Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-10-27
MANYSTEAMERS WRECKED
The Great Lakes Swept from End
to End by Furious Gale.
STEAMER SHELDON LOST.
Some of Her Crew Supposed to Have
Met Death IN the
Surf

DEIRO1I, Mich, Oct. ZU.-Ihe low
er lakes were swept last night by the
heaviest storm of the season. Naviga-
ton across the Lime kilns crossing at
the mouth of the Detroit river is entire
~ suspended today for all but light
draft craft. the forty-mile southwest
wind last night having lowered the
stage of the water at the crossing to 16
feet 10 inches. the lowest in many years.
The wind reached forty miles an hour
here last night and today is blowing
thirty miles and slowly increasing in
velocity. Lake Huron is being dashed
by forty-two-mile gale off Alpena,
while reports from Lake Erie today are
that the wind is blowing thirty miles an
hour. Grand Haven reports to the
weather bureau here that a siXty-mile
wind prevailed last night.
General Superintendent A. A.
Schantz of the Detroit and Buffalo line
received a telegram from Capt. Stewart
of the steamer Western States annOunc-
ing that he had run the steamer into
shelter at Long Point because of the ter
rifle gale on the lake The Western
States left Detroit last evening for Buff
falo with a number OF passengers and a
heavy load of freight.
Loss of the Sarah E. Sheldon.
CLEVELAND, O., Oct. 2O.-During a
fierce storm on Lake Erie early today
the steamer Sarah L. Sheldon went
ashore four miles east of LOrain. She
carried crew of thirteen men, u num-
Der Of whom jumped overheard when
the vessel began to go to pieces. 1t is
believed that at least two of the crew
were drowned. The Sheldon was loaded
with coal for Detroit river and left here
late last evening. 1t is thought she be-
came unmanageable as a result Of a
broken rudder. The boat finally struck
On the rocks, four miles east OF Lorain,
and at once began to go to pieces.
Tug Kunkel Brothers succeeded in
ment this morning. Five members of
the crew jumped from the deck of the
Sheldon to the tug. Before the other
men on the steamer could make the leap
the tug was carried away by the gale
and tremendous seas. The captain OF
the tug found it impossible to again get
near the steamer and put back to Lo-
raiEe and landed the men he had res
cued. The tug captain confirmed the re-
port that two members of the crew of
the Sheldon had jumped overheard when
the steamer struck. They were provld-
ed with life-preservers, but were swept
out to sea and lost. The steamer is now
pounded terriically by the huge waves,
which wash completely over her. Some
five or six of the crew still remain on
the boat.
The Cleveland Iife-saving crew left
with a surfboat this morning for the
scene of the wreck and it is thought will
be able to rescue the men remaining on
the vessel
The tug Frank W., with the life-sav.
ing crew on board from Cleveland, ar.
rived at the wreck about noon. After
some delay a line was attached to the
stranded steamer and the men on board
used it to reach the tug. The steamer is
rapidly breaking up.
The Sheldon is wooden vessel. built
in 1875, and is owned by the M. A
Bradley estate of this city.
Ran on Breakwater.
The steamer Wisconsin, while leaving
the Lorain harbor late last night, ran OF
to partially completed breakwater anC
for a time the vessel was threatened
with destruction by the heavy sea
Later she was pulled off and it is nov
believed the boat has not suffered grea
damage.
The steamer F. II. Prince a freigh
carrier. which left here last midnight
narrowly escaped striking the breakwa
ter as she was leaving this port during
the height of the storm. The big vesse
was thrown on her beam ends repeated
ly. She finally managed to turn and re
enter the harbor.
The big passenger steamer City Of
Erie, which left Buffalo for Cleveland
! early last evening, arrived here tni:
morning, two hours late. The boat was
listed greatly when she rounded the ligh
on the outside breakwater, and as she
came inside she signaled for two tugs
nd q.
line she had nearly crashed into thu
light on the lifesaving pier and it wa:
with the utmost difficulty that she wa,
kept Off
The boats fgurehead was torn off
window panes in the cabins broken ant
many other evidences shown of the
heavy weather which she had endured
The officers say the gale which they fel
| all the way from Buffalo was one Of til,
worst experienced in many months.
Schooner Yukon Founders.
While passing Ashtabula, westbound
Just before noon today, the schooner Yu
llon, battling with the storm, sprung
leak She attempted to put into Ashta
! bula harbor, but without success, sink
ing several miles out. The ifesavin:
crew from Ashtabula reached the boa
Just before she went down and took of
the crew, who were brought in on a tn;
are believed to be safe. The Yukon wa
owned by the Gilchrist company O.
Cleveland.
At the local weather bureau office til.
wind registered a velocity of seventy
miles an hour early today.
The schooner Kingfsher went ashor,
just east of the Cleveland breakwater
two weeks ago. She is today being
pounded to pieces on the beach by tn,
heavy sea.
Unknown Barge Pounding to Pieces.
CHEBOYGAN, Mich, Oct. go
| two-masted tow barge went ashore OF
| lighthouse point in last nights gale anC
is now being pounded by the seas The
name of the boat and her condition can
not be learned, as assistance canno
reach her on account of the storm. L
is believed from the size of the yesse
that she carries a crew of eight men.
The tug Cygnet, owned by the Cheboy
gan Towing company, which has beer
aground near the entrance to the harbol
for the past two days, was broken tt
| pieces by the storm during the night
and this morning not a trace of he1
could be seen. None of the crew were
on board.
Buffalo Breakwater Damaged.
BUFFALO. n. Y, Oct. 20.-Buffalt
was visited today by a ffty-two-milt
gale, which destroyed place glass win
dows, uprooted trees and blew dow1
signs. Battered by tremendous seas OF
Lake Erie, about 200 feet of the gov
eminent seawall was reported to have
sunk about level with the normal sur
face of the lake early this morning. NJ
serious damage has been done to ship
! ping.
Lightkeeper Marooned.
! GRAND HAVEN, Mich, Oct. 90