The Elbert County tribune., 1907-10-17
TWENTY-FIVE MEN GO DOWN IN
RAGING STORM ON TaEAcH-
ERoUs LAKE SUPERIOR.
BUT ONE LIVES TO TELL
STEAMER CYPRUS Is TOSSED
ABOUT UPON THE WAVES,
THEN DASHED TO PIECES.

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.-Bound from
the head of the lakes on the second
trip she has made since being
launched at Lorain. Ohio. on August
18th last, the fine steel freighter Cy-
prus. 440 feet long, owned by tine Lack
awanna Transportation Company,
foundered October 18th In Lake Supe-
rior. OF Deer Park. taking down with
her twenty-five members OF the crew.
Second Mate C. J. Pitt, washed ashore
dashed to a life raft, is the only person
left alive of the ships people, and his
condition Is SO critical since he was
found on the beach he has only been
able to gasp out the name OF tho
sunken ship and the fact that twenty
two lives were lost.
Pitt is suffering from the dreadful
exposure in the icy waters of Lake Su-
perior, in addition to the buneting he
received from the breakers. Until he
has recovered sufficiently to talk the
story Of the wreck and the exact cause
OF the stout steel ship laundering will
not be definitely known.
Deer Park is about thirty miles south
OF Grand Marais on the shore OF Lake
superior. Several bodies from tho
wreck have washed ashore and two arc
known to be those of the first mato
and watchman.
Sault Ste. Marie, ,Mch.-Recovering
consciousness after hours OF constant
nursing. the second mate OF the Cy-
prus gave graphic account OF tho
last moments OF the crew on board tho
Inflated vessel
The mate said that the Cyprus was
making fairly good weather in the
storm, when suddenly the cargo shifted,
FivfuO tho N bnauv OF
about z p. M, when the vessel was on
Deer Park, in the regular coarse OF
vessels bound up and down.
Water began pouring In the matches.
md panic ensued, many OF the crew
putting on life preservers. Captain
Huyick, however, felt confident that he
sould reach shelter behind Whitefsh
Point, and the boats were not lowered
9oth engine and pumps were working.
and the crew felt sure the vessel would
,ot sink without warning
But suddenly the big freighter rolled
over on her side and almost instantly
plunged to the bottom. When the YES
sci rolled over. the first and second
mates, a watchman and wheeIman
we're close to a life raft, which they
cut loose and cast Off in time to escape
he whirlpool caused by the Cyprus.
Until a. m. the four men clung to
heir frail support while the waves
irove them toward shore. Five times
n the angry surf the raft was upset.
he men each time having to fight the
neavy undertow for their lives. Each
fght weakened the benumbed and dis
neartened sailors and after the fifth
battle with the surf only one of the
Iuartet remained upon the raft
The next time the raft was caught
up by the surf it was thrown upon the
beach. Pitt had just strength enough
eft to crawl out OF reach OF the waves
before he fell exhausted where he was
later found by the patrol OF the life
saving station.
The vessel lies In nineteen fathoms
Of water, and those who were caught
In the vessel will probably never be
heard from. Nine bodies in all have
been recovered. There seems now to
be little doubt that the sinking OF tho
Cyprus was due directly to the failure
OF the captain and crew OF the wrecked
vessel to cover the matches with can
vas designed for that purpose. The
story of the second mate, Pitt, confirms
largely the theory of loss given out to
day by Captain Harbottle OF the Pitts
burg Steamship Company's steamer
Stephenson, the last vessel to sight the
Cyprus before she sank.
This means that the Cyprus took In
Sc much water through her uncovered
matches that her pumps were unable to
carry it OF.