Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-07-13
WRECK OF A YACHT
Six Persons Perished in a
Lake Erie Disaster:
BOAT WENT DOWN IN A STORM
Bad Seamanship Is Said to Have Been
the Cause of tho Accident-One
Passenger Was Saved.

Cleveland, O., July 10.-The schoon-
er yacht Idler was lost in terrific
storm 16 miles off this port this after
noon, with six persons. all members OF
the family of james Corrigan, wealthy
yessel-owner of this city.
Mrs. John Corrigan was the only
passenger aboard who was saved. c..
Fl. Holmes, the captain; Samuel Big
gam, the mate; four sailors, two cooks
and the ships carpenter were also
saved. The yacht left Port Huron yes
terday with the family of Mr. Corrigan
aboard and started to Cleveland. Mr..
Corrigan was ill, and left by the train.
At 2 O'Clock the storm came up. and
inside of five minutes the yacht sank.
All the women, except Mrs. John Cor
rigan and Miss Eta Corrigan. were in
the cabin when the gale came up.
They became panic stricken, and re-
fused to leave the place. The men i'm
plored them to come to the deck, but
they refused. Mrs. John Corrigan
clung to a cork sofa when the gale
came, and was saved. When rescued,
B1ggam said:
sit was about 2:05 when the squall
struck US. The yacht laid down on har
beam ends, and the water rushed
through the headlights and companion
ways, and in tEree minutes she sank.
Mrs. James Corrigan, Miss Ida Corri-
gan, Miss Jane Corrigan, Mrs. Charles
Reilly and the infant daughter of Mrs.,
Reilly were all in the saloon below
when the storm came on u.s.. Captain
Holmes gave ne orders to take in sail,
and transmitted the order to the men.
They obeyed quickly. The captain,
myself and the crew made efforts +
save the women, but without success.
We told them the yacht was sinking.
but they could not or would not come
on deck. l waded into the saloon
when the water was up to my neck,
but Mrs. James Corrigan would not
come out. She may have been rendered
incapable of action by fear and knowl-
edge of the impending doom. An
effort was made to take the infant
daughter of Mrs. Reilly out, but Mrs.
Reilly would not let the child go.
. "It was realized that nothing could
be done to save those in the cabin. and
attention was turned to saving those on
deck. The latter, outside of the cap
tain, mate and crew, were Mrs. John
Corrigan and her daughter, Miss Eta
Corrigan. The captain and the crew
tried to get Mrs. Corrigan and her
daughter up ON the cross-trees in the
rigging, but the heavy sea washed
them all overheard.
'tFor Gods sake, Mrs. Corrigan, you
and your daughter keep tight hold on
the rigging" we called to them.
Given as we yelled the sea swept them
and US overheard. Fortunately, Mrs.
Corrigan had succeeded in taking hold
of cork lounge. She clung to it and
was saved"
According to the testimony OF several
sailors, the topsail, mainsail and jib
were all set when the storm came up.
This is denied by Biggam, who declares
that they were in good condition to
face the storm. Captain James Corri-
gan declared tonight that good sea-
manship could have averted the
tragedy. He is almost frenzied with
grief. The Idler was staunch schoon-
er yacht, which Captain Corrigan re-
Gently purchased from John Cudahy. OF
Chicago. The survivors of the wreck
were picked up by tugs few minutes
after the accident and brought into
this port.