The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-08

he was a youth. He IL more intellisent
than the average seafaring man and
his story of the disaster as told early
this morning is a thrilling one.
we left here Friday night bound for
Chicago, with cargo of general mer-
chandlse," said he, Everything SEEM
ed all right until We got outside the
breakwater and then we were struck by
the worst storm l ever saw, When the
first big breaker struck us we were
tossed up In the air like a top and
second later a big roller came over the
port bow and rolled down amidships a
foot deep. The wind shrieked and
howled, but we did not pay much at
tention TO the storm. We had felt wind
before The captain consulted with
the mate and decided that he could
weather II and he kept on his course,
"As we headed up the lake dead
against the gale 1t appeared TO be get
ting worse every minute. The waves
were running high and the wind threw
the tops from the breakers like dust.
1--WE moved slowly against the heavy
wind and sea and when we were well
up the lake we found that the boat was
making water. II kept coming faster
and faster and the bllge pumps were
put to work, but the water gained and
every minute the ship kept getting less
buoyant and the big comers continued
breaking over her,
I'VE were near Long Point at this
time and the captain started to put In
there with the intention OF benching the
ship. But the water gained so rapidly
that It was too late. She was already
laborlng and the two men at the wheel
could do nothing with her. Two moro
men went to work with them and final
ly they brought her around and head
ed her toward land.
Captain Gillles started the pumps,
ordered the men to the fire buckets and
we formed line and began to bail, but
It was no use. The water gained on the
bumps 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 to 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 face of
hurricane and when Captain Glllies
decided to do It. he ordered the lashinS
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 10
pay out, but the sea was too heavy and
Instead of the anchor catching with
firm grip and bringing the ships head
up TO the storm with Jerk, 1t went too
slow and simply tumbled into the
trough OF the sea, which broke over her
in torrents.
THE SHIP KEELED OVER.
an an instant she was helpless. The
load was too much and the ship keeled
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
Eo under ! went for the rigging and
went up as fast as could. Another man
went with me-the second mate. There
was rolling to and fro. thought she
was going all the way over. but she did
not. She settled on the bottom and
though the waves rolled her from port
to stnrboard. the spar remained out OF
water with my mate and myself cling
Ing to Il.
IAN this time the hail and sleet was
coming down In cutting sheet and we
were covered with ice In n few minutes
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 us Ike shot.
when daylight came we could not
see n sail anywhere near US and the
sea was as bad as ever. Hour after hour
we waited there and then we saw the
Mariposa coming.
"Whcn she finally sighted us and we
saw her head for us, tried TO tell my
mate. but / could not and he looked at
me with happy look on his face. II
was terrible time to us before she
came up 20 us.
when the Mariposa got within q
cable length OF us a man yelled to us to
hang on.
"'Don't give up, he yelled, and we'll
get you on soon
"Then the boat circled around us,
coming as near as she could hut big
roller swept her far out and she went
Off to starboard. Then she came back
again and again she missed us, on the
third trip around she ran right along
side our spar and as she went past
dozen men reached us"
The second mate, Louis La Torce,told
q narrowing story to the crew OF the
Marlposa. He said that In the rush OF
men from the hold, one OF them,
watchman. was trampled to death. The
crew was frantic 20 get out of the
Mace. Six or eight, he said. must have
been drowned like rats In the hold.
They were not warned OF the sinkihs
~ tho boat The first long dip OF the
Stern was the FIRST intimation they had
that the final danger was at hand and
then they made frantic rush to get
on dcck The hatchway was too small
to let them through together and the
result was that one OF them was tram
pIcd 10 death and several were left to
drown.
1NTf amman