The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-05
DROWNED
Steamer HackIey Goes Down in
a SquaH.
Vessel Capsized and Sank In
Deep Water.

: Marinette, Wis, Oct. 5-During a
s4uall Saturday night on Lake Mich
isan, the steamer J. H. Hackley cap
sized and eleven persons were drowned.
The Goodrich line steamer Sheboygan
rescued the other seven persons on
board the HacKley.
The Hackley was struck by the
squat when seven miles off Green is
land. The upper work was blown away
The. boat then turned over and went
down in deep water.
DROWNED.
GEORGE LECLAIRE, JR., Jackson
port. Wis.
JOSEPH V. CRUs, captain of the
FtaclIley. Fish Creek
EDNA BARRINGER.
LAWRENCE BARRINGER, Fish
Creek.
HENRY r. RABIToY, Fish Creek
CARL KELKY, Fish Creek.
Milton Eausen.
MISS FRANCES VINCENT.
MISS VINCENT'S SISTER, Egg
Harhor. Wis.
FREEMAN THORP. Fish Creek.
NBLS NELSON, Sturgeon Bay.
FRANK FITzGIBBONS, Jackson
port.
RESCUED.
Frank Blakefield, purser. Fish Greek.
Orrin Rollin, engineer, Fish Creek.
Blaine Insolvency., Fish Creek.
Two men of Ellison Bay Wis.
As the Hackley went to the bottom,
those who would and could seized on
floating pieces of wreckage, while the
women and three or four of the men,
failfag to find any object to which to
cling. sank in the raging sea, so far
as is known.
The waves were rolling high and sew
eral of those who at first saved them
selves from immediate death, lost
strength and sank. 1t was more than
a hT11 al I,a ol11o -
fore the Sheboygan hove within hailing
distance. The shouts of the floating
men attracted the attention of the
sailors on the Sheboygan and every
assistance was lent.
Some of the persons who We're res
cued say that it is possible that one Or
more of the eleven may have ESCAPED
DEATH This view is not given much
creeence by the sailors of the Sheboy-
The Sheboygan made into Fish creek
when hope of rescuing other persons
seemed impossible. The rescued persons
were so exhausted from their struggle
against drowning that they were unable
for some time to tell anything about the
wreck
The persons saved by the Sheboygan
say that with the crashing away of the
upper work, all persons aboard the
Hackley ran on deck. Hasty prepara-
tons for a plunge into the water were
begun but before any plans could be
out. LnG DOaL turned over
and went down like rock.
Search is still being made for any
person who may have escaped death and
for the bodies of those who were
drowned.
Sturgeon Bay. Wis, Oct. 5-Purser
Blakefield, one of the survivors of the
Hackley. who was on the steamer She
boygan when it reached here, gave (,
vivid description of the wreck. He said:
The squall struck US about o'clock
when we were just north of Green
island. 1t came suddenly and with Je>.-
rife fury. 1 was in the pilot house with
the captain, who had Just said that the
elements looked threatening and that he
would try to run to port. When the
first fierce gust hit US. the captain tried
to throw the boat up into the water ana
his efforts to do so were unavaiiing.
Then l Joined him at the wheel, but
our combined efforts were not sufficient
to make her answer the helm.
Then. of sudden. she listed and be-
gan to fill with water. Realizing that
the passengers and crew were becoming
panic stricken, I left the captain in the
pilot house and ran aft to let down the
life boat By the time l got aft. the
Haclzley was filing so rapidly that it
was apparent it would be impossible to
launch any boat. There came another
blast and the upper works went by the
board. Then the steamer began to
sink rapidly. and it was apparent her
settling on the bottom would be a uues-
ton of only a few moments.
Eighteen of the nineteen people
aboard We're gathered on the. deck,
most of them in 4 state of frantic
panic. The situation was made par
tieuiarly heartrending by the women.
who shouted Historically. impIoring the
men to save them and ACCOMPANIED
their appeals for assistance with
PRAYERS
LAS the boat sank it was clear that
there was only one hope of anyone be-
ing saved and that was by clinging to
the wreckage. 1 gave orders for the
men to put the women on it first, They
did SO, and behaved well. every man
remaining on the sinking boat until the
women had been placed on pieces of
the cabin and other wreckage. It was
then wild scramble on the part of
each man to get such pieces of plank
ing as he could secure and cling to it.
Every man found something to float
on except the captain, who remained in
the pilot house to the last. doing his
best to right the boat. and he finally
went down with her
I'VE 1oated on different pieces. and for
a few minutes we We're in sight of each