The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-20
AWFUL SUFFERING ON THE ICE.
The Experience of Three Fishermen
Who Went to Sleep In Their Shanties.
From the Cass City Enterprise.

w no w enJ TO oleep IN 1ne1r ShanClSB.
From the Cass City Enterprise.
Last week Friday forenoon L. G. Fit
finger, aged 81 years, Frank Van Pelt.
aged 35 years, and a man by the name of
Costing, aged So years. left Bay Port for
fish, going out on the ice in Saginaw
Bay about a mile, each taking along the
usual fish shanty." They spent the day
in fishing, and that night, as usual slept
IN the shanties Saturday morning they
made the awful discovery that the ice on
which they were had broken loose from
the ice near the shore and was floating
out into the bay. They hastily endeav-
ored to find place on the large ice craft
which was near enough to the shore for
them to land, but to escape was impossi-
BILE, as they had gone too far out into the
bay They now punched" their shan
ties in hopes that they might, by keeping
them together use them in some manner
to reach land.
They continued to drift further into the
bay, and Saturday night found them but
one and one-half miles from Little Char
ity Islands, the ice they were on reduced
fully threc-fourths In size, and the shan
ties, which contained their small supply
of provisions, gone.
They thought, perhaps, that they
might, by walking to certain portion of
theice, reach Point Lookout, but the
wind carried them further northeast, and
this faint hope vanished. They were now
in the channel, and could see the light
house at Tawas. They now had hopes of
drifting near enough TO Tawas to be able
to make themselves heard on the land,
but the wind shifted, and they were car
ried back to within one-half mile of the
northeast side of Big Charity Islands.
Thus they drifted Saturday night, Sun
day, and Sunday night, the weather CON
stantly growing colder Early Monday
morning the ice broke badly, and they
were left on piece about twenty feet
square. Costing, who had became crazed
by long suffering, started to reach land
by jumping from cake to cake. About
three hours later his despairing cry for
help was heard by Fittinger and Van Pelt,
and he was seen to sink amid the ice to
rise no more.
Before daybreak Fittinger attempted to
end his terrible sufferings by sta bling
himself with a knife, but was prevented
by Van Ioelt, who had all along bravely
assisted and encouraged him as m h as
possible. The broken pieces Of ice had,
during the night, partially frozen together
and the two men resolved to make a last
desperate struggle to reach land They
commenced to crawl on their hands and
knees in direction supposedly toward
Caseville Fittinger soon became ex-
hausted, and Van Pelt concluded to leave
him and push on, Fittingcr encouraging
him to do so. Van Pelt succeeded in get
ting within about a quarter of a mile of
the shore. and his Joy can be imagined
when he became aware that two men,
who were hewing timber on the shore,
noticed him.
They hurried to CaseYille, secured a
boat and help, and soon reached Van
Pelt, although to him il seemed almost
an age. He was rescued none too soon,
as the ice he was standing upon was but
ABOUT six feet square, and his weight set
tied it to the extent that he was standing
in almost foot of water.
F'ittinger was found about a mile and
three-quarters further on in the bay. He
was so near dead that it was with DIM
Guilty that he could raise himself upon his
elbows to see his approaching rescuers
The rescuers. after going as near him as
they could with the boat. found il neCes-
sary TO send one of their hunter across
thin portion Of ice on push sleigh. Fit
finger was turned over on his back and
dragged behind the sleigh 10 the boat,
the ice not being strong enough to admit
of any one walking across.
In short time after being rescued Van
Pelt and Efttingor We're as two dead men
During their terrible voyage and struggle
for life they were nerved to almoot super
human efforts, and not until beyond all
danger of the icy waters did they fully
realize the extent of their bodily injuries.
They were cut. bruised, and frozen
All that medical skill can suggest and
kind friends do for them is being done,
and it is thought with careful nursing
they will recover IN due time but their
three days ana their three nights terri
bic experience on Saginaw Bay will never
be recalled TO their memory without a
shudder. Eittinger had returned from
Bay City but short time before leaving
Bay Port, where he had drawn 5000 out
of the bank, and this he lost with his
shanty.