The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-28
NINE MEN DROWNED.
Whnlebeck Barge Foundered on Lake
superior Ran Into Fierce Gale and
Broke AWAY FROM Her Tow.

Whnlebeck Barge Foundered on Lake
superior Ran Into u Fierce Gale and
Broke Away From Her Tow.
Chicago, ILL.,. Especial. "A dispatch from
sault Ste. Marie, Mich, to the Lake Marine
News Bureau says:
Whaleback barge 115, which has been
missing on Lake Superior since Wednesday
last, was given up for lost, with her crew of
nine mon.
The steamer Colgate Hoyt, which had the
lost barge In tow gave up the search for her
and passed down through the locks bound
Tor Lake Erie. The tug Vigllant, which was
also searching for the 1l5, likewise gave
1t up.
While 1t is likely TINT the Whaleback Com
pany will send out It's steamers from Duluth
In further Search the crew OF the Hoyt
have no doubt but the barge went down In
the great storm OF Wednesday.
The Hoyt Captains Statement.
After starting out from the head OF Lake
Superior" said the captain OF the Colgate
Hoyt, "we ran into furious cold northeast
gale. For 40 hours we bucked into the seas,
and finally we succeeded In getting within 10
miles of Pick Island. where we got into com
pnratively smooth water, the wind being of
shore.
II then changed my course to the south
ward, running parallel with the shore In
order to keep under its protection. L had
been oil this course for about an hour when,
at five minutes to six o'clock, Wednesday
morning, l went in to breakfast At that
time saw tho lights on the barge all right.
Five minutes later was told that the tow
line had parted, aud No. IFS was drifting out
into the lake.
II Immediately put the Hoyt about, and
for four hours l zigzagged back and forth
over the course, but not a thing could see
OF the barge. l kept up the search until
dark, when ran down to whitensh Point.
There met Captain Smith, agent of the
whaleback fleet at the 500. who was on the
tug Vigilant. The two OF them joined in
the search.
"we kept at it until the weather proved
too much for us, when wo came back, fear
ing we might be caught out on Lake Super
ior in heavy snowstorm. We had only
40 tons OF coal. and were in danger Of rum
ming out of fuel"
During the gale on Tuesday, when the
Hoyt was pulling the barge into the great
northeast storm, the crew could SEQ the men
ON the barge pumping water that was
colored with iron ore. This would have in
dicated that something was wrong, but no
distress signal was displayed on the barge
and 1t was thought that all was well, par
ticularly after the boats had run into smooth
water. How soon after breaking away from
the Hoyt the lis went down cannot be
guessed. The lifeboat and everything on
deck OF the barge was either washed away
or frozen so tight to the deck that 1t could
not be moved.
The lost vessel was built at West Superior
In 1891 by tho American Steel Barge Com
pany, and was 256 feet long and SO feet
beam. She carried about 5000 tons of iron
ore. and was valued ut about $4,000. This
Is the first OF tho whalebacb fleet to founder
and the second to be lost, the first one hav-
ing been pounded to pieces against the
Cleveland breakwater just year ago.
With the rest OF the whaleback fleet the lost
barge passed TO the Rockefeller interests in
the general shakeup of vessel property in
October. There was no insurance on either
vessel or cargo.