Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-11

Had Been Blockaded by Disabled
Steamer-Spectacle is a
Grand One.
Sault Ste. Marie. Sept 11.-Shortly
after o'clock yesterday afternoon the
sunken steamer Douglas Houghton,
which has placed an embargo on Lake
Superior navigation, was swung out of
| the 500 channel and Immediately fol-
lowing this incident the greatest naval
parade ever seen on the chain of lakes
began. More than 200 of the largest
craft on the lakes, detained by the
wreck, are now stretched out in coll
umn over forty miles in length, waiting
for the word from Captain Davis of the
revenue service, permitting them to
start in wild race for the receiving
dock
! The lifting of the embargo was full
of dramatic incident. 1t was Tuesday
last when the Houghton was sunk in
the narrowest part of the channel by a
collision With the schooner Fritz, which
she had in tow. In passing through the
narrow cut of solid limestone, the
wheel chains on the Houghton had
parted, and the steamer drove her nose
far into the limestone rock on one side,
while the current swung her stern
against the opposite side of the channel.
The next instant the Fritz crashed into
the side of the big boat, cutting a hole
! in her side. The Fritz then also swung
across the channel. which was as com
pletely blocked as if the government
engineers had constructed a dam at
that point
Every man who could be secured was
put to work. Divers succeeded in put
ting patch of wood over the break
and night and day after that the ore
was shoveled onto lighters. 1t could
not be thrown overheard for the chan
mel at that point is just deep enough for
l.Soo tons had been lightered and the
bow of the Houghton had risen out of
the water about five feet. 1t was found
that the steamer had driven her way
into the limestone ledge about twelve
away.
The first blast of dynamite only
cracked the rock. A second was then
placed under the rock and four tugs
We're hitched against the Houghton' S
stern on one side and two on the other,
while one was placed at her bow. The
tugs started up at full speed and the
battery was fired. 1t was expected that
the next instant would see the Hough-
( ton floating down stream, carrying the
tugs and lighters and even the trees
from the bank to which the boat was
hitched by Pinch hawser. But the
! Houghton did nothing of the kind. The
great boat raised slightly and then set
4 tied back nine inches deeper in the
4 pocket than she was before.
Again the rocks We're charged with
/ dynamite and again the tugs puffed
| and snorted when the charge was fired
I Again the Houghton did not move ar
inch. This was repeated again and
again. until finally, after an unusually
heavy charge which shattered the rocks
which held the bow of the Houghton in
a wise, the big boat moved in the cur
rent and drifted and was pulled out OF
the channel.
1t was a time of great rejoicing
among the captains of the blockaded
fleet over 100 of whom We're at the scene
They hurried back to their ships to pre-
pare for the procession down the river
I They soon began to move into position
in Hay lake, where they took then
places in the order of their arrival al
the locks. This was done by Capt. A
4 b. Davis of the revenue service. who
had taken command at the request o
the Lake Carriers Association.
Last night the fleet stretched out for
ty miles in Hay lake. Captains ar,
waiting for word from Capt. Davis Il
start. They are passing down a third o
mile apart, in order to avoid DANCE
of collision. The procession is over fort,
miles long. AS most of the up-boun,
boats have been gotten out of the way
the procession will be practically con
5 tinuous and doubtless it is the creates
& naval display ever given in the Unitet
States.
4 Their order will be maintained unit
they are out of the narrow places of ST
Mary's river. Then a mighty race vii
begin. The prize will be first place a
the receiving dock. With this great flee
to be cared for. the prize which will g
q to the swift one VIII be worth a larS'
sum, for with freights at boom prices
every day lost now means from $500 t
$1,000
Orers We're issued last night that thu
up-bound fleet must wait until thu
4 own-bound boats are out of the way
The North Star, Roby Runnels. Jess,
Spalding, Green and consorts, Glob,
and Thomson and whalebacks passed
the encampment last night. Rain set il
4 at o'clock, which is unfavorable fo
q the movement of so large fleet in thu
river at night, and most of the cap
tains waited until this morning befor,
h making a start. The Houghton is nov
lin Canadian Mud lake A dozen tree
were torn UP on the bank when sh'
swung loose.
Il Clearing the channel by blasting ou
Il the Houghton was surprise to the as
sembled captains. They We're unani
mously predicting that it would TAX
& forty-eight hours more to get tn
Il Houghton out of the way, but tn
wreckers We're only three and a hal
hours behind their original estimate
4 The down bound fleet is carrying nearl,
2Of 000 tons of iron ore II 900 600 feet O