The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-05-23
DEATH RODE THE WAVES.
Chicago's Lake Fron6 Strewn
With Wrecked Vessels.
A Frightful storm overtakes Number Of
Vessels at Anchor and They Are1
Dashed to Pieces = Between
Twelve and Fifteen
Lives Lost.

CHICAGO, May 19.-Lake Michigan
has not been lashed and churned for
months as she was yesterday, by the
fierce wind that has been sweeping
down from the north for the past thir-
ty-six hours. Late last night it was be-
lieved that twelve or fifteen lives have
been lost along the shore off this city
and its suburbs. The only other point
reporting loss of life is Milwaukee,
where six of the schooner Cummings
crew were drowned in the afternoon
before they could be rescued by the
life-saving crew.
Half dozen schooners and smaller
craft foundered off this city during the
day, and a score or more are dismantled
and stove in, making an almost hope
less fight against the gale and huge
waves that every few minutes sweep
over them, endangering the lives Of
those who are still on board. II was q
day of heroic effort and great suffering
for the life-saving crews scattered along
the shore.
At least thirty vessels were anchored
outside the harbor last night waiting
for the storm to subside. All are more
OIL less damaged and the signals Of dis
tress that appeared among them from
time to time during the day, kept the
life-savers busy. Twenty-Five or thirty
men have been brought in, all ex-
hausted and suffering intensely from
the exposure and cold. In several cases
help arrived too late and q corpse was
found among the half conscious sailors
who, benumbed by the cold and unable
to protect themselves were almost beat
en- to death by the furious waves.
At midnight the storm had not
abated and every hour increased the
peril Of those on board the numerous
vessels outside the harbor, pulling at
their anchors and in imminent danger
of being brought into collision with
each other or Of being pounded to
pieces on the beach.
Scenes Of horror that chilled the blood
of thousands of spectators were enacted
in the harbor for two miles below the
Illinois Central depot in the early even
ing. AS the storm increased in violence
during the afternoon the waves grew
mountain high, dashing over the break
water, deluging the tracks and envelop-
ing the passing trains with torrents Of
spray. Out in the harbor dozen three
masted schooners, heavily laden with
lumber from Michigan, were riding at
anchor
A few minutes after o'clock three OF
the number hoisted signals of distress
and citizens on shore telephoned to the
police and FIRE departments as well as
to the life-saving station at Jackson
park. A few minutes later the three
masted Evening Star, Of this city,
parted her chains and came for the
shore like q rocket She struck the
Heavy pilihg Of the breakwater and her
timbers crashed in as though they were
egg shells.
As the vessel struck the six sailors
on board jumped for their lives. Five
landed on a pile Of scrap iron, going
down on all fours, but the sixth, a
Norwegian named Olson, missed land
by couple of feet and went down into
the waves. The cheers that had broken
from thousands Of spectators turned
into groan as the man disappeared
from view. The next moment q sue
cession OF monster waves had cleaned
the deck of thousands Of pine plank,
which covered the surface of the water
and made any attempt TO rescue the un-
fortunate men impossible.
About the same time the schooner
Myrtle was seen drifting ashore with
six half-frozen men clinging to the
rigging. The life-saving crew was busy
a mile away and could give no assist
snce. The captain, whose name Is
Warner, was the Arst togo A huge wave
swept him overheard and he was not
seen again. The men then took refuge
in the cabin on the main deck. Soon
the main mastwas carried away, taking
with IL one side Of the cabin.
Deprived Of this shelter the remain
ing sailors we're washed overheard one
by one in full view Of the thousands on
the shore until but one was left. He
took OFF his clothes during lull in the
storm and jumped overheard and struck
out for the shore. He had gone but a
few yards, however, when he was car
ried under by the waves and did not re-
appear. Soon after her decks had been
swept clear Of this human freight the
schooner foundered. Forty lives were
saved by the crews Of the life-Saving
boats and the tugs Of the Chicago com
panies during the great storm which Is
still raging outside the breakwater and
piers on the lake front.