The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-08
AT MERCY OF A STORM
ST. PAUL PARTY HAVE CLOSE
CALL ON LAKE OSAKIS
J. T. Mahoney and Friends Were Buff
feted by Fierce Waves and Rescued
in Thrilling Manner After Boat
Had Stranded on a Bar-Caueht in
Worst Storm Ever Known on Lake.

j. I. Mahoney, of the auditors de-
partment of the Great Northern road.
was one of a party that had an exceed
lngly narrow escape from death on
Lake Osakis on July Fourth during a
tornado Which passed over the lake be-
tween Z and o'clock in the evening.
Mr.. Mahoney and his wife and two
small children, M. Mahoney, of Chica-
go; Mr.. Smith, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa;
Thomas Sands and wife and child. of
Minneapolis; Chris Batroot, wife and
child and F. z. Stewart and wife, COM
posed party that went from the Twin
Cities to spend a few days at the re-
sort.
In the morning they left the Idlewild
hotel for Coon's point, being taken
there in launch in charge of Engi-
neer Charles Mann. The boat was to
call for the party between and 7 in
the evening, but 1t was after when
the launch arrived.
Aboard her were number of people,
and the Mahoney party was taken
aboard and the start made for the no.
tel, ten miles distant. There was some
difficulty in towing the rowboats and
they were lost and recovered two or
three times. This delayed the boat,
and in the meantime a perfect tornado
came up.
Mr.. Mahoney says that the waves
were fully fifteen feet high and at GER
tain points there were huge water
spouts. The women and children of
the party became frightened but the
men endeavored to calm them
Finally things became so bad that
even the men were frightened, and had
it not been for the GOODNESS and abil-
ity with which Engineer Mann handled
the boat there would have been a Sc
rious catastrophe, and it is not unlike
ly that the entire party would have
been drowned.
Engineer Mann turned the Prov of
the boat to the storm, and while he
had on ITO pounds of steam he says
that the boat, instead of moving ahead.
was carried back by the tempest.
At last he tried to make Norris
hotel, but found this was impossible,
and in making the turn the boat was
nearly capsized. The waves rushed
over her decks and the party was
drenched.
Rescue Party Puts Out.
She stranded at last on a sand bar
a few hundred feet out from shore, and
J. T. Conley, of the Milwaukee road,
and Mr.. Norris, proprietor of the hotel,
who had been watching the maneuvers
of the boat, started for the stranded
launch in roWboat.
Some of the men jumped out, THE
water being up to their shoulders, and
carried the women to meet Mr.. Conley
and Mr.. Norris, who were coming to-
ward them.
They were taken aboard as fast as
possible, the lake still being very
rough. Three trips were made by the
heroic rescuers, and on the last trip
some of the women became excited in
trying to get into the rowboat and it
was turned over. The water was shall
low, and save for severe wetting they
did not suffer much.
They were then three miles from the
Idlewild, and a farm house was found
and as it was locked the door was
broken down and a fire started in the
kitchen. The women were fixed out
with good dry clothes as far as pos
sible and a long wait for rigs began.
Owing to the bad condition of the
roads it was after / o'clock when the
last of the party reached the hotel.
Men who have been around the lake
for years say it was the worst storm
they have ever seen. Mr.. Mahoney
said to T h G o b e yesterday that it
was the worst experience he had ever
had, and that he would not go through
it again for anything in the world.
1--WE all owe great deal to Mr.. Con-
ley and Mr.. Norris" he said, "for their
prompt assistance. We were at par
ticularly dangerous place, just at the
edge of a sand bar, and no one knows
how deep the water is off the bar. The
two men made three trips, and the
shore was lined with men who were
waiting to rush out If the boat tipped
over.
"The cool, able work Of Engineer
Mann is also to be commended. He
handled the boat in excellent shape
and assured us that we would reach
shore in safety, but he said afterward