The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-12-28
ROUGH EXPERIENCE.
Crew Of Wrecked Wha|e-8ack Barge
115 Suffered Greatly.


Cleveland, Dec 2s.--Members Of the
crew of the wrecked whale-back barge
lis. which went ashore on Pic Island.
ont. on the northern shore of Lake
suyerfor. tell a thrilling story OF their
experience after the ill-fated craft
broke away from the steamer Colgate
Hoyt
Mate I.ynip said: About II, o'clock
On Monday morning the barge drifted
ashore on pic Island, where the barge
grounded, the land being extremely
bold and risin- from the waters edge
five hundred to six hundred feet ana
even higher in places. The barge began
IN mound heavily and we were afraid 1t
vrould knock a hole in the hull. There
was a little life raft on top OF the AZ
ter turret and we used this TO get
| ashore. First. two of the men went
! ashore. and made a landing, and then
! sent the raft back and forth untM we
were all ashore. The shore was cou-
nle of hundred feet from the boat, and
| unite a sea was running Some OF the
| men took extra clothes with them, anu
| i'm the marty we had two loaves OF
bread and shoulder of ham. besides
| our pockets full OF candles. There were
some provisions left aboard the boat.
but we had no time TO get these and
could not have carried them II we had.
as the snow was deep on the land.
I'VE landed in q small cove ana be-
gan TO climb up the steep BLUM. we
caught hold of roots sand stones and
the small evergreen trees which grew
among the rocks, and at last reached
the ton. We thought at this time that
we were ashore on the mainland. The
snow was about three feet deep.but thC
weather was not as cold as on the wa
ter The first night we camped In the
woods and the next day we started
along the shore line.
"It was then we found we were on an
island. AS we followed the shore W.
came across log cabin about o'clocl
In the afternoon. 1t was without
roof. and had n part OF an old shee
, iron stove We had taken ashore IRON
, the barge an axe and some matches
and we all started u cut some bough
and make a roof on the shantv, and {
, make a fire i'm the stove. We staye
in the shanty Tuesday night. and
,vas hero that the stewards feet wer
co badlv frozen. Wednesday mornin
,re could see the mainland about thre
% miles away. We ripped the old shaut
. dawn and made a raft with Whlch
Get ashore on the mainland. The raj
q v,os not large enough TO hold all OF tn
J. ren and sank knee-deep In the wate
Y Nbfn we all boarded IL. but We starte
:. out and after drifting couple Of mile
: down the shore. making our trip abol
= f,ve miles In all we landed.
as soon as the raft struck the shoi
a went To- pieces There was lots
snow on the mainland. but We built
are end canoed In the bush all nigh
ON Thursday morning ve started ol
" and walked all dav along the shore
the west. Our provisions were Eivir
= out and we had abor' half slice
/. wet bread and two oun cs " raw ha
each. That nig''t W. canped IN "
- hush again. al On 'r'fav mornin
II after vv~titing hntU - O'clock We stru
~ the tracts " tho Canadian Pnf''
a. road Here we ate fhc lost of the nr
Visions which We hal with NJ. ~ Ia
- We rret two section hau.'s who told
% the fret town was NiddletoWn % m
re- ona n hnif away. "ra reached The ra
,e. road station at Middletown about mo-
ne on Friday The agent there uid all
n. could FOR us. fe1 ~. gave us q pla
No. / 90 sieoo and dressed tho steward
- : Zoo, Tbr ranfain thcn wired tho COZ
la. ranv n our arrival and We lcft
sunday for Cleveland