 5:30 O'clock and
awful force. just before the house disap-
peRred Mr.. Stebbins saw several boards
from tho side of the building torn away,
The opening thus made seemed to give the
angry wind the opportunity it sought, and
with one mighty effort the entire house was
lifted into the air and a second later the
building disappeared as if swept away by
nn avalanche. Ten minutes after the house
was wiped out OF existence the entire ma
chinery and whatever else was left was
lifted bodily into the air with the force
OF the waves and wind and hurled into the
raging sea.
he tug Welcome was dispatched to the
scene. and on account OF the friphtful sea
she took a life boat with a 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
accident had drawn thither. When Capt,
Peterson after an almost superhumau
effort succeeded in reaching the crib by
means Of rope and with a life preserver
around his body he met a horrible sight.
One man, James Miller, was still alive and
clinging to post. About him were the
corpses OF two or three Of his comrades.
Miller was rescued and conveyed to an
emergency hospital, where he gave the fol-
lowing account of the accident tonight:
1T was five O'Clock in the morning when
found water entering the air-tight COM
partment of the shaft where We had taken
refuge for the night. We took vote to de-
eide whether We should risk leaving the
shaft. 1t was decided to leave. Only five
OF US succeeded in reaching the outside.
Nine of the men who we're not strong
enough to get out we're drowned by the
water coming into tho shaft and four out
of the five who got out were mnnRled or
drowned by the tremendous floods which
lashed over tho crib. At what time tho
house was washed away l do not know. It
had disappeared when We got out of the
shaft"
The list of drowned is as follows: John
Mcbride, engineer, Chicago; Michael Dyer,
fireman. Milwaukee; William Pruesner,
~ A1o"nu, SuiCABo, SoOTpo dTekR, lOCk-56U- |
der, Milwaukee; james Murphy. John
Healy, Frank Brown. Joseph Pezsl, Gustav
Lonovitch Peter scener, all miners. Mil
waukee; William Marion. Charles johnson,
John DoneRan. all miners Chicago; Ed
ward Cambrian (colored) steward. Chicago.
The seas which leshed the beach and
shore breakwaters of this port we're the
heaviest since the great storm of Jan. l,
1891. Huge waves beat against and over
the COVE nmsnt brenkwater and literally
demolished about fifty feet of the super
st ucture.