Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-07-05
DISASTER ON THELAKE
Steamer Margaret OIwiII Sinks
Sinks Off Lorain, O
TEN OF THOSE ON BOARD PERISH.

The Disaster Caused by the breaking of
the Kudder Chains During a High Sea-
One of the Survivors Picked Up by the
Steamer state of Ohio and the Other
Three by the Saeramento-storyo of the
Wreck as Told by Duncan Coyle.
Cleveland, o., June 1.-Ten persons
were drowned when the steamer Mar
garet Olwill, from Kelley's island, with
limestone for Cleveland, sank off Lo-
rani, twenty miles up the lake. The
lost are: Captain John C. Brown,
Cleveland; Mrs. Lizzie Brown, Cleve-
land, captains wife; Blanchard Brown,
Cleveland, captains son, 9 years old;
Mrs. Cora Hitchcock Hunt, Cleveland,
guest of Captain Brown; William
Doyle, fireman, Cleveland; Mrs. Bald
win, residence unknown, passenger;
Frank Hipp, Waterman, Cleveland;
George Hefferon, wheelsman, Sarnia;
two sailors, names unknown.
The survivors are Duncan Coyie,
sailor, Port Huron; Rudolph Schin-
sky, second engineer, ST. Clair, Mich;
Alex McRea, first engineer; John
Smith, first mate Cleveland. Coyle was
picked up by the steamer State of Ohio
at a. m. after clinging to wreckage
for four hours. Another sailor was
sighted by the State of Ohio, but was
too weak to reach out for the life line
thrown out to him and was lost. The
other three survivors were picked up
by the steamer Sacramento.
Rescue of Seaman Coyle.
The State of Ohio left Cleveland on
her regular trip to Toledo at a. m.
When off Lorain, Captain w. j. Will
loughby saw two men in the water,
hanging to bits of wreckage. A high
wind had been blowing all night and
it required good seamanship to get the
State of Ohio near enough to the
struggling men to throw lines to them
One of the men grabbed the line as it
fell across his back He was all but
unconscious when he reached the deck.
The other man made one or two feeble
attempts to grasp the line. He was
unable to hang on, suddenly released
his hold on the piece of wreckage, and
sank. Owing to the high sea it was
impossible to lower a small boat and
attempt his rescue. The rescued man
told Captain Willoughby this story:
my name is Coyle. | am a sailor
on the steamer Margaret Olwill. She
was sunk off Lorain at o'clock in
the morning, and | guess am the only
survivor. We left Kelly's island at
o'clock Wednesday for Cleveland. We
carried our regular crew of ten, in
Guiding Mrs. Brown, wife of Captain
Brown. Besides these we had two pas
sengers, Captain Browns son, aged 8,
and Mrs. Hunt of Cleveland, who was
guest of Captain Brown. We had
taken Mrs. Hunt from Clevlaend two
days before.
Rudder Chains Break.
THE sea was running very high and
at 2 o'clock in the morning, as near as
l can tell, the rudder chains were bro
ken, and we were left in the trough of
the sea- We carried 600 tons on deck,
and 800 more in the hold. AS the rud-
der chains broke the deck load shifted.
The boat lurched to one side, and as
the load crashed through the side she
sank, stern first.
Il was sitting on the rail at that time
and was putting on my shoes. l heard
calls for help, but everything was dark,
and crept out and grabbed what arti-
cles could to keep afloat. / chung to
different pieces of wreckage from time
to time, and at last the State of Ohio
hove in sight. She was the finest-lOok-
ing ship ever saw. | don't think any
thing else on board was saved. AS
near as / can tell it was 2:15 o'clock
hAr ha nl . q