Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-09-08
A Storm that Ragged on Lake Super
ior for Two Days Was
Very Disastrous.
LOSS OF THE STEAMER SEVONA
Seven Of Her Crew Are Believed to
Have Been Lost-The Barge Pre-
toria Sank, Five Sailors Being
DroWned-other Disas-
ters Reported.

Ashland, Wis, Sept. 5.-More than
score of lives were lost and property
valued at half million dollars was
destroyed in a furious storm that
swept over Lake Superior from Friday
night to Sunday night according to re-
ports received up to last night. The
! gale was the most destructive to lake
shipping that has been experienced in
many years.
Besides the wreck of the steel
steamer Sevona. which broke in two
on Sand Island reef, seven of the
crew, including the captain, losing
their lives, the barge Pretoria, of Bay
City, Mich, carrying a crew of ten
men, sank, five sailors drowning. The
survivors were brought to Ashland
last night.
Wreckage consisting of cabin
matches and ship furniture, has been
found Is miles off Portage entry on
Lake Superior, indicating that some
ship foundered in the great storm Of
Saturday and Sunday. Some of the
wreckage was marked "Olive," indi-
eating that the lost boat was the
"Olive Jeanette" A basket marked
'F. w. Gilchrist" also was picked up.
There was a steamer of that name on
the lake at the time of the storm.
Cabins, small boats and other parts
of ship have been washed ashore in
keweenaw Bay.
The storm damaged the pier and
breakwaters at Portage entry and the
light house was blown into the lake.
The storm at times reached the pro-
portions of a hurricane, and the
staunchest new steel vessels were
| forced to run for shelter. The new
steel steamer Stackhouse arrived at
the 500 on her first trip with her
hatch covers so badly sprung that
water poured continually into the
hold. One of the crew was washed
overheard. The whaleback steamer
Samuel Mather also lost one of its
crew overheard.
Searching parties sent out from
Ashland yesterday discovered the
bodies of Capt. d. S. Mcdonald, of
the wrecked steamer Sevona, and of
Nels Schuman second mate, Buffalo,
washed up on the shore at Sand ISL
and beach. The bodies of five other
sailors who were left on the wreck had
not been found last night, but there
was no probability of their escape.
The ship Pretoria sank near Outer
Island, in Lake Superior, on Saturday
and five members of her crew of ten
were drowned by the capsizing of the
yawl in which the crew took refuge
when the Pretoria foundered. The five
survivors were rescued by the heroic
efforts of John Irvine, keeper of the
Outer Island light and his assistant.
The crew lost control of the yawl and
all were spilled into the lake. The
dead:
Henry Schwartz, West Bay City,
Mich.
Axel Lendlis, seaman, Marinette
Wis.
Isaac Myers, seaman, Milwaukee.
Alfred Pebsal, seaman, Sweden.
Frank Wales, colored, Chicago.
These persons were drowned imme-
diately on the overturning of tho
yawl within a few feet of shore. Capt
Charles Smart, of the Pretoria;
Charles Fairman, mate, and William
Smart, seaman, all of West Bay City
and Oscar Orlen, seaman, of Milwau.
kee, and Ned Blank clung to the over.
turned boat John Irvine, the light
keeper, observing the plight of the
sailors, launched his own boat in the
boiling sea with the help of his as
sistant and saved them at great risk.