Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-01
DROWNED IN SIGHT OF LAND
Barge Founders and All Grew But Captain,
Cook and Mate Go Down.
STEAMER sUMATRA SINKS NEAR HARBoR
Fearful storm on Lake Michigan
Creates Havoc Among shipping
and Already Hns Cost theb
Lives of Four Men.


MILWAUKEE, Sept. SO.-The barse
Sumatra consoH OF the b. w. Arnold bound
down from Chicago, with a load of rail
road iron, foundered eff the government pier
here this morning Four sailors were
| drowned The captain. mate and cook were
rescued by the life saving crew.
The Sumatra was bound for Milwaukee
loaded with railroad iron, and intended
picking up the Hattie Well here. She was
leaking on her way up and had the pumps
working all night. The sea was running
| high and the crew had great difficulty in
| keeping her from sinking.
When she reached South Point she got
in the trough of the sea, and in short time
| her matches were washed off and her rails
carries away. The steamer sounded her
whistles. and the tug Simpson at once put
| out for the wreck The sea at that time was
running very high and great difficulty was
| experienced in getting near the sinking
| barge. Just as the Simpson reached the
| Sumatra she foundered. The tugmen sue
| ceeded in rescuing the cook and mate from
| the wreckage The life saving crew was oil
! hand and worked hard to save the other men
on the barge but all were drowned with
the exception of the captain, who was taken
ashore by the life-savers.
The Sumatra is badly broken up and only
her mast can be seen out of the water now,
The wreck occurred about mile and a half
out from the harbor entrance.
The members of the crew lost were:
ARTHUR BURNSTEAD, West Bay City,
Mich.
CHARLES HEMMER, West Bay City,
Mich
PATRICK PETERSON, West Bay City,
Mich
PETER ANDERSON, West Bay City,
Mich
Captain Charles johnson, West Bay City,
Mich
John Burbeck, mate of the barge, West
Bay City Mich.
Ira Purser, cook, West Bay City Mich.
The Arnold is now moored in the harbor.
Large crowds of people are congregated in
sheltered spots along the shore looking for
the wreck one mast of which is visible
above the water
VERY STIFF WIND.
The wind reached a velocity of thirty miles
an hour in Milwaukee, blowing straight
from the north. During the night the
barometer dropped to 1898. At this morn
ing the wind was blowing from the north
west at the rate of twenty miles an hour
and the barometer stood 2946.
The Inflated barge went down with
scarcely a moments notice, and, according
to the statement of Captain johnson and
the mate, the crew did not even have time
to mount the rigging after realizing that
the vessel was laundering. "She seemed
TO. go down like a lot of lead all inside
vsH5l, eeoatt sWsffch sAi4 tcapt4in Inhnson de-
heavy breakers. The yawl was half full of
water and was being knocked about in a
desperate manner.
In the meantime the tug Simpson towing
the life boat and crew, was making the
wrack against the heavy sea- Captain Boutina
of the life saving crew discovered the yawi
RAPIDLY drifting toward the breakers, and
at the risk of losing himself, crew ana
boat quickly cut the line which attached
his boat to the tug and began at once
life and death chase for. the drifting yawl
and her human freight After lively run
the life boat overlook the frail craft and
rescued the single occupant Which was
found to be Captain johnson. the pursuit
of the yawl was made by the life boat under
sail, and the members of the crew describe
the race as something decidedly exciting,
dangerous and uncertain as to results we
we're continually being about swallowed up
In the water, and every minute we expected
TO be buried beneath the waves, said one
of the crew in speaking of the trip TINS
morning. The life boat crew then put about
and beat out of the breakers which were
washing over their heads every moment
finally making the harbor under sail. he
life boat was under water about half the
lime" said Captain John Boutina. i nave
never before seen in Milwaukee such break
orc as those we encountered this time Al
times the sea passed entirely over the
house at the lighthouse station, ana inc
piers along the harbor were entirely Gov
cred by water at the time we were out.
previous to taking out the life boat and
crew the tug Simpson made trip 10 ths
Sumatra, having gone out as soon as ths
waning whistle OF the steam barge was
heard. and rescued the mate, Burdick IRON
the sinking barge. Burdlck was found DRIFT
ing among some wreckage'
HOW ONE MAN WAS LOST,
One member of the sumatra's crew was
being rescued by Robert Werley, the engi'
ncer of the tug simpson, VINO was pulilhs
whom a heavy piece of drifting timber struck
the unfortunate fellow and knocked him De
yond reach and he sunk before the tug
could again get near him some heroic
work was done in snort space vi ,iiie w
Cantain Caswell and his crew on the Simp
s1n hut they. like Captain Boutin and his
Iifcsavers, were working against fearfui
The barge sank at 2:4O o'clock She went
down just three-fourths OF mile OH the
harbOr. o,, j.,
The sumatra was bound from Chicago TO
| Fort William and carried cargo of railroad
| iron She had been leaking badly yester-
| day and the pumps were Kept p1sy. cap,
| tain Johnson and crew believed they could
make Milwaukee in safety and would have
done so had 1t not been for the sudden and
| increased severity of the storm atter MD
night.
The steamer Arnold found it impossible
| to do anything for the barge and had TO
make for the harbor without her. 1t is
| claimed that the steamer could not otypossibiy
| have been of any assistance to the other
| after they drfted apart, as the boat was too
| largo to handle at the mouth OF the harbor
| and do any rescue work.
| Captain Boutn placed patrol all along
| the beach early this morning to watch for
| the bodies of the drowned men, which are
| liable to be washed ashore at any time.
! The Sumatra was owned by the Mills
| Transportation company Of Huron Mich.
| she had an insurance valuation in the Inland
! Lloyds register Of $4,000
| FURIOUS GALE on LAKE MICHIGAN.
| Numerous smnu Craft Sunk by the
| Hurricane.
| CHICAGO, Sept. 3O-Great damage to
property and many accidents resulted from
| the furious gale on the lake The most
serious accident In the port OF Chicago