The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-09-14
TELLS STORY OF
SEVONA WRECK.

! nails, until the wind had torn
everything down.
1T was found afterwards that
they had at the light house only
small boats like our own, which
could not live in snch a sea. We
also he ard that they had 20 COM
munication with mainland.
The storm increased 10 fury in
S cad of abating as We had hoped it
would. The force of the wind and
water together could not be imagin-
ed by anyone not there.
The water swirled into the dining
room. bearing bits of debris from the
pantry and kitchen. They barricad-
ed the door. The glass in the sky
light b~oke in, three panels Of the
door broke in, and the fire buckets,
| twisted in to al sorts of grOtesque
shapes. were hurled in through the
skylights The stern OF the beat
was beginning to list to starboard,
ard we were standing up to our
| knees in water. Engineer PHILIPPE
and Adam Fiden kept watch all this
time At IL o'clock when they saw
the tremendous destruction in the
dining room they felt that they
must take their last chance. The
port boat had been dragged across
the Sevona to the starboard side, as
it could not be launched on the port
side as the waves were too high.
We women went one by one and
were helped down the ladder into
the larger of the two boats, the one
fastened nearest to the stern of the
Sevona. Mr.. PHILIPPE was the last
to leave the ship for the life boat.
Alter taking all responsibility which
he bore with unfiinching courage
and nobility, up to the moment of
taking the boat, he effaced himself
and gave entire command in the
boat to Adam Fiden, because he
knew more of boats. Mr.. PHILIPPE
mad been watching and striving all
through three hours of waiting, for
a chance to reach the captain and
his men. y
From the moment of our leaving
the Sevona Adam Fiden was the
hero, One man suggested that we
should try and head for Sand Island,
but Fiden said it was so rocky along
the coast that he insisted tnat we
should head into the wind to make
toward what we supposed was York
Island, For three long interminable
hours they battled against the wind
| and the breakers, Eden skulling as
. the rud6er could not work. During
those hours it was his cheer, courage
and hopefulness that made it posi-
ole endure the strain = ~
''The men and the breakers to-
gether helped US out of the boat
when we struck the sandy beach,
anG walking, chilled and weighed
down with the weight of our gar
ments.
1t was pouring hard and it was
: with great difficulty we managed to
I make fire, little, wee fire and we
+ huddled around it. The smell of the
!, smoke was so good
t ''We owe the comfortof our tire to
!. the forethough of Miss Spencer, who
+ had urged Mr.. PHILIPPE to fill tin
! match safe with matches before we
left the Seonva. Those in our party
were, aside from the four women:
Adam Fiden s son and Gilbert Peter
son, deck hands; Otto Schmidt and
: Charlie Nelson, fremeD Mr.. Chuck
ey, steward, and Adam Fiden and
: VILLAIN PHILIPPE.
Mr.. Flden started at once to lOOh
> for any sign of human life and came
{ back with word that he had sighted
S a shaLty. On our way to it we met
0 homesteader named Gautsch, who
g happened to be hunting for stray
e COW. and for that reason had worked
e bis way down through the storm to
the shore. He told US we were on
mainland. in Wisconsin, IA miles
ffrom Bayfield,.
-EMr. Gautsch took US two miles
up hill, through forests. over fallen
trees, through mud nearly knee deep
;, and fording streams of water, to a
logging camp, owned by Napoleon
Ii fNl,o l,,,,, l. oyx,,o,, !