The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-05-20
Nine Persons Met q Watery
Grave In Lake SUI
periOr.
THE SCH. NELSON FOUNDERS
Captain Is Saved, But His Wife
Child and Seven Sailors go
Down with theVessel.


schooner Nelson foundered in Lake
Superior of Grand Marais, and at
least nine persons were drowned.
The captain of the vessel was saved.
Seven sailors and the captain S wife
and child are almost certainly lost,
although it is just possible that
some of them may have got ashore.
Those on board the lost vessel, so
far as known were: Captain And
rev Haghney, of Toledo; captains
wife and 2-year old child; Fred Haas,
sailor, residence unknown; six sail
ors, names unknown.
The Folsom, Mitchell and Nelson
were laden with coal for Lake Lin
den. They passed through the locks
here at noon en- Friday last and
headed out into Lake Superior, The
weather was not threatening at the
time, but Friday night a severe
northwest gale developed and at
noon on Saturday it was blowing a
gale of fifty miles an hour from the
northwest and freezing hard.
Captain white headed the tow in
to the sea, when the gale first de-
veloped and the Folsom steamed in
to the wind ali the morning Short
ly after noon, however, the wind and
sea became too heavy to face. The
three boats were coated with ice,
and this added to their coal, made
them ride very low in the water.
Seas broke aboard constantly, and
the force of the gaze was driving
them toward the beach despite the
best efforts of the engines of the
steamer.
At o'clock in the afternoon the
situation was becoming very grave.
The beach at Grand Marais was but
four miles under the lee, and Cap
tain White determined to try the
dangerous experiment of turning the
tow in the sea and running before it
for Whitefish point. Watching his
opportunity, he selected favorable
ltime when there was lull in the
seas and turned the steamer about.
The Mitchell, which was second in
the tow, dragged heavily on the
towline as she fell into the trough
Of the sea, but finally rounded.
Captain White stood on the stern
of the Folsom and with his marine
glass watched the two schooners.
Suddenly he noticed that a space
was widening between the Mitchell
and the Nelson. wider ahan the
length of the towline The Nelson
was then seen to turn toward the
shore, and il became evident that
the line had parted under the strain
or had been cut. No signals of dis
,tress had been displayed from the
Nelson up to this time, and it was
apparent that she was sinking.
There was no chance of rendering
any assistance, however. The crew
of the Folsom had their hands full
in taking care of their own craft
and the Mitchell In "a few minutes
the Nelson threw her stern into the
air and dived straight for the bot
tom. Where she sank there is 300
feet of water.
The sinking ship disappeared 80
suddenly that her crew had no time
to even lower their yawl boat, which
hung on the davits at the stern.
Not vestige Of wreckage was left
on the surface to mark the spot
where she disappeared, and not
single struggling man showed his
head in an effort to keep afloat on
piece Of wreckage. The ten persons
on board had gone down with the
schooner. Their canvas had all been
taken in when the boats were head
ed into the gale, and the sails, booms
and gaffs were doubtless frozen 10 q
solid mass from the water which
had broken on board. The Folsom
and Mitchell ran before the gale and
arrived at the Sault safely. They
were covered with ice and showed