The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-09
Schooner A. G. Morey Hailing From
Chicago Becomes WaterIogged in
Mid-Lake off KenOsha.
CREW SAVED AFTER HARD FIGHT.
Life Savers Bring the Old Vessel Into Port
After She Had Drifted in the Lake for
More Than Fifteen Hours.
(From Saturdays Daily

| (From Saturdays Daily
The old schooner A. G. Morey. of
Chicago, waterlogged and useless, is
caught firm in the mud of the harbor
near the Kenoshas Life Saving Sta
ton, and it is probable that the old
vessel which has been sailing the lake
since 1861 has made her last trip. The
last trip on the boat will live long in
the memory of Captain Jacob Hansen
and his crew Of FIVE men who were on
the old vessel when she began to sink
in the lake, and who were savedsSfrom
watery grave only after hard fight
with the elements. At six O'Clock this
morning the schooner was discovered
drifting six miles off Kenosha.
She was flying the distress signal
and the members of the Life Saving
crew, with the assistance of a tug
went out after the sinking craft.
There was terrific sea on and the
Life Savers were forced to make a gall
liant fight to reach the vessel.
AS soon as they got up to the boat a
tow line was thrown to the men on the
schooner and the line was fastened ito
the tug William Engel, which brought
the vessel into the harbor and
anchored her firmly in the mud. The
trip of the Morey was one which will
never be forgotten by the members of
the crew who suffered untold hard
ships of exposure and hunger before
they managed to get into shelter in
the harbor.
The Morey had left Flat Rock, Mich
igan, on Wednesday with a load of
cedar railway ties for a company.s Sin
Chicago. For the first two days Iout
the old boat showed no signs of col
lapse, but Friday afternoon just after
dinner the old boat became water
logged and soon sank to the waters
edge, only the top of the cabin re-
naming out of the water. The fact
that the hold Of the old vessel was
filled with cedar ties made it possible
for the boat to float and in this man
ner the sailors were saved from losing
their lives in the lake.
When the boat began to go down the
entire hold was soon filled with water
ard all the provisions and furniture of
the cabin were torn to pieces and
swept into the lake. In the mean
time the sailors had made an effort to
save the deck load and in their efforts
they had forgotten their own safety.
They started to return to the cabin
and found that this was rapidly filing
with water. There was nothing to do
but take refuge on the top of the cabin
and wait for some assistance. A ter
rife sea was on during the aftern DON
and night, the northeast wind flashing
the waves to fury.
All the afternoon and all night with
their clothing soaked with cold water,
and without food the men hung to the
top of the cabin. The distress signal
was run up but no help came, and
finally the men took the last resort and
turned the "Union Down." This sig
| nal is recognized as the sign of great
est danger on the lakes, and flying
| this flag the old schooner was sighted
by the passenger steamer "Empire
State" of the Barry Line. Three
times the steamer made an effort to
give succor to the suffering men, but
the waves rolled so high that it was
| impossible for the schooner's crew to
be taken off by the steamer, aud the
effort was finally abandoned. The
steamer went on to Chicago leaving
the crew and the old vessel to their
fate.
Drifting without a thing to stop her
the old boat came toward the Kenosha
harbor, and she was six miles out
when first sighted by the crew. The
crew left the schooner, soaked and
worn by their night on the cabin, and
were taken at once by the Captain to
hotel where they were cared for.
The boat seems to be almost a com
plete wreck, but it is probable that an
effort will be made to get her into a
dry dock in Chicago. The financial
loss will be large one, as more than
half of the cargo was washed into the
lake. 1t was the property of the Mad
den Watson Shingle company, of Flat
Rock, Mich, and it was consigned to
Thomas Morris, of Chicago.
The members of the crew were:
Chris Peterson, Chris Larsen, Andrew
Sorenson, Thomas Stapleton and Fred
Jensen.
The boat was owned by A. Mikelseu,
of Chicago, and had been employed
during the season as lumber carrier.
The Captain and the members of the
crew left for their homes in Chicago
this afternoon.
One Fare for the Round Trip,