The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-11-10
NINETEEN
LIVES LOST.
The Steamer Idaho Goes Down
in Lake Erie.
The Second rlate and a Deck Hand
Succeeded In Hanging to the
Rigging Until Rescued.
NJ. n..-.nA hx h. Ctaa0tar
They Were Rescued by the Steamer
Madposa Late Saturday
Afternoon.
NAMES OF THE WcTIns LOST

foundered off Long Point on Lake Erie
during furious gale at 4 o'clock Sat
urday morning. The second mate and
one sailor, who succeeded in hanging to
the rigging, were rescued by the steam
er Mnriposa late Saturday afternoon
and brought here. The rest of the
crew, Numbering 10. were undoubtedly
drowned.
The following are the names of 16 of
the 10 men who were lost
Alexander ellis, captain. Puffalo
George Gibson, first mate, Euffalo.
William Clancy, CHER engir eer, Buff
falo.
John d. Taylor, steward, Buffalo.
Nelson Skinner, first assistant engi-
neer.
Louis Gilmore, Waterman.
Richard Mclean, wheelman.
Robert Williams. wheelman.
A. 1. Richard, lookout.
Henry Thomson, lookout
Conrad Banker, fireman.
William Gregory, fireman.
John Healy, assistant steward.
Frederick Miffort, oiler.
Edward Smith, deckhand, Rochester.
M. Bell, deokhand
The names of three of the men
drowned are unknown to the steam
ship company. One was fireman, an
other a deckhand and the third a
porter.
The names of the two men saved are !:
Louis Laforce, Jr., second mate.
William Gill, deckhand, living at
1877 Kent street, Rochester.
Il is not known at the Office Of the
Western Transit company, where the
greater portion of the dead men hailed
from.
The Idaho went out of commission
three or four years ago, but this sum,
mer she was thoroughly oyerhauled.
After her overhaulinR she was placed
at the disposal Of the Naval Veterans
association and by that organization
used as flagship during the G. A. r.
encampment in August. At the close
of the encampment she was put into
commission again as freighter
The captain of the Inflated steamer,
Alex ellis, was one of the most widely
known Of lake seamen. He was al
years old and knew the lake waters like
a book His brother, Donald ellis, Is
captain of the steamer Harlem.
When the steamer Mariposa arrived
in port with the news of the disaster to
the Idaho and having on board the two
surviving members of the crew, Cap.
tain Root had this to say regarding the
storm on the lake and the rescue of the
two men:
1T was one of the worst gales ever
experienced in all my years on the
lakes. We started from Chicago with
load of oats. All the way down the
lakes we had fight with the storm and
l thought once or twice of putting in
somewhere until it blew over. am
glad | did not for fear II had these
two men who came down with me
would have had to Join their mates by
this time.
at was 10 30 Saturday afternoon
when first learned of the wreck of the
Idaho. was on deck when my first
mate, Myron Chamberlain came to me
and told me he had sighted spar off to
the north. and that he thought there
were a couple OF men clinging to it, He
pointed il out TO me and when got the
glasses ON il could distinguish the men
plainly We were running under a
good head of steam at the time and l
put on more and headed for the spar
When nearing it was puzzled how
lower boat in such storm Finally
| circled about the spar until l ran
alongside, and my men picked the poor
fellows off. They had to drag them
away from the spar by force, for the
men had been there so long that their
arms had become numb and were twist
ed about the mast and almost frozen
fast to IL.
When we got the men ON board we
put them in hunks and gave them some
warm food and soups, and had them
feeling pretty good physically when we
reached harbor."
William Gill. the rescued deckhand.
swarthy well built man, 20 years old,
has sailed the lakes since he was a
youth. He is more intelligent than the
average seafaring man and his story OF
the disaster is thrilling one.
.'We left here Friday night bound
for Chicago with cargo of general
merchandise" said he. Everything
seemed all right until we got outside
the breakwater and then we were
struck by the worst storm that ever
saw When the first big breaker struck
US we were tossed mp IN the air like .
top and second later big roller came
over the port bow and rolled down
amidbnip3 AOOt uotp. Inc WIN
shrieked and howled but we did not
pay much attention to the storm. We
had felt wind before. The captain con-
suited with the mate and decided that
he could weather 1t and he kept on his
course.
AS we headed up the lake dead
against the gale II appeared TO be get
ting worse every minute. The waves
were running high and the wind threw
the tops from the breakers like dust.
We moved slowly against the heavy
wind and sea and when we were well
up the lake we found that the boat was
making water II kept coming faster
aud fastor and the bllge pumps were
put to work. but the water gained and
every minute the ship kept getting less
buoyant and the big corners continued
breaking over her.
eve were near Long Point at this
time and the oaptain started TO put In
there with the intention OF Bleaching the
ship. But the water gained 10 rapidly
that e was too late. She was already
iabonnn and the two men IL iho wheel