Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-09-04
Eleven of the Crew Drowned
Seven Voluntarily Sacri-
feed Themselves
BOATS WOULD NOT HOLD ALL
Captain and Six Remained Behind
That Rest Might Be saved-Relief
Came Too Late-TerribIe Privations
and Struggle to Get Boat to Their
Resoue-smalI Boat Lost.

I5ayIlelu. WIS.,, sept. f-EleSeIl VI
the crew of the steamer Sevona We're
drowned by the wreck of a steel
steamer on Sand Island reef on Lake
Superior late Friday night. Eleven
other were rescued, including the re-
mainder of the crew and four women.
The story of the disaster is a thrilling
tale of shipwreck on the great lakes,
such as has never been told. Seven
of the dead offered their lives as sac
rifice for the rest of the twenty-five on
board the ill-fatei ship, although four
of the latter were drowned. The rest
reached shore after a night of buffet
ing by waves in an open boat. and a
trip of more than twenty-four hours,
cutting a road through the wilderness
of northern Wisconsin.
The dead are Captain .. S. McDon-
aid. of Northeast Pennsylvania.
First Mate Louis Darwin of Medina,
Ohio.
The second mate. two wheelmen.
two watchmen. fireman. two oilers,
who were drowned. their names being
unknown.
Friday evening the steamer. was
blown on the reefs during fierce
northwest gale. When the vessel f1n-
ally struck great hole was torn in
her bow. and in half an hour the ves-
sci broke in two When the shock
came the captain found there was no
chance for all to reach shore, SO he
called for volunteers TO stay on the
ship. More than half the crew volun-
teered to stay aboard while the rest
tried to reach shore and call for help
for those who were TO remain on the
wreck. Finally the captain, two mates
and four others, sailors who were
under no obligation to stand by the
sinking ship, were selected to risk
their lives for the safety of the rest.
Engineer Phillippi was one Of the vol
unteers, but Captain Mcdonald ordered
him to take command Of the ships
boat which was to take four women
ashore. With Phillippi went six 9th.
ers of the crew. A small boat large
enough to carry four took another
party. The boat with the women tried
to make Sand Island, but was swept
past.
When the boats left the Sevona the
seven men left aboard were huddled
in the wheelhouse, waiting for rescae
that was to come too late.
The trip ashore OF the life boat was
one of terror All night the men
fought with the elements in an eff
fort to reach shore, which was only
five miles away, but the wind was
the craft parallel with the
beach, and it was daylight Saturday
before the boat was washed ashore at
Little Sand Bay
There they found homesteader,
who led them to his farm two miles in
the interior. The men were so ex-
hausted they could hardly walk to the
farm house. Then, while the rest Of
the party were cared for, the engineer
and Farmer Thibadeau set out with
4 team for Bayfield,, twenty miles
across the peninsula through almost
country. Most Of the way it
was necessary literally to cut a road
through the woods. Upon reaching
Bayfield, at 4 o'clock Saturday after
noon, the fishing tug Harrow started
out for the scene of the wreck with a
party Of fifteen men, headed by Engi-
neer Phillippi. The trip took two hours
in the teeth of a northeastern. When
the tug reached the wreck of the Sc
vona only few spars and the after
hundred feed of the craft was left.
There was no trace Of the captain
and his party of four in a small boat
and they are undoubtedly lost.
CREW is RESCUED.