The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-08

Buffalo. n. Y, Nov. THE follow
ing are the names of 16 of the 10 men
who lost their lives on the steamer
Idaho, which sank during the gale on
Saturday morning above Long Point,
on Lake Erie: Alexander Giles, cap
tain. Buffalo: George Gibson, first
mate. Buffalo: William Clancy, chief
)engineer. Buffalo; John d. Taylor,
steward. Buffalo; Nelson Skinner, first
assistant engineer; Louis Gilmore,
watehman; Richard Mclean, wheel
man; Robert Williams, wheelman; A.
j. Richard, lookout; Henry Thompson,
lookout; Conrad B., Tanker, fireman;
William Gregory, fireman; John Holly,
assistant steward; Frederick Miffort
oiler: Edward Smith, deck hand, Roch-
ester, y. Y; NJ. Bell. deck hand.
The names of three of the men
drowned are unknown to the steam
ship company. One was fireman.
another a deck hand and a third a
porter The names of the two men
saved are: Louis La Force, Junior
second mate, and William Gill, deck
hand, living at 1871 Kent street, Roch-
ester, n. Y. 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 commission
three or four years ago, but this sum-
mer she was thoroughly Overhauled.
After her Overhauling she was placed
at the disposal of the Naval Veterans
association and by that association
used as q flagship during the @. a. R.
encampment in August. AT the close
of the encampment she was put into
commission again as a freishter.
The captain Of the Inflated steamer,
Alexander ellis. was one of the most
widely known of lake seamen. He was
Al years of age and knew the lake
waters like a book. His brother, Don
aid ellis. is captain of the steamer
Harlem.
When the steamer Mariposa arrived
in port about midnight last night, with
the news of the disaster to the Idaho.
and having on board the two surviving
members of the crew. Captain Root
had this to say regarding the storm on
the lake and the rescue of the two
men:
TERRIBLE GALE.
1T was one Of the worst gales I ever
experienced in all my years on the
lakes. We started from Chicago with
a load of oats All the way down the
lakes we had a fight with the storm
and I thought once or twice of putting
in somewhere until it blew over. / am
glad l did not, for | fear if l had these
two men who came down with me
would have to join their mates by this
tima.
1T was about 1890 o'clock in the
afternoon when 1 first learned Of the
wreck of the Idaho. | was on deck
when my first mate. MyrOn Chamber
lain. came to me and told me that he
had sighted a spar off TO the north ana
that he thought there was a couple of
.Te - r-7+..
to me and when | got the glasses on
ii ! cO3ild distinguish the men plainly.
We We're running under a good head
of steam al the dime and / put on more
and headed for the spar.
When nearing it l was puzzled how
TO help the mel off, for / could not
lower a boat in such a 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
twisted about the mast and almost
frozen fast 10 it.
When We got the men on board we
put them in hunks and gave them
some warm food and SOUP and had
them feeling pretty good physically
when we reached the harbor"
William GILL the rescued deck hand
? swarthy, well-3uilt man % years ola:
has sailed the lakes since he was a
youth. He is more intelligent than the
average seafaring man, and his story
Of the disaster as told early this morn
ing is q thrilling enc.
DECK HANDS STORY.
we left here Friday night. bound
for Chicago with a cargo of general
merchandise" said he -Everythfns
seemed all right until we got outside
The breakwater, and then we were
struck by the worst storm | ever saw.
When the first big breaker struck us
we were tossed up in the air like a ton
and a second later a big roller came
over the port bow and rolled down
amidships & fOec deep. The wind
shHeked and ho@led, but we did 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 kent
on his course.
AS we headed up the lake dead
against the gale, it appeared to be
getting worse every minute The waves
were running high and the wind threw
the tops from the breakers like dust.
I'VE moved slowly against the heavy
wind and sea, and when we were we'll
UP the lake we found that the boaf
was making water. 1t kept coming
faster and faster and the bilpa rnnone
and every minute the ship kept get
ting less buoyant and the big rollers
continued breaking over her.
We We're near Long Poin1 at this
time and the captain started to puf in
there with the intention of beachina
the Snip. But the water gained SO
rapidly that
IT WAS TOO LATE.
She was already laborng and the two
men at the wheel could do nothino
with her Two more men went n
work With them and finally they
brought her around and headed her
toward land.
Captain Giilis started the pumns
ordered the men TO get the fire buck-
cts and we formed a line and began