The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-07-05
ONLY THREE SAVED.
A Lake Steamer Went to the Bot
tom Like a Rock.
THE CARGO SHIFTED.
The Captains Wife and Child
and a Woman Passenger Were
Among the Twelve Who
Perished.

The steamer Margaret Olwill, owned
by NJ. P. Smith, of Cleveland, went
down in the storm of Lorain, Lake
Erie, Wednesday night. Twelve reo-
pie were lost, including Capt. John
Brown, his wife and SOD, and Miss
Baldwin, passenger. The OlwiI, OF
554 tons, was bound from helly's Is
land to Cleveland with limestone, her
cargo shifting in the heavy Sea, send
ing her down by the stern.
Seaman Coyle was the only man
saved. He was picked up by the
steamer State of Ohio Thursday. Those
lost were:
Capt. John Brown, wife and child,
of Cleveland.
First Engineer Alex. McRoe, OF
Cleveland.
Second Engineer Rudolph shinski,
st. Clair, Mich
First Mate John Smith. Cleve!aud.
Wheelsman George Hetfron, Cleve-
land.
MA.cssman Frank Hipp, Kelly's IS
land.
Three deck hands, names unknown
to Duncan Coyle, the sole survivor
The Olwill left Kelly's island at 3
o'clock Wednesday night hound for
Cleveland with a cargo of stone. There
was little or no wind blowing and
everything was favorable for pleas
ant run. At S o'clock the wind began
to blow from the northwest and the
little boat with thousand tons ca
pacity began to 60 at lively clip. At
10 o'clock the gale commenced and the
wind blew at the rate of 90 miles an
hour. Suddenly the gale turned TO the
northeast, Capt. Brown found that the
boat was making little headway and
concluded the only thing to do was to
turn back and go with the storm.
According to the story Of Coyle 1t
was 2 o'clock when the captain gave
the order to turn about. The vessel
had turned half way round when the
rudder chain parted and in an instant
the boat was at the mercy Of the storm:
She was caught between two waves and
as she was borne along the top of one OF
them she rolled over on the side. The
cabins were torn loose and foated en-
the water, while the rest Of the ship
went to the bottom. Coyle caught hold
Of part Of the after cabin and climbed
upon it. Hefron was clinglng to part
of the same cabin.
Capt. Willoughby of the steamer
State of Ohio sighted the wreckage
about 5:l5 in the morning directly IN
She course from Cleveland to Toledo.
The big steamer put into service her
life-saving c.ew and, after sailing
around the wreckage for an hour and
half Coylo was rescued. Hefron was
thrown line, but he was too weak to
take hold of it and went down IN the
presence Of large crowd on board the
steamer.
Several attempts were made to get
the yawl boat in the water, but the sea
was still running high and the work
was extremely perilous. Hehron S
death was pathetic one. AS he
grabbed the rope, encouraged by the
crowd, he made superhumsn effort to
put the rope around his body, but he
was too weak and fell exhausted into
the waves.
THREE OF THE CREW SAVED.
Smith, McRae and Schinski were
rescued by members Of the crew Of the
steamer Sacramento and taken into
Lorain by the tug Cascade. The res.
cued members of the crew was found
floating on the surface of Lake Erie
clinging to bits of wreckage. Their
rescue was attended by exhibitions Of
extreme heroism, for heavy sea was
still running when they were picked up.