New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-19
SIX LOST AT MILWAUKEE.
THRILLING ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE THE
CREW OF sUNKEN SCHOONER.
THE LIFEBOAT UPSET THREE TINES AND
FINALLY WRECKED-THE EXHAUSTED MEN
sCHooSER's RIGGING LET GO
THEIR HOLD, ONE BY ONE-A
WOMAN AMONG THE DEAD.

THEIR HOLD ONE BY ONE-A
WOMAN AMONG THE DEAD.
Milwaukee, May lS.-Wth only her masts sticking
out of the water the three-masted schooner VI. j..
Cummings is sunk IN the bay south of the Straight
Cut. Six sailors ami the woman cook constituting
the crew, well a member OF the life-saving
station. clunG to the rigging all day. facing death
every moment The life-saving crew several times
narrowly escaped drowning. The lifeboat was over
turned three times. and was finally wrecked. At
31j o'clock this afternoon OF the men In the
rigging. exhausted and frozen fell Into the water
and they dropped off by one until only two
sailors and the woman remained.
The schooner hove in sight about o'clock this
morning, with her sails In tatters. She tried to
anchor south OF the breakwater, but drifted about
mile and struck bottom opposite the rolling-m
ore dock. fully half mile from shore. Soon her
hull was entirely submerged. the was breaking
over her, and she pounding to pieces Her
took refuge in the rigging
Twice tugs Of the Milwaukee Line attempted TO
reach the doomed boat and carry OF the crew. but
the high that they were compelled 70
give up the attempt. The tug Hagerman the
first to start out but she hardly passed the mouth
Of the Straight cut when she compelled 10
turn back She half full Of water when she
reached her dock. The tug Welcome started out
about 10 o'clock. bu, her experience similar to
that Of the Hagerman. About 10 o'clock the ife
saving made unsuccessful attempt To shoot
a line the schooner The entire crew. consisting
Of eighteen men. then started out in the lifcboat
They went out some distance beyond the mouth or
the Straight cut and then made for the schooner.
Soon the people on shore witnessed thrilling
scene. As the llfcboat nearcd the schooner. Cap
tain pratton says, thc waves became worse. on ac-
count of the shallow wafer ant az times members
of the lfe-saving crew. sitting in their boat. could
not see the Opmasts of the vessel short distance
boat under the stern of the schooner and to make
fast. While the effort WAS being made a huge
3D. nd ps-.r
the schooner. The llfcboat was swept past between
pieces one OF the crew Frank Guerlis, Jumped
from the boat upon the schooner. The high wind
from The north and the heavy waves made the NE
4 moment afterwari the nfe-savers seemed to be
lost. The feboat was overturned by huge wave.
and the men were thrown into the water. The
rudder Of the lifeboat was broken. and the oars
quickly succeeded IN reaching ne boat. which
oars. one member Of the crew Richardson. had
already broken his arm. and was unable to reach
the lifohoat He had his life-prcserver on and
hoated toward shore. lie was nearly dead from
ex haustou when he reached shore. but Will recover
beating shorcward In a southeastcrly direction was
overturned again. This time all The oars were lost
INTO IN boat rishtei 1t ami noaef TO within 2o) feet
time. The men. with the aid OF their fep preservers
hoated ashore ..,. .,,.-.o,, ,Ao no.. -.,. .-...
from Racine arrived here with one OF their boats
The tugs knight Temniar. Captain Roeden. and
Zimmerman. captain sweeney. were ready. eaCh
with a scow They had 1--WE barrels of oil and in
tended 70 dump the oil the lake near the boat
The Racine boat. Il was Intended. should 20 out
under the protection Of the scows and tugs. using
them = sort Of breskwater In the effort 70 reach
the schooner and rescue the The Racine men.
however. hrough, surfboat instead Of feboai.
and n surfhoat useless Ciewed up In the top
sails. many feet above tho submerged deck with
waves roaring beneath them. with the chill north
wind cutting through the thin % the
marrow. haif-siarvci ana nearly frozen the people
in the rigging seemed 20 await with crazel calm
ness the releas" from their perous position
At N O'Clock the lfe-saying crew went out
again and finally managed 70 reach tho boat Only
rec or 'he members ~ the could be
stl' clirgrg the rigging. and Frank tiucrlls
~ tho .lfc-ssvlnG crew. had also been abe 20 hold
on Two of those above water were dead. and were
not brought - shore Tho only two finally saved
are Ro5er, Patterson and Frank Guords.