The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-17
Thirteen of Her Crew Washed Over
board and Drowned and Three Saved
After Great Suffering.
FRUITLESS BATTLE FOR LIFE
Story of the Only Survivor of the
Steamer Dean Richmond.
He Was Swept Into the Water by Big
Wave and Tossed on the Beach
Other Lake Disasters.


more victims have been added to the al
ready long list of fatalities resulting from
sqf ldsMs leql eIBS lseMqlIou oy!II9l eql
great lakes Saturday and Sunday last. 1t
is definitely known that the steamer
Wockken, Of Cleveland, foundered in ten
fathons of water, just above Long Point
on the northern coast of Lake Erie In the
recent storm, carrying down with her all
but three of her crew. The list of those
drowned is as follows:
ALBERT MESWALD, captain, Marine
City.
Miss SARAH MESwALD. his sister.
CAPT. JOHN MITCHELL, Cleveland.
CAPT. DAVID JONES, first mate.
MATTHEW HAsLER, second engineer
MICHAEL HICKLEMAN, chief engineer
CHARLES MINARD. steward, Marine
HENRY BRANCH wAREHAN, Marine
City.
JOHN HINKLEMAN. fireman, Marine
GEORGE SMITH. fireman. Marine city.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE. Waterman. Ma
rine City.
MIKE KENNY. deck hand, Marine City
City.
The saved are: j. P. Saph second mate;
Robert Crowding, deck hand; and j. H.
Rice, wheelman, all Of Cleveland
The last few weeks of the navigation
season of 1893 will live long I'm the memory
Oh lake mariners for its fatalities. The
story or the fate of the Dean Richmond
In Lake Erie, and the Minnehaha, in Lake
Michigan, is supplemented by the news of
the loss or one or two lives from a number
OF vessels composing the lake fleet, and
now comes the news of the loss of the
Wockken, with its cargo of human souls
1t is too early to attempt any estimate of
the money loss by the sinking of small
craft at various points In the chain of the
great lakes from Duluth to the mouth of
the st. Lawrence. All incoming vessels are
minus part of their rigging, are badly
stove in or otherwise show marks of their
terrible experience with the wind and
heavy seas
The Wockken was bound from Ashtabua
10 Duluth with cargo of coal She sailed
On Friday. on the eve of the great storm
from near the starting point Of the ILL
fated Dean Richmond, and must have en-
countered the storm at the height OF its
severity, while making for shelter, as was
the case with the Richmond. Long Point
on the north shore of Lake Erie. was the
maven sought by both vessels, but both be-
came prey to the dangerous coast along
Wockken made her way to Erie I'm safety
There she :. picked up her consort. the
Joseph Paige, and proceeded up the lake
The vessel had proceeded we'll out into the
lake before she was struck by the storm
She faced the gale and prepared for the
battle for life. After she had been swept
fore and aft by the tremendous seas. and
had been almost dismantled, Captain Mes
valid saw that further efforts to combat
the storm were useless. His boat was be-
ing rapidly torn to pieces and the only
hope was to seek the protection of Long
Point The sea was too much for her. and
1T was soon found necessary to drop the
Paige.
The vessels had chung together in the hope
that IL either must succumb the other might
prove the means of saving the lives of both
crews. 1t was only as a last resort that the
hawsers were cut and each set out with
grave misgivings to make the fight itself.
The Paige had, thus far, weathered the
gale much batter than the steamer and.
having the advantage of the position. rode
westward before the storm and into safety
behind Long Point with all canvas gone.
Phe Wockken was not so fortunate Her
light had been made, her rigging was
gone and her hull had been badly sprung as
she buffeted the heavy seas. The matches
were the next to go and, as she rapidly
filled, the last hope of the despairing crew
vanished Each made preparation to save
himself. Life preServerS and portions of the
ships furniture were called into use and
every provision was made, after the fate
OF the vessel became certain, to enable the
human beings that were about to be cast
adrift to remain the surface of the
water AS the boat became water logged
and IL became evident that it was q CUES
ton of but a few minutes until she must
go down the stronger men began to iumu
overheard with the faint hope OF
being cast ashore without being beaten TO
death on the rocks that abound in that To-
cality. The women and the less skillful
swimmers were easy prey to the furious
waves, and hurled out of sight of one an
other by the tremendous waves that dashed
the sinking hull they went down in quick
succession. Three of the sixteen souls that
were aboard the Wokken escaped. These
were j. p. Saph, the second mate wheel
man j. II. Rice and Robert Crowding all
hardy and experienced seamen skilIful
swimmers succeeded in keeping themselves
well out from the dangerous coast until the
storm abated and they were able to make n
landing.
The Wokken was owned by John Mitchell
OF Cleveland, and was valued at s56. coo in
sured with Smith, Davis & Co, of Buffalo
In the Advance of Milwaukee Her cargo
OF 1,S0O tons OF coal, consigned to w. Z.
Scott & Co., was valued at $4,000; insured
THE ONLY SURVIVOR.