The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-11-08
WRECK o.: THE IDAHO
Nineteen Men Were Lost in q
Terrific Gale.
STORY OF A SURVIVOR
Were at the Mercy of the Waves After
the Fires We're Put Out Helpless
ss Log Clung to Spar for
Hours Until Rescued.

lost their lives on the steamer Idaho,
which sank during the gale ON Satur-
day morning about Long Point. ON
Lake Erie:
Alexander GILES. captain. Buffalo;
George Gibson, first mate. Buffalo;
William Clancy. chief engineer. Buff
falo: John ID. Taylor. steward. Buff
falo: Nelson Skinner. first assistant
engineer; Louis Gilmore. watchman:
Richard Mclean. wheelman; Robert
Williams wheelman A. J. Richard.
lookout Henry Thompson. lookout;
Conrad b. Lanker. fireman; William
Gregory, fireman: John Holly. assist
ant steward; Frederick Miffort. oiler:
Edward Smith. deck hand, Rochester;
NJ. Bell, deck hand.
The names of the two men saved are:
Louis Laforce, junior second mate. and
William Gill. a deck hand, living at
137 Kent street. Rochester. N. y. IL IL
not known at the Office OF the Western
Transit company. where the greater
portion of the dead men hail from.
The Idaho went out of commission
three or four years ago. but this sum-
mer she was thoroughly overhauled.
After her oyerhauling she was placed
at the disposal of the Naval Veterans
association. and by that organization
used as a flagship during the q. A. X.
encampment in August. At the close
of the encampment she was put into
commission again as a freighter. The
captain Of the i'll -fated steamer. Alex
Gillis 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 Donald Gil
lis. IL captain Of the steamer Harlem.
When the steamer Mariposa arrived
In port. about midnight last night. with
the news of the wreck. 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:
1T was one of the worst gales ] 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 ! thought once or twice of putting
| I'm somewhere until II blew over. I am
glad did not. for fear II ! had. these
two men who came down with me
would have To join their mates by this
time
"lt was about 1880 o'clock i'm the
afternoon when I first learned Of the
wreck of the Idaho. ] was on deck
when my first mate, Myron Chamber
lain. came Ia me and told me that he
had sighted a spar off 10 the north and
that he thought there was n couple of
men clinging to IL. He pointed II out
TO me and when ! got the glass on il
] could distinguish the men plainly.
We were running up the lake and
put up steam and made for the spar
When pearing IL was puzzled how
! to help the men on. for | could not
/ IN hauI I'm sttfb a al In lx-
! circled about the spar until | ran
alongside and my men picked the poor
fellows on. They had to drag them
away from the spar by force. for the
men had been there 50 long that their
arms had become numb and were
! twisted about the mast and almost
| frozen fast 10 il. 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 when
we reached harbor."
William Gill, the rescued deck hand.
a swarthy. well-built man 90 years OF
age. has sailed the lakes since he was a
youth. lie Is more intelligent than the
average seafaring man. and his story
of the disaster as told early this morn
ing. is a thrilling one.
I'VE left here Friday night bound for
Chicago with cargo Of general mer-
! chandisc," said he .'Eyerythinp
seemed all right until we got outside
the hreakwater. and then We were
struck by the worst storm I ever saw.
When the first big breaker struck US
we were tossed mp in the air like a
top and second later a big roller came
over the port bow and rolled down
amidship a foot deep. The wind
shrieked and howled. but we did not
pay much attention to the storm. The
captain consulted with the mate and
decided that he could weather Il. and
he kept IN his course.
"As we headed up the lake dead
against the gale II appeared 10 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
sea and when We Were well up the lake
We found that the boat was making
water. II kept coming faster and fast.
er. and the bilge pumps were put e
work. but the water gained and every
minute the ship kept getting less buoy
ant and the big rollers continued break.
ing over her.
We were near Long Point at this
time and the captain started 10 put IN
there with the intention of beachinp
the ship. But the water gained so rap.
idly that IL was too late She was al.
ready lHborng and the two men at tn,
wheel could do nothing with her. Tive
more mon went to work with them, and
finally they brought her around and
headed toward land.
Captain Gillis started the pumps.
ordered the men TO get the fire buck
cts and we formed a line and began
To ball. but II was of no use The water
gained on The pumps and the buckets
and soon the water put the fire out.
When II was found that the power
was gone and the Idaho could not he
moved we knew we could not live I'm
the trough OF that fearful sea. and the
only hone left was to run ou, the an
chor and bring her head up to the sea
and let her ride out the gale. Every
seaman realized the danger Of attempt
ing that in the face Of a hurricane. and
when Captain ellis decided to do H.
he ordered the lashing Of the boats cut
and told the men they were free u
take one last chance for their lives.
"At the word. the anchor dropped
from the bow and the chain began "a
pay out. hut the sea was too heavy and
instead u the anchor catching with a
firm grip and bringing The ships head
up to the stern with jerk Il went toe
slow and simply tumbled into the
trough ~ the sen. which broke over