The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1905-12-02

Duluth, MINI, Nov 29.-In one of
the most terrific gales In the history
of navigation on the Great Lakes,
even surprising in fury the terrible
storm of last September, in which so
many men lost their lives in the vicin-
ity of the Apostle islands, three big
lake steamers were yesterday driven
ashore within sight of the lighthouse
at the Duluth entrance to the local
harbOr, and several members of the
crew OF one of the coats, the Mataafa,
are believed to have persisted.
The wrecks are the Crescent City
and the Mataafa of the Pittshurg
Steamship company, and the r. w.
England, owned by the England Trans
portation Company of Cleveland. AS
soon as interrupted telegraphic COM
munication with other lake ports is
resumed it is expected that further
Reports of Wrecks
will be received, for the storm IS
thought to have been a record-break-
ing one. For thirteen consecutive
hours, between II o'clock Monday
night and II o'clock yesterday, the We
locity of the wind averaged sixty miles
an hour and at times blew at the rate
CT seventy miles an hour The Ma
taafa is being slowly pounded to
pieces. The crew of the Crescent
City escaped, but the boat is a total
wreck. Capt. r. w. England is the
only man who left the England. The
vessel is lying on the sand, and is in
no danger OF going to pieces. The
captain was taken off by the life. say
ing crew with the help OF breaches
buoy. The sailors will remain on the
boat until to-day. Unless the wind
abates within a few hours the Mataafa
Will Be Total Loss.
The Mataafa's accident was the
most unfortunate of the three. She
struck the north pier of the harbOr
entrance while making her way into
the harbor, and was unable to get
through the canal. She swung around
and ran aground just north OF the pier,
where she is now being raked by the
waves. every one of which dashes COM
pletely over her.
There, with thousands of people
watching them, almost within a
stones throw and unable to do any
thing, the crew huddled on the stern
of the boat awaiting rescue. The life
saving crew was at the wreck Of the
England and did not reach the Ma
taafa until nearly o'clock, and by
that time the stern was almost under
water, and some time before that the
men had slipped down the ventilators
in the hold of the boat and none We're
seen on the stern. Their only chance
is that there may be some compart-
ment there water-tight to hold them
until rescued.
Twenty-Seven Men in Peril.
Efforts to rescue the crew OF TWEEN
ty-seven men were practically aban-
doned at midnight by the life saving
crew. Tue night was bitter cold, a
northeast wind blew at the rate or
sixty-five miles an hour and a heavy
snowstorm made it impossible 20
work to any advantage. Three times
lines were shot out to the stranded
craft but the men on board failed to
reach it and so were left to their fate.
At the moment the boat struck the
canal pier one of the crew was seen
to make jump for it but he was car
ried into the sea by the stiff gale.
Three others just behind him We're
seen no more by those on shore, but
1t could not be determined whether
thtey were jostled off the boat or re-
treated.
Huddled in the pilot house are be-
lieved to be most of the crew, and it
is believed that they will be saved
when daylight comes, providing the
gale does not increase.
Goes on the Rocks.
The Crescent City, Capt. Frank
Rice, was the first of the three to go