Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-16
SINGS IN STORM
Brave Little Woman on HurTi-
cane Beaten Yes.
sci.
DRIFTING IN HIGH SEA
Indulees in Rag Time While Two
Hundred Others Engage in
Prayer.

Buffalo. y. Y. Aug. 16-With 200
eXcursionists on the disabled steamer
Idlewild, in a panic Yesterday, one
courageous young woman sang rag
time and danced in an effort to keep
up the spirits of the other passengers.
Timid men and women prayed and
many put on life preseryers. while half
dozen tugs made futile efforts to get
lines on the vessel for a tow. The
steamer. which was carrying passen-
gers to Crystal beach. broke its rud-
der about twelve miles from Buffalo.
and drifted helplessly in the gale rag
ing on the lake for about four and a
half hours.
The vessel whistled for assistance
and was heard by the canoe club mem
bers at Point Abino, who telephoned
Buffalo. Life saving crews and a
small fleet of tugs and a sister boat
the Darius Cole. went to the Idlewild's
assistance The life savers got a line
aboard, but it snapped as they laid
alongside to render aid. The tug Bah
cock got hawser To the Idlewilt. but.
in turning, the slack caught in the
tugs propeller and it was disabled. be
ing towed back to Buffalo by the tug
Delta.
Capt. Cassin. of the Darius Cole.
sent his big steamer, with 400 passen-
gers, within three feet OF the Idlewild
twice. each time getting a line aboard.
which snapped as the waves tore them
apart. On the third trial the stern of
the Cole struck the bow of the Idle
wild. bending plates and smashing
woodwork
The Idlewild finally was towed in
by the tugs COnneaut and Grace Dan
forth. but not until the smokestaclI
had been blown off as the boat rolled
in the trough near Waverly Shoal.
With the smokestack went 30 feet of
the hurricane deck. The passengers,
warned by Capt. Joseph Loughridge,
escaped injury when the stack fell.
Vessel Has Turbulent Trip.
Cleveland, Ohio, Aug 1G.-With her
main shaft, broken, and heavily load,
ed with passengers and freight. the
steamer State of New York was tossed
about in a turbulent sea for IL hours
in the middle of Lake Erie, at Putin
Bay. With only one wheel operating
she had difficult time making port
When the shaft snapped the sea was
so rough that the steamer was ship
ping water There was a general un-
easiness when the captain called all
passengers on deck and told them that
the shaft had broken and considerable
delay would result before they could
make port.
Along the chain of islands the YES
sci sighted the State of Ohio and i'm
mediately hoisted a distress signal.
This was answered and the State of
Ohio conveyed the crippled steamer
to Putin Bay.
Steamers Race for safety.
Block Island, r. l., Aug. 16.- The |
steamer New Shoreham while entering |
the harbOr on its trip from Providence |
with 100 passengers struck on sunk |
en- wreck and after an exciting run to |
the dock sank TO the main deck just |
as it ran alongside the pier. The pas
sengers were able to land safely.
The steamer was the only one to |
reach the island, owing to the heavy |
weather. and as a result of the acci- |
dent many who had finished their va
cations are detained here
The collision ripped a hole several |
feet wide in the bottom of the vessel, |
but Notwithstanding the thrush of the
water the fireToOm men and the engin-
eer, headed by Chief Engineer John |
Quinlan, of Providence, stuck to their /
posts. When the steamer was within |
100 yards of the dock the water put |
out the fires. and when the vessel
reached the dock Engineer Quinlan
was standing in water up to his waist
He was still at his post when the
gangplank was pushed ashore.