The morning call., 1895-02-04
Tugs Could Not Break Forth From
the Calumet.
GREAT THE EXCITEMENT In CHICAGO.
Stories That Men We're Seen Moving on
the Wreck and Firing Guns Could
Not Be Verified.


of observers had declared was the hull of
the lost Chicora and when darkness came
on, the lake was being searched in the
hope that the story would prove true. The
report that the wreck of the missing
steamer had been seen reached the city
through the medium of the fire depart
ment. 1t was telephoned to Chief Swee-
MES office in Chicago by Captain M. J.
Powers OF Engine Company No. IA, which
is located at South Chicago. Shortly be-
fore IL O'Clock in the forenoon the attention
of Captain Powers was called to a dark
object far out in the lake and about OPP
posite the mouth of the Calumet River.
The object, a long black line like the hull
of vessel, rose and fell with the swell of
the sea.
The rumor spread in South Chicago that
the wreck of the Chicora was in view and
In very short time crowds gathered along
the shore and glasses were focused on the
object which was drifting rapidly toward
the southeast. Captain Powers sent a
message to the chief of the department
The tireboat Calumet was sent out early in
the afternoon and a number of other tugs
among them the Protection and the Nor
ford, left the mouth of the Chicago River
and steamed as fast as possible to South
Chicago to search for the wreck. In the
meantime an effort was made to send out
tugs from South Chicago, but it was un-
successful on account of the ice. The fire
boat Chicago was lying in the Calumet
but between it and the open lake was over
half mile of river frozen from bank to
bank, the ice being several feet thick. The
Chicago could make no impression upon
the ice. She was afterward joined by the
tugs Holiday and Heisler, but the three
combined were unable to make any head
way and the attempt to reach the lake was
given up. While these efforts were being
made the supposed wreck had passed out
of sight. When last seen it was in mass
of floating ice, which was being carried by
the current toward the southern end of the
lake, its course being slightly toward the
east.
At-4 P NJ. the Baltimore and Ohio Com
pany offered to place train at the service
of the authorities to carry rescuing parties
to the stations along its line in Indiana
which are close to the lake. Captain
Jenkins and a detail of policemen and sew
eral firemen from South Chicago compa-
MES availed themselves of the offer of the
railroad company, and shortly after 4
o'clock an engine and one car started for
Miller, Ind, which lies close to the lake and
is about ten miles east of Whiting. 1t was
believed from the direction in which the
supposed wreck was drifting when last seen
from South Chicago that it would come
ashore in the neghborhood of Miller. Cap
tain Powers, in an interview described the
supposed wreck as long black line against
the field of ice.
81 do not say that it was the hull of the
Chicora," he said, ''but it had the appear
ance of the half submerged hull OF YES
sci. 1t was about the length of vessel
like the Chicora, but could not see it dis
tinctly enough to make out definitely what
position it was in. 1t appeared to be hull
with all the upper works gone, and upon
it could be seen several black Objects
which might be taken for human beings
but as there was no sign of life | thought
at the time that it was the hull of the
Chicora, and l think so yet. 1t seemed to
be drifting fast, and when I-saw it first it
seemed to me to be about three miles out
| have seen several persons this afternoon
who saw and declared that living men
could be seen on it, but | saw nothing to
indicate that there was anything on it that
was alive"
A. j. Davenport, the keeper of the light
house at the mouth of the Calumet,
watched the object for more than an hour,
but he was unable to see whether it was
the hull of vessel or not
During the day there was great excite
| N n dc ri al,a1
to the tops of their houses in order to get a
view of what they believed to be the wreck
OF the Chicora. Along the shore as far as
One Hundredth street the crowds stood in
the bitter cold wind and the binding snow
storm, which began in the latter part of
the afternoon. When it began to grow
dark crowd of several hundred on the
shore at One Hundred and Eighth street
built huge fire in the hope of attracting
the attention of the people on the supposed
wreck, If any of them were alive All
sorts OF rumors were circulated through
the town and scores of persons could be
found who saw, or said they saw, living
men on the wreck and walking about on
the ice which surrounded it. Some had
counted the men, and the number varied
from fifteen to twenty five, or nine more
than the crew and passengers of the miss
ing steamer. There were some who said
they had seen the men on the wreck
making signals and had even heard shots
flred as an appeal for help. None of these
stories could be verified and they were
totally at variance with the testimony of
the police and tug men who had watched
the object through glasses.
Captain jenkins of the Vessel-owners'
Towing Company at $50 P. M. reported
the search and quoting Captain Consaul's
words IN making his report Captain Jen-
Klns SAID; I'VE found nothing at all; saw
nothing but seagulls and ice. "
report, however, is in circulation COM
ing from Miller, Ind, to the effect that
some persons there not only saw the
wreck, but could make out the name Chi
cora, but this is not verified.