Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-07-09
YACHT ACCIDENT

Cleveland, July DIN a sudden storm
on Lake Erie the pleasure yacht ldler
was overturned when Is miles off shore,
and the entire family OF Commodore
James J. Corrigan, the millionaire vessel
and mine owner, partner of Frank
Rockefeller, was drowned. The dead
are: Mrs. James Corrigan, aged "a years;
Mrs. Charles Riley, aged %, daughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Corrigan; Miss Jane Cor
rigan, aged % years, daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Corrigan; Baby Riley, aged Z
months: Miss Ethel Corrigan, niece Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Corrigan. The accident
was the termination of a weeks pleasure
cruise. A week ago Saturday the entire
Corrigan family, including the commo-
dore, sailed in their private yacht, the
Idler, for the st. Clair fats, where they
spent the subsequent days cruising about
and fishing. The start for home was
made Saturday morning.
Yacht Turned Over.
Mr.. Corrigan, in order to get to his
business early, came to Cleveland by
train, not doubling that in the Idler, one
of the stanchest yachts on the lake, his
family would be perfectly safe. The
yacht was being lowed by the propeller
Australia. At ! p. m. heavy storm
arose, and the yacht was capsized. On
the deck at the time were the captain
and crew Of the yacht, Mrs. John Corri-
gan, wife Of brother, and James j. Cor
rigan and Mr.. Corrigan's two young I'M
married daughters. Mrs. James Corri-
gan, Mrs. Riley and Baby Riley were in
the cabin at the time of the capsizing
OF the family only Mrs. John Corrigan
was saved. Each of the crew was saw
cd. Fishing tugs cruising in the neigh
borhood picked up the crew, but could
find nothing of the passengers with the
exception of Mrs. John Corrigan.
Captain Charles G. Holmes Of the
yacht says that the storm came up so
suddenly that he was even unable to take
in sail. This is disputed by others who
were on the lake at the time. They say
that the storm was gathering for over
an hour. Alexander Nelson, one of the
sailors, says that he tried to save Miss
Jane Corrigan. but that she chung to
his neck so that he was forced to break
away from her in order to save his own
life. Mrs. Riley was married two years
ago, and her wedding was one of the So
ciety events Of the Hear. Her home was
in New Brunswick, N. j.
Boat Had Righted.
The rescued were brought to this city,
and Immediately the life saving crew put
off to the wreck. They found that she
had righted, and her spars were stand
ing out of the water. All her sails were
set.
Mr.. Corrigan at o'clock went out in
tug with divers to recover the bodies in
the wreck. He says that it appears that
his crew could have easily prevented the
wreck. The wind that overturned the
yacht was blowing at the rate Of 60
miles an hour says the local United
States weather observer.
The desolated Corrigan home at 1910
Wilson avenue is one Of the most mag
nificent in the city. The family enter
tanned a great deal, and the young wo-
men were among the most attractive in
the city. They were expert golf players
and horsewomen. The crew is severely
criticised for saving themselves and not
saving the passengers. In the midst of
the storm several small boats were over
turned near home, but no one was lost
so far as is known.
Mr.. Corrigan gained mention recently
by his suit for $1,000,O0O against John
D. Rockefeller. Since receiving news of
the wreck Mr.. Ccrrigan has not given
way to his grief. His fortitude is the
more remarkable because of the fact that
he was thoroughly bound up in his fam
lily.