The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-06-20

though tho wind
and sea were against her attempted to
pass between the piers to the narrow
entrance Of the canal.
Watchers on shore, among them surf
men Of the ship canal station, saw the
schooner tagging to the leeward and sur
missed that she would miss the entrance.
She kept on and struck the leeward
pier with force that stove q hole in her
bow. The sea lifted her and hurled her
second time against the pier, but she
managed to stand out into the lake,
where she let so both anchors. One chain
parted immediately, and single anchor
not being enough to hold her, she drag
ged down the lake along shore. Having
the fortune to drift into shoal water, the
anchor fetched her up about five miles
from the life saving station. Leaking
badly, with all hands at the pumps, and
rolling and pitching terribly, she had
barely come to anchor when the gallant
lifeboat Of the ship canal station was
alongside. Having started with sail and
almost lost their mast in the terrible SOU
easter, the life savers were astounded to
find the captain of the schooner about to
send off his yawl with messenger to
bring tug. Only by dint Of hard row
ing with a powerful crew had the life
boat ridden the fearful breakers
The keeper of the surf crew told the
skipper that no tug would venture out
in that sea; but, although the schooner
was leaking at a rate sure to swamp her,
he offered to remain alongside for the
worst if the captain would not consent
to go ashore in the ifeboat with his
men. This he refused to do and insisted
on sending his own yawl, when the
keeper humanely offered to set the mes
senger ashore at the nearest point. Max
ing for a sand beach close at hand, the
su1fmen soon found the breakers too
heavy even for their stanch craft and
were obliged to ride before the wind to-
ward lee under the bluffs far down the
lake. While crossing a reef to lee water
a huge comber wrenched an oar from the
hands of one of the rowers and knocked
him down in the boat. Striking the
beach almost Immediately, the boat was
turned broadside to land and hole
knocked in below the water line.
The srrfmen managed to get the boat
upon the beach, and the messenger went
off to the harbor to call a tug. Mean
while the wind veered, and a heavy
snowstorm set in. Although the skipper
had virtually told the life savers to
mind their own business, they were as
persistent in devotion to duty as he was
willful and reckless In order to be
ready for the worst the beach apparatus
was hauled abreast Of the scene, and
this task alone was a most heroic one
Snow and slush covered the ground and
masked the bog holes along the swampy
shore. When the apparatus reached the
spot, the vessel had drifted so far from
shore that it was doubtful if line could
be fred across her in case she grounded.
The lifeboat was useless, and there was
no way Of communicating with the peo-
pie on the ship. Night closed in, and a
fire was built On the beach. Half the
crew took up the vigil while the others
returned to the station to get some food
and also to bring the surfboat to the
beach if possible. This last proved more
difficult than the hauling Of the appara-
tus The breakers drove upon the shore
with such tremendous force that the lit
tie craft was hurled back again and
again. 1t was then loaded on wagon
and hauled part Of the way across the
neck of land lying between the canal
and the scene of operations.
On the last mile of the journey the
road proved impossible for the wagon,
and the surfmen dragged the boat like a
sledge the rest Of the way. A hole was
stove in her by striking a snow covered
rock, and thus the life savers found
themselves with two unsound boats and
auseless beach apparatus to face wreck
now threatening to collapse at any mo-