The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-28
ON AN UNINHABITED ISLE.
Shipwrecked Grew Have a Thrilling
on Lake Superior.

Cleveland, o., Dec. 2S.-Members of
the crew of the wrecked whalebacB
barge 115, which went aground on Pic
island Ontario, on the northern shore
of Lake Superior, tell a thrilling story
of their experience after the Inflated
craft broke away from the steamer Col
gate HOyt.
Mate Lynfp and his men tell the fol-
lowing story of subsequent events:
About II o'clock on Monday morning
the barge drifted ashore on what we at-
terwards found to be Pic island. " here
the barge grounded the land is extreme
" bold and rises from the waters edge
500 to 900 feet and even higher in places.
THE barge began to pound heavily
and we were afraid it would knock
hole in the hull. There was a little life
raft on top of the after turret, and we
used this to get ashore. First two of
the men went ashore and made a land
ing and then sent the raft back and
forth until we We're ashore The shore
was a couple of hundred feet from the
boat and quite a sea was running Some
of the men took extra clothes with them
and in the party we had two loaves of
bread and a 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 if we had, as the snow was so
deep on the land. We landed in a small
cove and began to climb up the steep
stones and the small evergreen trees
which grew among the rocks and at last
reached the top.
I'VE thought at this time that we
We're ashore on the mainland. The snow
was about three feet deep, but the
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.
1T was then we found we were on an
island. AS we followed the shore we
came across a log cabin about 8 o'clock
in the afternoon. 1t was without a roof
and had a part of an old sheet iron
stove. We had taken ashore from the
barge an axe and some matches and we
all started to cut some bOughS and
make a roof on the shanty and to make
a fire in the stove. We Staid in the
shanty Tuesday night and it was here
that the stewards feet were so badly
"wednesday morning we could see
the mainland about three miles away.
We ripped the old Shanty down and
made a raft with which to get ashore on
the mainland.
The raft was not large enough to
hold all of the men and sank knee deep
in the water when we all boarded it.
but we started out and after drifting
couple of miles down the shore, max
ing our trip about five miles in all, we
landed.
LAS soon as the raft struck the shore
it went to pieces. There was lots of
snow on the mainland, but we built a
fire and camped in the bush all night
On Thursday morning we started out
and walked all day along the shore to
the west. Our provisions were giving
out and we had about half q slice of
wet bread and two ounces of raw ham
each.
Some of the boys chewed the candles
which they had taken with them from
the barge. That night we camped in
the bush again and on Friday morning,
after walking until IL O'Clock we struck
the tracks of the Canadian Pacific road.
Here we ate the last of the provisions
which we had with US.
AT last we met two section hands
who told us that the nearest town was
A1iddletown, a mile and a half away.
We reached the railroad station at
MiddletoWn about noon on Friday. The
agent there did all he could for US, fed
US, gave US a place to sleep and dress
ed the stewards feet. The captain
then wired. the company of our arrival
and we left on Sunday for Cleveland