The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-12-02

while steaming up Detroit River from
Lake Erie to St. Clair, she had burst
her seams by running upon sunken
anchor in the ehallows. The leak
proved so threatening that Skipper
Green put in nt Detroit, patched up
the injury and took aboard a wreck
ing pump in the hope Of keeping his
vessel afoat until she would reach her
destination. All went we'll until the
Calumet left the straits of Maokinac
and entered Lake Michigan. Then
the storm broke in all its fury and the
thermometer dropped suddenly to
twenty degrees below the freezing
point. A tremendous sea was stirred
up by the gale and the steamer, labor
ing in cross see, pitched and rolled
so violently that her timbers were
strained and the woun led seams opened
afresh. With ali the pumps working
at their full capacity the ship con-
tinued to fill and soon got beyond
control OF her master. However, she
made the vicinity OF Milwaukee not
long after darkness came on Thanks.
giving Eve, going quite easily before
the gale as she shaped her course for
the harbor. But tue weather was SO
thick that, even close up, the keen
eyed watchman could not make out
the harbor lights. In the emergency
Captain Groen decided to head for
Chicago. Tho ships course was,
therefore, changed again, bringing
her once more into violent GROSS sea.
To add to the ev Is of the situation the
wrecEing pump. upon which all de-
pended, gave out at the very moment
when II was most needed. The water
gained rapidly on the ordinary ships
pumps, so that II became only O ques-
tion OF time, and very short time at
that, when the Calumet would go down
, in the deep waters OF the lake. There
was an alternative, frightful to think
Of. but yet preferable to laundering
beyond all reach OF aid. That was to
take chances and beach the helpless
ship. Putting on steam tho captain
headed for land and the vessel grounded
easily 1000 yards from the bluffs oppo-
site Fort Sheridan, Illinois. It was then
half-past 10 o'clock at night. One
danger still threatened, that was that
the lifting and pounding of the terri
BILE seas would break the vessel 10
pieces, bit by bit, before daylight and
sueeor should como. Although heavy
with the water in the hold and her
full cargo, still she moved. In order
to steady her tho captain opened all
the valves in the bottom 80 that she
filed completely and rested like huge
rock in the sand. What a prospect
those eighteeen helpless men had be-
fore them for that long and terrible
night. The waves beat upon every
part of the chip, the thermometer was
still falling aud the decks and rails
and cabin roofs were covered with ice
from the freezing sprSy. There were
boats on board, those frail skiffs car
ried upon lake steamers, but to have
risked lives in them in that terrible
sea wonld have been madness.
The life-saving station nearest the
scene of the wreck is at Evanston, Ill.
twelve miles from Fort Sheridan. il
is a station of the United States ooasi
life guard, under q regular keeper ex'
perienced in the perilous duty, bui
tho crew consists of volunteers from
among the students of the Northwest
ern Academy.
Al the time of the wreck Keeper
Lswrence o. Lawson was in charge ol
the station and the following six volun
seer surfmen were subject to his call
George Crosby, William f. Ewing
Jacob Loining, W. J.. Wilson, F. M
Kendig and Thomas M. Webb. SooI
after midnight Keeper Lawson re
ceived telegram from Highland Park