Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-10-25
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

heaviest SlOrIu OIL the season. NdVlSd-
ton across the Lime Kilns crossing at
the mouth of the Detroit river is entire
ly 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 a 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 iine
received a telegram from Capt. Stewart
ing that he had run the steamer into
shelter at Long Point because of the ter
rife 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 q
fierce storm on Lake Erie early today
the steamer Sarah e. Sheldon went
ashore four miles east of Lorain. She
carried a crew of thirteen men, 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
Il E,1c Ky Il
on the rocks, four miles east of LOraln,
and at once began to go to pieces.
Tug Kunkel Brothers succeeded in
getting alongside the Sheldon for a mo-
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-
raire 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
resting on sandy bottom, and is being
pounded terrifcally by the huge waves,
which wash completely over her. Some
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 hfe-sav-
ing crew on board from Cleveland ar
rived at the wreck about noon. After
some delay 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 q wooden vessel built
in 1875, and is owned by the NJ. A.
Bradley estate of this city.
Ran on Breakwater.
The steamer Wisconsin, while leaving
the Lorain harbor late last night, ran on
to a partially completed breakwater and
for a time the vessel was threatened
with destruction by the heavy sea.
Later she was pulled off and it is now
believed the boat has not suffered great
damage.
The steamer T. II. Prince, a freight
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 vessel
was thrown on her beam ends repeated
~. 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 this
morning, two hours late. The boat was
listed greatly when she rounded the light
on the outside breakwater, and as she
came inside she signaled for two tugs
Before they reached her and secured a
line she had nearly crashed into the
light on the lifesaving pier and it was
with the utmost difficulty that she was
kept off.
The boats fgurehead was torn off,
window panes in the cabins broken and
many other evidences shown of the
heavy weather which she had endured.
The officers say the gale which they felt
all the way from Buffalo was one of the
worst experienced in many months.
Schooner Yukon Founders.
While passing Ashtabula, westbound,
just before noon today, the schooner Yu-
kon, battling with the storm, sprung a
leak. She attempted to put into Ashta-
bula harbor. but without success, sink
ing several miles out. The lifesaving
crew from Ashtabula reached the boat
just before she went down and took off
the crew. who were brought in on a tug
which was sent to the rescue. All hands
are believed to be safe. The Yukon was
owned by the Gilchrist company of
Cleveland.
At the local weather bureau office the
wind registered a velocity of seventy
miles an hour early today.
The schooner King6sher went ashore
just east of the Cleveland breakwater,
two weeks ago. She is today being
pounded to pieces on the beach by the
heavy sea.
Unknown Barge Pounding to Pieces.
CHEBOYGAN, Mich, Oct. 2O.-A
two-masted tow barge went ashore on
lighthouse point in last nights gale and
is now being pounded by the seas The
name of the boat and her condition can
not be learned, as assistance cannot
reach her on account Of the storm. 1t
is believed from the size of the vessel
that she carries a crew of eight men.
The tug Cygnet, owned by the Cheboy-
gan Towing company, which has been
aground near the entrance to the harbor
for the past two days, was broken to
pieces by the storm during the night,
and this morning not trace of her
could be seen. None of the crew were
on board.
Buffalo Breakwater Damaged.
BUFFALO,, n. Y, Oct 2O.-Buffaio
was visited today by a ffty-two-miIe