Evening journal., 1897-11-08
THE IDAHO SINKS.
Wreck Of Lake Erie Freighter
Costs Nineteen Lives.
TWO MEN CLING HOURS TO A SPAR.
When Saved They Were So Cold and
Benumbed That They Had TO Be
Pulled by Force From Their
Perilous Position.

BUFFALO Nov. SIN one Of the
worst storms on Lake Erie the steamer
Idaho of the Western Transit line foun-
dered in eight fathoms Of water OF
Long point. very dangerous promon-
tory about 65 miles west Of here. or
the crew but two were saved. These
clung to a spar for eight hours. when
they were discovered by the lookout on
the Mariposa OF the Minnesota line. The
captain of the Idaho was among those
lost.
The names Of the drowned men are;
Alexander Gillies, captain. Bunaioi
William Clancy chief engineer, Buff
falo; John d. Taylor. steward, Buifaloi
Nelson skinner, first assistant engineer;
Louis Gilmore watchman; Richard NC
Lean, wheelsman; Robert Williams
wheelsman; A. ]. Richard. lookout;
Henry Thomson. lookout; Conrad Blan-
kerr fireman; William Gregory. fire.
man. John Healy. assistant steward;
Frederick Miffort. oileri Edward Smith,
deckhand, Rochester; NJ. Bell, deck
hand. The names OF three of the men
drowned are unknown to the steamship
company. one was a fireman, another
a deckhand and the third a porter.
Louis La Force, 1r.. second mate, and
William Gill, a deckhand, living at lS'
Kent street, Rochester.
1t 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 commits
sion three or four years ago, but this
summer she was thoroughly over
hauled. After her overhauling she was
placed at the disposal Of the Naval
Veterans association and by that or
ganization used as the flagship during
the G. A. r. encampment in August
At the close OF the encampment she
went into commission again as a
freighter
The captain of the i'll fated steamer
Alexander Gillies. was one Of the most
widely known OF the lake seamen He
was Al years old and knew the lake
waters like a book His brother, Dom
aid Gillies. is captain Of the steamer
Harlem.
When the big steel steamer Mariposa
arrived I'm port with the news of the
disaster to the Idaho, and having on
board the two surviving members OF
the crew, Captain Root of the Marlposa
had this to say regarding the storm on
the lake and the rescue of the two
men:
1T was one of the worst gales I ever
experienced in all my years on the
lakes. We started from Chicago with
n load Of oats. All the way down the
lake we had fight with the storm. anc
Il thought once or twice OF putting IN
somewhere until It blew over. I'm glac
I didn't. for / fear that II 1 mad these
two men who came down with ms
would have gone to Join their mates
by this time.
"I was on deck when my first mate
Myron Chamberlain. came to see M
and told me that he had sighted a spa
\ off to the north and that he though
there were a couple of men clinglng Z
IT, He pointed Il out TO me. and when
! got the glasses on IL I could distinguish
, the men plainly We were running un
der a good head OF steam at the time
and I put on more and headed for tn
spar.
when I got near, I was puzzled hoy
10 help the men off, for could not low
! pr boat In such a storm. Finally / cir
rled about the spar until / ran along
ride, and my men picked the poor Eel
: lows Off. They had to drag them ava
from the spar by force, for they ha
been there so long that their arms ha
become almost dead and were twiste
about the mast and almost frozen fas
10 it. When we got them on board, W
= put them in hunks and gave them som
: warm food and soups and had then
feeling pretty good physically when W
reached harbor."
4 William Gill, the rescued deckhand,
swarthy well built man. % years old
4 has sailed the lakes since he was
= youth. He Is more intelligent than tn
II average seafaring man, and his story O
/ The disaster is thrilling one.
1--WE left here. bound for Chicago wit
II cargo Of general merchandise" sal
4 he. Everything seemed all right unit
we got outside the breakwater, and the
we were struck by the worst storm tina
ever saw. When the first big breake
struck us we were tossed up In the ai
like a top, and a second later bi
toller came over the port bow and role
y down amidships a foot deep. The win
y shrieked and howled. but we did no
II pay much attention TO the storm. w
g had felt wind before The captain con
suited with the mate and decided tina
we could weather it, and he kept on hi
(, Courso.
q "As we headed up the lake. dea
ngainst the gale. it appeared TO be get
ting worse every minute. The wave
were running high and the wind thre'
tho tops from the breakers like dust.
N 1--WE moved slowly against the heav
N wind and sea, and when we were we
IL up the lake we found that the boat wa
al making water. IL kept coming taste
l. and faster. and the bilge pumps wer
N put to work. but the water gained an
Is Every minute the ship kept getting les
Is buoyant and the big combers keI
u breaking over her.
Of I'VE were near Long point at tn
time. and the captain started to put
there with the intention of beaching Il
Fhip But the water gained so rapid
that it was too late. She was alread
~ laborlng. and the two men at the whe
~ could do nothing with her. A coup
Vi more men went to work with them, an
re finally they brought her around an
u headed her toward land.
'l' Captain Gillies started the pump
lh ordered the men to the firebuckets an
Z ne formed a line and began to bail, bl
sd It was no use. The water gained on Il
in pumpe and the buckets and soon Il