Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-12-17
GRUEsoME EVIDENCE OF THE FATE
OF THE MISSING CARFERRY
OUT OF CONNEAUT.
FROZEN STIFF IN THE SEATS,
Evidence of Heroism on the Part OF
Those Who Were Last to Sue
cumb to the Cold
WILL SEARCH FOR OTHER BOATS,

ERIE. Pa, Dec. 13,-The elements
were blowing such gale over Lake Erie
today that Capt. Jerry Driscoll, who
yesterday picked up nine bodies of those
lost in the Inflated Marquette and Bes-
semer No. 2, found it impossible to start
out in search of twenty-three other men
who are believed to have persisted III
the terrible storm of Tuesday. 1t was
the intention Of Capt. Driscoll and sew
eral other captains to start out at day
light, but the heavy sea caused them to
turn back. and the search will have TO be
delayed until the storm has subsidized.
All through the night, friends and rel
atives of the nine dead men who were
picked up yesterday waited at the
prepared for burial The bodies of the
nine men will be sent to their homes
some time today, and seafaring people OF
this city will take up the search for
more bodies as soon as 1t is possible
again to venture out on the lake.
Officials of the carferry company have
spared no effort to find their missing
ship and the shipwrecked crew. 1t IS
reported that the burial of the nine bod
| les recovered yesterday will be paid TOR
by the Carferry company as the loss III
some instances falls heavily upon the
shoulders of the surviving members OF
the sailors families. Some of the men
found frozen stiff in the yawl by the fer
rvs crew mad been long ia the service
of the carferry company.
Mans Humanity to Man.
A story of self sacrifice and simple
herOism was told in the attitude of some
of the bodies of the nine men who were
all dead together in Il yawl which was
picked up yesterday. Manuel SOuars, the
a life preserver. Little Souars, the
weakest probably, succumbed first TO the
bitter cold. and had craWled party be
meath the seats. -Four of the other men
had lain down in the bottom of the boat
over his legs and lower part of his body
apparently to lend a portion of the fast
failing warmth of their bodies to pre-
serve the lad.
The heads of two of the men, Thomas
and O'Hagan were badly bruised and
cotted with blood. The pair We're sit
ting upright in the bottom of the boat,
although the fury of the waves had
dashed the corpses this way and that,
battering the two mems heads against
the sides of the yawl.
The lifeboat found was No. 4, which
Capt Driscoll says would be the last
launched. There were four lifeboats on
the carferry aud they would be launched
if practicable in rotation according 10
their numbers.
Thirty-eight Persisted.
It became known today that thirty
eight persons, instead Of thirty-two, lett
Conneaut, O., last Thursday morning
aboard the carferry Marquette and Bes-
semer No. 2, which met disaster III the
terrific storm that has prevailed over
Lake Erie.
Nine of this number, all frozen, were
picked up yesterday. in one Of the
ferrys yawls. The fate of the remain
ing twenty mine is not definitely known,
but there is little doubt that all have
persisted.
Owing to a fierce storm which is
sweeping Lake Erie today, efforts to
search for the missing twenty nine are
at a standstiu. A number of boats are
in the harbor ready TO take up the
search, but the heavy sea makes an at
tempt at this time impossible.
Finding the Bodies.
For forty eight hours the Commodore Per-
~ secured the waters of eastern Lake Erie
for traces of the Carferry. but until Il tiny
ten-man yawI was sighted fifteen miles off
this port at II o'clock Sunday the men on
the little state fisheries craft had almost
given up hope of being able ever to tell
even a portion of the story of the fate nf
the big carferry.
AS the lookout on the Perry sighted a
tiny halfsunken yawI at about noon on
Sunday orders We're given to steam down
upon the object The use of glasses dis
covered the boat to be loaded with nine
men. As the Perry came abreast of the
drifting and half water-logged yawl the
men gathered at the side of the fish boat
saw that they had arrived too late. The
nine occupants of the boat which was
marked "Bessemer and Marquette No. A.
were frozen stiff il death.
Names of the Dead
Conneaut, where most of the men lived
was notified by telephone of the gruesome
ind, and a hundred residents of that city
arrived here within two hours. They were
identt1cations were made:
THOMAS, H, second cook, Port Stanley
RAY, WILLIAM. Conneaut.
SOuARS, ]. w, waiter, Conneaut.
SMITH, G. R., steward, Conneaut
STEEL. F, fireman Conneaut.
SHENk. j., fireman, Conneaut.
HART. J., oiler, Conneaut.
O'HAGAN. -, Conneaut
ALLEN, CHARLES, Conneaut.
The cook of the carferry was the ONLY
man to wear an overcoat. The eight other
men We're dressed in overalls and jumpers,
indicating that the departure from the car.
ferry had been hurried. In the bow end of
the boat was found complete clothing for
one man, and 1t is the belief that the yawl
originally contained ten men and that one
becoming craZed, had discarded his cloth.
ing and jumped into the icy waters of
Lake Erie.
Passenger Is Missing.
Albert j. Weis of this city, treasurer of
the keystone Fish company and Blair State
Iron works. was q passenger on the iIl-fated
boat. His relatives and friends had not
vet given up hope until the yawl containing
the nine men was towed into this port AS
yet his body has not been found The of.