The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-11-12
SIGNALS SCORNED
Lake Erie the Scene of an
Avoidable Disaster.

Over-Cpnfideuce of the Captain as to the
Weather Qualities of the Craft-WaveS
Mountainous aud the Steamer Became
Helpless Before Going Down with
Mn, teen Men.
Buffalo, Nov. S-The Western Transit
companys steamer Idaho, which lett
Buffalo Friday afternoon for Chicago
laden with package freight, foundered
en- Lalle Erie during furious gale Inc
first Late and one sailor, who succeeded
in reaching the rigging, were rescued
by the Mariposa Saturday AFTERNOON
and were brought here. The balance OF
the crew, numbering 10, were undoupt-
eddy drowned.
CAPTAIN Root had this to say regarding
the storm on the lake and the rescue OF
the two men, who are Louis Laforce and
William Gill: 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.to fight with the storm,
and [ thought once or twice of putting
. In somewhere until it blew over. | am
glad I did not, for 1 fear that If l had
these two men would have Joined their
mates
ut was about 10: 30 Saturday afternoon
when I first learned of the wreck. l was
on deck when my first mate came to me
and told me that he had sighted a spar
off to the north and he thought there
was a couple of men clinging to it. When
I got my glasses on it could distinguish
o1,i ,,1x ~ inc
der a good head of steam, and put on
more and headed for the spar. When I
got near I was puzzled how to help the
men off, for 1 could not lower boat in
such a storm. Finally circled about the
spar until I ran alongside and my men
picked the poor fellows off. They had
to drag them away from the spar by
force, for they had been there so long
that their arms had become almost
paralyzed and were twisted about the
mast and almost frozen fast to it. When
we got them on board we put them in
hunks and gave them warm food and
soups, and had them feeling pretty good
physically when we reached harbor."
The Idaho went out of commission
three or four years ago, but this summer
she was thoroughly overhauled, after
which she was placed at the disposal OF
the Naval Veterans association and by
that organization used as the flagship
during the G. A. R. encampment in Au-
gust. At the close of the encampment
she was put into commission again as a
freighter. The captain of the Inflated
steamer, Alexander Gillies, was one of
the most widely known of the lake sea-
men. He was Al years old and knew the
lake waters like book.
The lost comprise the following: Alex
ander Gillies, captain, Buffalo; George
Gibson, first mate, Buffalo, William
Clancy, chief engineer, Buffalo; John D.
Taylor, steward, Buffalo; Nelson Skin
ner, first assistant engineer; Louis Gil
more, watchman; Richard Mclean,
wheelsman; Robert Williams, wheels
man; j. ]. Richard, lookout; Henry
Thompson, lookout; Conrad Banker, |
fireman; William Gregory. fireman John !
Healy, assistant steward; Frederick |
Miffort, oiler; Edward Smith, deckhand, |
Rochester, N. Y; Mr. Bell, deckhand. |
The names of three of the men drowned
are unknown to the steam ship company.
One was fireman, another deckhand
and a third a porter.