The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-19
A FURIOUS MAY GALE
The Storm King Rides Lake Mich
igan Dealing Death and Ruin.
Eight SchOOners Go Ashore at and Near
Chicago, and Ten Members Of Their
Crews Find Watery Graves.
SIX PERISH AT MILWAUKEE
Despite Heroic Efforts of the Gov
ernment Life-Savers.
SIX PERISH AT MILWAUKEE
Lumber Vessel on the Beach at Mich
iganC City -Belated Reports Of Storm
Damage i'm Indiana.

are known to be drowned. and in every in
stance boat and cargoes were lost. One
schooner, the Myrtle, was wrecked just out
side the government pier, within half
mile of Michigan boulevard and six of her
crew went down to death in plain view of
hundreds of people who lined the boulevard
walks or watched the awful storm from
the windows of the big hotels which over
look the harbor. The wrecks extended from
Glencoe on the north, where the Lincoln
Doll went TO pieces. TO South Chicago, a
distance of forty miles. Following is the
list of wrecked schooners as far as known
at 10 o'clock tonight:
Lincoln Doll, 1876 tons, driven ashore at
Glencoe, eighteen miles north OF Chicago
Myrtle, 197 tons, wrecked at the foot Of
Harrison street.
Jack Thompson. of Chicago, 1873 tons,
wrecked off Twenty,f1iifth fifth street. 90, 80.
wrecked off Twenty-seventh street Crew
rescued.
wrecked off Twenty-seventh street Crew
rescued.
]. Loomis McI.aren. of Chicago 222 tons.
wrecked off Twenty-seventh street.
Rainbow, of Milwaukee, 240 tons. wrecked
off Twenty-seventh street. Crew rescued.
G. ]. Mixer, of Chicago, 2.s tons. wrecked
off One-hundredth street. Crew rescued.
Unknown schooner ashore near South Chi
cago.
The fatalities are.
ANTON GUNDERsoN. of Manistee, sea-
man. schooner Lincoln Doll, drowned while
attempting to reach shore.
schooner Jack Thompson, resided in Chi
cago. washed from rope while attempting
to reach shore.
of the j. Loomis McLaren; struck and killed
by the tow post being torn out when the
vessel broke away from tug.
Entire crew Of the schooner Myrtle. six
THOMAS KELso, fisherman, washed eff
the government pier ard drowned.
HOW THEY WE'RE WRECKED.
The first vessel to so ashore was the two
masted schooner Jack Thompson. The
boat came from Garden Bay, Mich. and
arrived off the brealxwater early in the
afternoon without pump working. ~ tug
made its way to her side and offered her
a line but the captain refused it, intending
to sail into the harbor. The task was too
much for him. however. and before he was
fairly into the harbor he lost control Of
his vessel, which crashed into the Rainbow,
carrying away the bow of that boat and
smashing a great hole under her own bow
spirit, and, with her foremast gone, she
drifted rapidly south, pitiable wreck. The
anchor was thrown out and for time held
fast, but breaking out of the soft bottom
fectual. and again the Thompson swept
toward the shore, broadside on. She struck
bottom fifty feet from shore. The men
were rescued by life line thrown by the
life-saving crew.
The schooner Mercury, of Ludington,
Mich. was wrecked off Twenty y-seyenth
street. An effort was made to tow her into
harbor when she neared the breakwater, ,but
the wind and waves were too strong The
Evening Star and Jack Thomson were al
ready grinding to pieces on the breakwater.
and thousands of people stood on the
beach watching them. AS the Mercury
came near her crew could be seen huddled
together in the bow. They were frantically
waving their arms 10 the people on shore.
When the schooner finally struck at
tempt was MADE, but in vain, to get a
line to the crew. Then one of the sesmen
on board. Thomas Thurston, jumped from
the vessel TO some floating lumber and
after several times going under the heavy
breakers, was finally taken ashore. Two
others took the same chance and got
safely to shore. line finally thrown
TO the vessel and made fast. The crowd
ashore held it taut and one by the
four men, almost exhausted, climbed and
slid to saftey. The last man. Edward Ster-
ling, was about half way down the line
when the rope broke and dropped him into
the water and among the lumber floating
about near the breakwater. Several per-
sons rushed TO his rescue and he was
carried ashore amid the wild cheers of the
crowd
The schooner Lincoln Doll. of Man.stee
was driven ashore at Glencoe, and Anton
Gundersen, ope Of the officers. was swept
overheard and drowned. After several
hours of waiting the rest OF the crew
were rescued by members of the Evanston
life saving crew. When the life saving
crew finally arrived the wrecked sailors
were well nigh exhausted. The life boat
was dragged down the steep bluffs, which
line the lake at Glencoe, and the men
brought off.
HEROIC WORK OF RESCUERS.
The wreck of the Rainbow, a lumber
laden schooner from Racine, occurred In
the afternoon, and was marked by the
heroic rescue of her crew, when about all
hope of saving them had been abandoned
She had thrown out her anchors and tried
to ride out, the storm from a position just
south OF the government pier. The gale
was too strong for her, however. and at
o'clock she began to drift rapidly south
were nothing but fisnhooks. Seeing that
her destruction was inevitable, for she had
left but few tattered rags of canvas. in
sufficient to give her steerage way against
the gale. the life-saving crew loaded their
lifeline apparatus on fiat car OF the Illi-
nois Central railroad. which runs close to
the waters edge, and kept pace with the
doomed vessel as the wind drove her south
ward. OF the foot of Harmon court, the
car was stopped, the cannon fired and the
life line missed the boat by thirty feet At
Twelfth street another shot was fired. with
the same poor result AT this point the tug
Spencer. which had wallowed It's way
through the gigantic waves, managed to
run close TO the Rainbow and throw her
a line. 1t snapped like tow, hut second
one held. and four of her crew of seven
men were hauled aboard the tug. The
schooner was now so close to the breakers
that the tug dared follow her no longer.
and stesred away. The nfe-saving crew on
their fat car kept even with the boat as
she rolled around, and tried again to throw
a line across her. but failed every time.
At Twenty-fifth street the sailors cut loose
on small raft they had made, and Will
liam II. Haville. a young electrical engi-
neer. was held with line. and swan out