Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-29


Tho crow of the Crescent City escaped, but
the boat is total wreck. Captain r. w
England is the only man who left the Eng
land. The vessel is lying on the sand and
is in no danger of going to pieces. The
captain was taken off by the life saving
crew with the help of breeches buoy. The
sailors will remain on the boat until to-
morrow Unless the wind abates before
morning the Mataafa will be a total loss.
The Mataafas accident was the most I'M
fortunate of the three. 1t struck the north
pier of the harbor entrance while making
its way into the harbor and was unable to
get through the canal 1t swung around
and ran aground Just north of the pier,
where the waves are sweeping completely
over it.
Thousands see Accident.
The accident occurred shortly before
o'clock. The Mataafa left here at 8 O'Clock
last night with the n. A. Smith in tow. II
was captained by r. F. Humble. The storm
was so severe that it was forced to turn
back
As it came up the lake with it's tow a
large crowd focked to the piers to watch
its entrance mile or two out in the
lake it left the Nasmyth, which immedi-
ately anchored, and came on alone, en-
deavoring to make the entry, but the
lateral roll of the waves threw it starboard
and IL struck the north pier fairly on the
end, almost squarely with its nose which
was badly battered as a result of the col
lision. second attempt to head the
sci between the canal piers was unsuc-
cessful, the waves sweeping the vessel
from stem to stern. An effort was then
made to turn it out into the lake again.
but the attempt was in vain As its prov
headed toward the lake it turned almost
completely around with it's uose -owardi
shore. 1t cleared the pier and went on the
beach broadside. Every wave swept COM
pletely over the boat. There, with thous-
ands of people watching them, almost
within a stones throw and unable to do
anything. the poor fellows 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 Mataafa
until nearly o'clock. 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.
Their only chance is that there may be
some compartment there watertight TO hold
them till rescued
The Crescent. City, Captain Frank Rice,
was the first of three to go aground It
went on the rocks at Lakewood, about
twelve miles from Duluth. at p. m. Every
member of the crew of twenty-six men
escaped and none was seriously injured
The r. W. England is lying on a sand
beach on Minnesota point, four miles south
of the harbor entrance. 1t struck at 12:40
p M. during a binding snowstorm.
| At 1880 p. m a reliable party from the
scene Of the Mataafa wreck says the life
saving crew have abandoned their efforts
/ h.
| morning.
Wrecks Along Lake Huron.
DETROIT, Mich, Nov. 2s.-Lake Superior
| from Duluth to the 500, the upper PENN
sula of Michigan, upper ends of Lakes
Huron and Michigan and the northern
counties of lower Michigan, have been
swept last night and today by terrific
wind and snowstorm, and a number Of
shipping accidents have been reported. The
! blizzard ragged with a velocity of from forty
| to sixty miles an hour, and all the harbors
| from Port Huron north on Lake Huron
| and from Sault Ste. Marie north on Lake
! Superior are filled with vessels which have
| run IN .or shelter
| Tonight it was reported from sauit Ste.
| Marie that the wind has fallen to twelve
miles an hour and although the barometer
is falling, the weather situation is regarded
| as greatly improved All boats on the
lower end of Lake Superior are supposed
to have weathered the storm in safety.
Scores Of craft are tied up in the St. Mary $
| river and In the vicinity of Whitedsh Point
| waiting for clearer weather.
! Marquette reports an unusually heavy
snowfall, with drifts so high that train
! and traction service is greatly delayed.
! Tremendous seas are running on Lake Su-
perior on Marquette harbor and more than
a dozen vessels are riding out the gale in
side the breakwater there.
| At Alpena, on Lake Huron, the water
logged barge Harvey Bisseu was tied at a
dock and was torn to pieces by the gale,
and the barge Vinland broke away from its
| consort and is aground. The small passen-
ger and freight steamer City OF Holland
! went on the rocks while trying to make
/ the harbor at Rogers City. Docks and
I other waterside property sustained heavy
J damage a Alpena. Much damage was also
done on Thunder Bay island, where tho
| weather station and watch house We're sur
! rounded with water and the northern nor
ton Of the island was submerged
J More than dozen vessels are in shelter
4 at Port Huron at the lower end of Lake
I Huron. One small schooner the j. NJ.
} Spaulding. bound down from Rogers city.
was unable 20 make the harbor today and
went or the beach near Fort Gratiot The
| crew of four men reached shore safely.
/ Ludington reports a forty-mie gale
sweeping the upper end of Lake Michigan
and no boats leaving the harbor but the
I Pere Marquette ferry steamers Thousands
OF dollars damage was done 20 watersid,,
property al Menominee and along the west