Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1907-10-18
lake HORROR
CLAIMS CREW
TWENTY-FIVE MEN GO DOWN IN
RAGING STORM ON TREAcH.
ERoUs LAKE SUPERIOR.
BUT ONE LIVES TO TELL
sTEAMER CYPRUS Is TOSSED
ABOUT UPON THE WAVES.
THEN DASHED TO PIECES.

Sault Ste. Marie. Mieh.-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 nne steel frelshter Cy-
prus. 40 feet long. owned by the Lack.
'awanna Transportation Company,
foundcred October 18th In Lake Supe-
riof. Oh Deer Park. taking down with
her twenty-five members OF the crew.
Second Mate c. J. Pitt. washed ashore
flashed to life raft. Is the only person
left alive Of the ships people. and his
condition In 80 critical since he was
found on tho beach he has only been
able 10 gasp out the name OF the
sunkcn 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
story OF tho wreck and the exact caus.
Of tho stout steel ship founderin. 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 are
known to be those Of the first mate
and Waterman.
Sault Ste. Marie. Mich.-Rccovcrin
consciousness after hours Of constant
nursing. the second mate Of the Cy.
prus snvc graphic account OF the
last moments Of tho 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.
giving tho craft heavy list. This was
about D. m.. when the vessel was on
Deer Park. In the regular course Of
vessels bound up and down.
Water began pouring In the matches.
and panic cnSucd. many Of the crew
putting on life prcscrvcrs. Captain
Huyick. however. felt confident that he
>cuid reach shelter behind whiichsh
Point. and the boats were not lowered.
9oth engine and pumps were working.
and the crew felt sure tho vessel would
cot sink without warning.
But suddenly tho big frcishicr rolled
over on her side and almost instantly
plunged to tho bottom. when the YES.
eel rolled over. the first and second
nntcs, q Waterman and whcclmnn
~crc close to life raft. which they
tut loose and cast OH In time TO escape
he whirlpool caused by tho Cyprus.
Until 2 u. m. the four men chung to
heir fraii support while the waves
1royc them toward shore. Five upcs
n the angry surf the raft was upset.
he men each time having TO nght the
,cayy undcr,ow for their lives. Each
isht weakened the bcnumbcd and dis.
ncnrtcncd sailors and after the NTH
battle with the surf only one OF the
,uartct remained upon the raft.
The next time the raft was caught
IN by the surf Il 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
,ater found by the patrol OF the lie
saving station.
The vessel lies In nineteen fnthoms
Of water, and those who were caught
in the vessel will probably never be
heard from. Nine bodies In nli have
been recovered. There seems now TO
BIO little doubt that the sinking Of the
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
xtory of the second mate, Pitt. confirms
largely the theory OF loss given out 10
,iav by Captain Harbottlc OF the Pitts
burg Steamship Company's steamer
stephcnson, the last vessel TO sight the
Cyprus before she sank.
This means that the Cyprus took In
M, much wnter through her uncovered
hatches that her pumps were unable TO
carry II OF.
o.i. - Quail