Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-02
Relief Expedition Rescues all
Ice-BOund Barge In Lake
Michigan.
Men Tramp Ten Miles Across
Shifting and Preacher
Gus Ice.
The Propeller, George I. Bur-
rough, Locked Fast For
Three Days.

| CHICAGO, Feb. 27.-Shortly after 5
O'Clock this morning the steam barge
George T. Bun roughs, which has been
ice-locled for three days in Lake Michi-
gan, arrived in the Chicago harbor,
having been picked up by 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 Z o'clock in the
evening before they conld 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 a powerful vessel of its kind. led
the way back to Chicago.
Considering the awkward predica-
ment in which the vessel was place it
is fortunate that no lives were 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
most perilOuS one on account of the
lake being full of ice.
The barge left Milwaukee for Chicago
Wednesday morning, and was due here
the same evening. She had crew Of
eight men, and was conveying a 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, cook Milwaudee;
Edward Porter, deck hand, Chicago:
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 tha1
we were ice-bound Wednesday night,
Capt. Napier said it would be impossible
to get Though with the supply of coal
on hand. We were in sight of
land and he asked for vol
unteers to cross the ice to
Michigan City, the nearest point, and
telegraph to Smaller & Schniglau, 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 2:30 o'clock that after
noon. They telegraphed 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 in
ice, 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 left and went to
Michigan City. The barge was then
left with only three of it's original
crew-Capt. Napier, Engineer Porter
and myself We were comfortable and
suffered no hardships other than the
cold blasts of the gale that generally
sweeps over the lake at this season of
year. Our provisions would have lasted
week-that is, for three that remained
o the barge-but if we had used our
coal in trying to buck the immense field
o ice that surrounded us the supply
| would not have lasted over day and
night.
The Captain knowing this, only
used enough of the coal to keep us
warm and to prevent the machinery
a I'd steam pipes from freezing up. At
tn time were found by the tugs at
G .osse Point we had about three tons
o coal left. The tugs gave US "a fresh
supply, and then the barge took the
lie I'd and kept the ice out of the way of
the tugs on the return trip to Chicago"
UpoI receipt of the telegram an
nouncing that the barge was ice bound,
Smaller & Schnigan sent out the Tom
Brown Saturday morning. 1t went
north and returned in the afternoon,
not being able to find the barge.
Sunday morning at 8 o'clock the
Protection and the Brown, having
on board Napier and Herley, who had
got here from Michigan City, again
again started out, and seven hours af-
terward the Burroughs was sighted.
The tugs had hard struggle in reach
ing the barge, but shortly after dark
they had plowed through the ice and
made a channel through which the