Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-08

had sighted a spar off to the north
and that he thought there was
4 COUPLE OF MEN
clinging TO it. He pointed it out to
me, and when / got the glasses on it
| could distinguish the men plainly.
We were running under good head
Of steam at the time. and / put On
more and headed for the SPAR
When nearing it was puzzled how
to help the men off, for | could not
lower boat in such st-rm. Final
ly l circled around 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 twisted about the mast and al
most frozen fast to it.
when we got the men on board we
put them in hunks and gave them
some warm foods and soups, and hac
them feeling pretty good physically
when we reached harbor.'
William Gill, the rescued deck hand,
a swarthy, we'll built man, SO years
old, has sailed the lakes since he wa.
a youth. He is more intelligent than
the average seafaring man, and his
story of the disaster. as told early this
morning, is thrilling one.
I'VE left here Friday night bound
for Chicago with a cargo of general
merchandise. said he. Everything
seemed all right until we got out
side the breakwater and then we were
struck by
THE WORST STORM
that ever saw. When the first big
breaker struck us we were tossed up
in the air like a top and a second later
a big roller came over the port bow
and rolled down amidsnips a foot
deep. The wind shrieked and howled,
but we cid not pay much attention to
the storm. We had felt wind before.
The captain consulted with the mate
and decided that he could weather it
and he kept on his course.
LAS we headed up the lake dead
against the gale ii appeared to be get
ting worse every minute. The waves
were running high ard the wind threw
the tops from the breakers like dust.
I'VE moved slowly against the heavy
wind and sea and when we were well
up the lake we found that the boat
was making water. 1t kept coming
faster and faster and the bilge pumps
were put to work, but the water gain
ed and every minute the ship kept
getting less buoyant and the big COM
ers continued breaking over her.
I'VE were near Lcng Point at this
time and the captain started to put in
tbere with the intention of Bleaching
tie ship. But the water gained SC rap
iGly that it was too late. She was al
ready laboring and the two men at the
wheel could GO nothing with her. Two
more men went to work with them
and finally they brought her around
and headed her toward land.
Captain Gillies started the pumps,
ordered the men to the fire buckets,
ard we formed a line and began to
bale, but il was no use. The water
gained on the pumps and the buckets
and soon the water put the fires out.
when it was found that the power
was gone and that the Idaho could not
be moved we knew we could not live
in the trough of that fearful sea, and
the only hope left was 10 run out the
anchor and bring her head up to the
sea and let her ride out the gale.
Every seaman realized the danger
Of attempting to do that in the face
of a hurricane, and when Captain Gill
lies decided to do it. he ordered the
lashing of the boats cut and told the
men they were forced to take
ONE LAST CHANCE
for their lives.
at the word the anchor dropped
from the bow and the chain began to
pay out, but the sea was too heavy
and instead Of tie anchor catching
with a firm grip and bringing the
ships head up to the storm with a
Jerk. il went too slow and simply
tumbled into the trough Of the sea.
which broke over her in torrents.
In an instant she was helpless. The
load was too much and the ship keel
ed over to the starboard and went
down stern first.
What became Of my mates ! do not
know Maybe they did not leave the
ship at all | was near the spar. and
when the stern of the vessel began to
20 under | went for the rigging and
went up as fast as | could Another
man went with me-the second mate.
There was a rolling to and fro.
thought she was going al the way over
but she did not She settled on the
bottom and though the waves rolled
her from port TO starboard. the spar
remained out Of the water with my
mate and myself clinging to it.
"All this time
THE HAIL AND SLEET
was coming down in a cutting sheet and
We were covered with Ice in a few min
utes. for though the top Of the spar on
which we were hanging was twenty-five
feet above the water, The big waves struck
US and the hail cut lis like shot.
When daylight came We could not see
a sail anywhere near Us. and the sea was
as bad as ever Hour after hour we walt
ed there and then We saw the Mariposa
coming.
when she finally sighted us we saw
her head for us. ! tried 70 tell my mate
but | could not and he looked at me with