Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-09
WRECKED.
A Vessel Torn to Pieces By the
Waves on Lake Michigan, aud Six
of the Crew We're Drowned.

MUSKEGON. Mich. November S-The
schooner Waukesha broke up while try
ing to ride out the gale at anchor near
here last night, and only one survivor Of
her crew of seven has been rescued. He
is still too weak TO talk. The vessel had
a load of salt and apples. which was
taken on at Mainstee Saturday morning.
At two o'clock yesterday afternoon she
was sighted running with the gale under
torn mainsail. An attempt was made
TO enter Muskegon harbor. but the
shooner drifted a mile south of the piers
and then anchor was dropped. She was
riding three-quarters Of a mile from shore
at dark The engineer and fireman of the
city pumping station watched the lights
until nine o'clock last night, when they
disappeared Shortly afterwards wreck
age began coming in and to-day nothing
can be seen of the los boat above the
water where she anchored. All night long
the wreckage continued to come up on the
beach, and five bodies have been recov-
cred The names of the dead cannot be
learned. as nothing about the clothing will
identify them. The surviving sailor was
washed ashose unconscious and nothing
can be learned from him.
The Waukesha is one of the old fleet Of
"Canalers" and true to all tradition. she
has taken almost her entire crew down
with her in her last disaster. She was
owned by +. II. Head, of Chicago, and
was formerly known as the Nabob. She
was built i'm Mantowoc in 1864 and rated
295 tons She had a valuation Of $500 and
was given an insurance rating of 81. She
has been engaged in the salt trade be-
tween Ludington and Mainstee and Chi
cago for JOY, Morton & CO. all the season.
This evening Frank Delach. the only
survivor of the wreck, made affidavit to
the effect that there were seven men
aboard the Waukesha. Captain Duncan
Corbett the mate, four seamen and a col
ored cook. When they arrived off Muske-
gon Delach said the captain. mate and
some of the sailors were very drunk. They
signalled for a tug. but showed no dis
tress signals, and no tug under these cir
cumstances started out in the heavy sea.
The captain anchored a mile south Of
Muskegon harbor. The craft began leak
ing badly, but the captain refused 10 light
the torch to make known their condition
to the life saving crew. The crew donned
life preservers. their yawl boat having
been washed away. They let go the large
anchor cable and the schooner drifted to-
wards shore somewhat with the smaller
anchor dragging gradually. all hands taxi
ing to the forward rigging. The craft,
however. began sinking rapidly. and a
sudden lurch threw some Of the men from
the foremost. As part of them chung to
the rigging the nNIin topmast broke Off
and fell upon them striking some Of them
and sweeping all into the lake. Delach
said he contrved TO get together raft
from the wreckage, to which five of the
men hung for a time. They dragged the
captain with them, but he was too help
Iessly drunk to hold on, and they had to
drop him. Delach and one other sailor
stood on till o'clock i'm the morning, but
finally the other man gave up and sank
and Delach was shortly afterward taken
off by the life saving crew.