The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-05-24

Drowned like rats in q cellar.
Drowned while q great city looked on
and wrung her hands in an agony OF
bleeding hands reached up ON the
waters and clutchcd the cruel sea wall.
Drowned be ore the eyes OF 100000
re ,ple ma SEED along the shore and
houscto,s Drowned because the i'm
perial city Of the lakes has a life-sav-
i'm servi tia, W uld be unworthy OF
4 scacoast villag.. Eleven lives lest
and half score of vessels wrecked
as result of gross negligence.
This is TIE r-cord Chicago had
to face the morning after the storm.
Sweeping down from the north across
TIE lake with terrific force. the hurrl-
care hurled itself upon Chicago, de-
stroyiny lie and strcwing the shore
with wrecks. Ten mon met death in
the lake and nine lu,nbcc schOoners
went down in the ath OF the storm.
From daybreak to nighttall there was
nothing but death ard disaster, mis-
cry and suffering.
Beginning on Thursday evening with
a capful of wind. the storm increased
in strength ana finally swept with all
the fury of a hurricane on the strug-
CLING shippin" caught on the boiling
waters OF the lake. All day long
the stO III ragged, says Il dispatch. and
it was not until late at night
that the wind dropped sufficiently
to allow tho distressed schooners to en-
ter the harhor. From Glencoe to
South Chicago the shore was .rcwn
with wrcckage. Twelve fishermen
we: rescued by a volunteer life-sav-
ing crew from the government pier.
The same crew rescued seven ersons
from the bumboat at the north pi r..
Tugs assisted in snatching -ai !Ors from
sinking vess Is. Others were dragged
ashore as they tiCated in on spars or in
the shattered hulks CT their own YES
sels. Nearly 100 persons wee in i'm
mincnt peril of their lives, Yet all but
ten were saved.
With the Ice shore so near. there was
little chance for the vessels caught in
the storm to run before the wind. The
only thing they could do was to reach
the port for shelter. Many vessels
failed TO do so and the loss resulting
from the storm is calculated to amount
,, to several hundred thousand dollars.
fu:y OF the Gale.
Inside the breakwater everything
' seemed quiet and peaceful, but there
was dangerous swell, the waite. NOV
ing up and down like II sail bellyins
under strong wind. Outside the
breakwatcr, where the shore was vir.
tually unprotected. the waves sient
their fury and fled LACK only to gain
fresh strength to hurl themselves later
at the same spot. All al ng the lake
shore, from Racine to South Chic go
| & ere was a thick white line, grOwl-
ing, roar NJ, h ssing and sp'uttering,
as If it was the Oye flow If q huge
caldron Of boil NJ water. Waves
pounded the he ;ch with t G force o.
steam hammers, washing away pOr
tions of the shore.
| Then the storm became so violent
that the tugs were barely able to live
in the Sc alone. and the situation be
came serious for the anchored fleet
The anchors Lost their hold Oh the
bottom. and many of the boats settled
steadily toward the shore. In vail
effort to better tn situation some o
the captains made little sail ant
tried to make the harbOr. but the,
| were driven through the anch Ored fleet
crashing into other vessels. carry
ing away spars. rigging, and smashin:
large holes in the other boats. On.
schooner. the Myrtle, whose ca>tai,
had tried to sail out of his bad posi-
ton. had all its spars and rigging car
ricd away and was finally sunk with al
on b ard. Another b ,a1. the schoone
Jack Thompson. crashed int the Rain
bow. causing the latter to capsi2c. am
being finally driven on she beach her
self. The Evening star. having drasyei
her anchors, went ashore vita tn
Thompson.