The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-19

number plunged into the water. Not
woman or child was saved except
the BARRIERS wife.
In 1850 collision occurred between
the steamer Atlantic and the propeller
Ogdensburg on Lake Erie, resulting In
an estimated loss of life of from $50
to $50, making. 1t one of the most ter
rible disasters of lake history. The
steamer ran across the bow Of the pro-
| peller and was struck forward Of her
wheel. Soon after the collision panic
prevailed and many of the passengers
and crew jumped overheard. The pro-
peller kept on her course two miles
or more. when she rounded to an re-
turned to the steamer. She rescued
those who were still upon the wreck
but near:y all the others were drowned.
One of the saddest of these mysteries
Is that of the passenger propeller YER
non. which disappeared on Lake
Michigan in 1887. only nineteen years
ago. She was lost Oct. %. and with
her humiliation thrty-siX lives were
blotted out. 1t is perhaps the most
narrowing part of this calamity that
some time after her tragic end the STU
perior sighted several life RATS to
which chung Il number of the sunken
steamers victims.
These poor souls made frantic eff
forts to reach the Superior and the
Superior eXhaused every possible
means of reaching them. but the sea
was running so high and the gale blew
so fpriously that all efforts at rescue
failed. The Superior was forced to
leave the victims to their fate: and
that is all that is known of the end of
the Vernon.
One of the most singular cases of
vessel disappearance is that of the
Hume. which an unknown fate over
took on May 81 1891. Her disap-
pearance is perhaps the strangest on
record. She was stanch, we'll built
and perfectly equipped schooner. in
charge of one of the best and most
skillful navigators OH the lakes, and
was in first class condition when she
cleared from Chicago for Muskegon.
The last seen of her was when she
left the port of Chicago. Not word
or sign was ever received to explain
her loss She was totally obliterated,
as completely blotted out as though
she had never been. Not a man, not
spar, not enough wreckage to make
a toOthpick was even seen of her aft
erward. In this case the Great Lakes
historian does not even suggest that
she "foundered." Yet she is only one
of scores of mighty ships that have
vanished without leaving record of
their catastrophe.
Many of the wrecks are mysterious
absolute, but it is known by tangible
evidence that they were lost. Still
others are enigmas. Nothing is known
of them.
Thus the schooner Atlanta went
down in Lake Superior in 1891. Her
entire crew went with her. A year
later the Nashua foundered in Lake
Huron with fourteen souls on board
In the former case nothing was found
to indicate the ships fate. In the
case of the Nashua the disappear
ance was the same, only a few pieces
of wreckage floated on the surface of
the waters. In 1898 the Eddy met a
similar fate. The manner of the loss
of the Doty about this time is still a
mystery. She had tow. The line
parted, there came gale. The ship
sank-easy to explain-the Great
Lakes are generous with such en-
plantations.
Only few years ago the magnificent
passenger steamer Chicora left st.
Joseph, Mich. for Chicago on wintry
night. She was one of the finest,
stanchest and best equipped passenger
boats on the lakes. She sailed out in
to Lake Michigan and from there into
oblivion. Not word was ever heard,
not single token found which threw
light on her total disappearance.
The names of the Hudson, the Gill
cher and the Western Reserve are
memorable in lake annals. They are
the names of the three disasters that
were to herald new era in Great
Lakes navigation. They have been the
last of the great wrecks, a fitting
finale to the Great Lakes mysteries.
The vessels were the first of the pres
emit modern type of lake boats. They
were vast and deep, leviathans in
every sense of the word. All three
were lost. In each loss there is deep
mystery.
On Tuesday, Aug 80, the new steel
steamer Western Reserve. bound from
Cleveland to Two Harbors, foundered
during fierce gale in Lake Superior,
resulting in the drowning of six pas
sengers and crew of twenty-five. The
big steamer broke in two, the main
mast going by the board. and weaken
ing all other points we'll forward. She
shipped water last, and the yawl boats
were lowered. The crew and pas
sengers got in the boats, but few
minutes later the steel hulk sank,
capsizing one of the small boats. The
other went to the assistance of those
struggling in the water. but only sue
eceded In rescuing two of the unfortun-
les. This boat capized shortly after
ward and one man harry w. Steward,
the wheelman, reached the shore.
There have been many other casual
ties; but one of the most calamitous
pages in the history of the Great
Lakes was the disappearance of the
steel steamer w. H. Gilcher on Lake
Michigan in 1892 Capt. l.. H. Weeks,
who was in command of the Gilcher,
was master of undoubted seamanship
and had a capable crew of sixteen all
told, none of whom escped to verify
any of the theories that were formed
to account for her disappearance.
The NOSE acceptable view regarding
the loss of the Gilcher is that she was
in collision with the schooner Ostrich.
The Ostrich was wrecked at the same
time. and as the wreckage from both
boats was found on the beach within
radius Of 100 feet. this theory is
generally accepted. The crew of the