Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-09-22
WIhCHELL TELLS
OF SH|PWRECK
GIVES GRAPHIC STORY OF LOSS
OF THE STEAMSHIP
OHIO.
MADISON MAN PLAYS LEADING
PART IN THE
RESCUE.

wreck of the steamer Ohio, Alaska
bouond, is contained in letter from
Professor Horace Winehell of Mime
apolis. who with his brother, Profes
sor Alexander N. Wirchell of Madison
did heroic service IN the escue Of
women. One man, Eccles, the wireless
operator, was found dead on a floating
spar and the writer says four or pos
sibly six or seven may be in the
sunken ship.
The coming of the storm, the raging
of the sea, and the disorder that en-
sued among passengers and crew
when it was learned the ship was go
ing down, are matters that cling In
the memory of those who passed
through the narrowing experience
But all the horror of the scene did
not deter the Winchell brothers from
continuing their course to Alaska.
Story Of Wreck.
The letter, dated Vancouver, B. &.
Aug. 2s. follows:
Il have now had the experience oil
a shipwreck 1t did not seem 80 Sc
rious at the time as it has turned out
to be. We do not yet know how
many lives were lost, but there were
at least four: and possibly six oil
| seven. One poor fellow, the wireless
operator, Eccles, Is already in his
coffin on this vessel The other
bodies must be inside the sunken
vessel for no trace of them could be
found along the shore.
Never have | seen darker night
It was raining steadily and the vessel
had no headlight or search-light with
which to locate the shores and rocky
promontories. Between 10 o'clock and
midnight of Aug. rs We passed through
Milbank sound, having as rough a
crossing as | ever experienced there
We ran into a squall and rolled SO
that some twenty-five tons Of freight
went off the upper deck into the rag
ing froth and spume, carrying along
some fifty feet Of railing on the star
board side.
"On going to my stateroom l found
1t in a condition of disorder and my
roommate hastily disrobing and more
seriously bent upon getting into his
berth than restoring order After
rightips hings there I went around to
see that Chings were in good condition
on the vessel, and finally retired about
midnight.
Ship Strikes Rock.
Il was not yet asleep. We were
pounding along through the pitcay
dark and the steady rain when | felt
the floor OF the room heave up. and
there was jar followed by two lesser
ones and almost Immediately by jang-
ling bells in the engine room and
three or four blasts of the ohio's
whistle / thought we were in COLI
sion with another vessel and was in
stantly on my feet and beginning to
dress. The ship continued to move
forward One woman became hys-
terical and rushed out crying oh, we
struck on rock we struck on a
rock and are going to the bottom!
"Some of the crew led and pushed
her back into her room rather roughly
and told her TO be quiet and ge; her
clothes on When | was dressed
went out and looked around People
began to appear some of them still in
night clothes with wraps over their
shoulders. An officer came along and
looked INFO each stateroom telling
people to dress; and soon several
came up from below. Two or three
sailors came down to the main deck
from the upper deck and began put
ting on life belts.
THAT reminded me that they were
under our berths and l went aud got
one and my roommate. Alex. did the
same. A w man with her clothing in
her hand cme from the lower deck
and dressed in our room Alex helped
her and then gave her the third life
belt, each room having three.
we were still moving 70, ward at
ahou half speed. The engines were
working an dthe electric light burn
ing In our rooms The ship was sink
ing at the bow and there was a no
tieeahle slant downward in that direc-
ton II also began to list to port.
Vessel is seached.
Il heard some one say something
about getting the boats ready, but
heard no orders from the captain or
the pilo, They were on the bridge
Some of the b0a,s were probably
swung out on the davits, but they
We're not lowered. Suddenly we we're
almost thrown from our feet By the
grounding Of the vessel in what was
agterward learned to be Carter bay
A momentary panic occurred just
then, and there was a scanlper to the
ra,t
With our bow on land and the ship
stationary J felt much relieved or
course, we had no idea what We had
beneath US. nor how far nor in what
dir ection to look for shore but the
ship would not sink head FIRST, Il
kept on listing to port, and before i
left was at such an angle it was al
most impossible to stand or 10 cross
from the port side to the starboard
IS III no boats were launched But
q subcaoer soon came and ordered
all women aud children into the boats.
TWO or three men already in were
driven out. The boats were still on