The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-02-17
OUR EOLD SAILORS
Navigators on tho Great Lakes Take
Great Risks,

SEobt AsiShss
The loss of the steamer Idaho on
Lake Erie In last Saturdays gale" said
\ former forwarder of grain and freight
eargoes ON the lakes, is but another
example of the recklessn ess that char
acteriEes lake shippers and sailors, and
of the risks they will take to make all
that Is possible out of a seasons trans
portation. They will start from port
with vessels that are hardly seaworthy
even In fair weather, in the face OF
most threatening weather, and the
weather is almost constantly
threatening on Lake Erie at
ahis time of year. The annual loss of
life and property, although 1t is much
less than formerly. because there are
fewer unseaworthy hulks afioat, is
-portionately larger than 1t Is on the
Atlantic ocean. The reports that fol-
low every severe storm on the lakes are
burnened with disaster.
mo ocean sailor who ever lived
would dare to take the risk that the av-
eraEe lake skipper will. and that not
only without a word Of protest, but
with avtdity. 1t lo2ks sometimes as II
lake sailors rather courted risk and
danger. 1t is fact too, that there are
more unseaworthy craft Drawing the
treacherous waters Of the lakes during
the most dangerous seasons OF the year
October and November-than at any
other time. There@ reason Tor this,
though, for grain shipments are live
Tier as the season draws to a close.
Cargoes are consequently more plenti-
ful and freights higher. Every vessel
that will float can command cargo.
have seen schooners that were hardly
fit to be towed on a canal leave port In
November loaded almost to the guards
with freight. and yet the shippers
would have to refuse many applications
from sailors anxious to sail on the shayy
hulks. There is not a more reckless
class of men on the face OF the earth
than these fresh-water sailors, although
they have the terrible fact constantly
before them that hundreds OF their fel-
lows are lost annually on the lakes,
niAe-tenths Of them going down with
the rotten craft they begged the priv
flege Of sailing on. This fact Is mace
the more startling because Is Is Wen
known that the dangers or lake naVl-
gation-especially navigation on Lake
Erie-are SO great that even the stanch-
est vessels are frequently unable 10
=, weather them. / would rather cross
the Atlantic n dozen times at this sea-
ron than to make one trip from the ST.
Lawrence, river to Chicago.
storms sweep over the lakes with
out any warning. The November gales
on Lake Erie are indescribably fright
ful The shippers depend largey on
landmarks for guides in navigation.
The binding rain or sleet that nearly
always accompanies these storms obllt-
crates these marks for days sometimes,
and as the sea room Is limited, vessels
caught In these gales are In constant
danger of going to pieces, either on the
rocky shores or on some OF the lslanus
ahat stud so thickly these inland seas
or being suddenly swamped, as the
Idaho was. Lake Ontario's shores are
especially menacing % lake craft DUR
ing storms, but fortunately this lake Is
not so liable to be swept by storms as
some of the others. II vessel heaves
u in a storm it is almost certain to be
cast ashore, or il it runs down the lake
toward the st. Lawrence river 1t Is en-
dangered by the many Islands that
abound there Many skippers annually
wreck their craft in the always RISKY
effort to make Oswego harbor In
storm. The enterance to the haroor Is
very narrow, and the vessel that rs
steered for 1t and does not make 1t Is
almost certain to 60 to pieces on the
rocks under Fort Ontario.
"The sailing season is comparatively
short on the lakes, for it Is usually late
in the spring before the ice EN- pargo Is
removed and early in the winter when
is is again placed on navigation. Inc
skipper's desire is to take advantage Oh
every hour of his time. and he takes no
precauti0n that will cause him an extra
moments delay In port. or course, all
vessels that sail on the lakes are SUP
Ject TO the control of government IN
spectors, and none may sail without
permit. But the pay OF these ohclals
is small They are human, and lake
shippers are the most willing people on
land or sea. At any rate, there is
host of unseaworthy hulks engaged IN
the commerce Of the lakes. Ihere are
not 50 many Of them though, as dared
the dangers OF the trip before govern
ment inspection began.
Reckless shippers would md their
occupatton gone II there were no reck-
less sailors eager to share their rlsks'
and reckless lake sailors are the rule
rsrther than the exception. This is all
the more singular because ordinarily
these sailors are the quietest and most
modest Of men. A curious thing about
.hem ia that many OF them are farmers,
nr rather farm owners. The individual
land holding in the vicinity of the lake
ports of some Of these daredevil sail
ors is considerable. The moment nav
isntion closes they return to their
farms. remain there until 1t reopens in
the spring, and then hasten back to the
fakes to +.empt death on any old craft
where they can get the best wages.
leaving their wives and children to
look after the farm"