Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-17
LATEST NEWS
Of MICHIGAN
WRECK OF THE CYPRUS AND
LOSS OF TWENTY-FIVE LIVES
LATEST DISASTER.
WENT DOWN LIKE A SHOT
Story Of the Sole Survivor Shows that
CareIessness with Hatches Caused
the Sinking Of the Steamer.
Survivors, Story Confirmed.

Survivors, Story Confirmed.
There now seems little doubt that
the most terrible marine disaster of
the present season, the sinking of the
Lackawanna freighter Cyprus Friday
night near Deer Park, on Lake Super
Tor, was due directly to the failure of
the captain and the crew of the wreck
ed vessel to cover the matches with
the canvas tarpaulin designed for that
purpose. The story of the sole sur
vivor, Second Mate G. j. Pitt, and of
Capt. Harbottle, of the Pittsburg
Steamship company, steamer George
Stephenson, the last vessel to see the
Cyprus before she sunk, confirms this
belief
1t was late Saturday afternoon be-
fore Mate Pitt had recovered from eX-
haustion sufficiently to give a coher-
ent account of the wreck. He says
the Cyprus was making fairly good
weather in the seas, when suddenly
the cargo shifted, giving the craft a
heavy list. Water began pouring into
the matches and panic ensued, many
of the crew putting on life preservers.
Capt Huyck, however, felt confident
he could reach shelter behind White
fish point, and the boats were not
lowered.
Both engine and pumps were work
ing, and the crew felt sure the vessel
would not sink without warning But
the big freighter rolled over on her
side and almost instantly plunged to
the bottom.
When the vessel rolled over the
first and second mate, a Waterman
and wheelsman were close to a life
raft, which they cut loose and cast off
just in time to escape the whirlpool
which was caused by the Cyprus, as
she plunged beneath the surface.
The boat sunk about o'clock, and
until 2 a. m. the four men chung TO
this frail support, while the waves
drove them ashore. Five times in the
angry surf on the rocky shore the raft
was upset and carried off by the I'M
dertow. After the last battle with
the surf the raft had but one occu-
pant. The others, benumbed and ex-
hausted. having given up the fight
The sixth time the raft was thrown
high on the beach and Pitt crawled to
safety, where he was later found by
NhO MS pau
The story of the captain of steam
er Stephenson throws additional light
upon the mystery surrounding the
sinking of the huge freighter in an
ordinary gale OF wind not sufficient to
drive any but smaller lake craft to
shelter. The captain of the Stephen
son expressed the conviction that the
vessel had foundered because her
pumps were unable TO handle the food
of water pouring into the doomed ship
through her matches.
The Cyprus passed the Stephenson
about l p m. Friday, so closely that
Capt. Harbottle. of the latter ship,
could easily see the deck of the Lack
awanna freighter. He says the can
vas coverings for the matches were not
in place and that the seas which we're
coming in on her quarter kept the
decks of the Cyprus continually
awash. The latter's pumps were
working and the water discharged was
highly discolored by iron ore, indicat-
ing that the water had entered the
hold of the ship. Inasmuch as the
Cyprus was brand new vessel, there
seems little likelihood that her plates
had been strained in any manner, or
that leak had developed below the
water line.
The Cyprus was on her second trip
from the head of the lakes, having
been built at the Lorain yard of the
American Shipbuilding CO., and
launched August II.