The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-13
nine FROZEN
BODIES FOUND
Part Of the Crew Of the III Fated Car
Ferry Which Was Wrecked on
Lake Erie During the
Storm.
WAS FOUND IN A sKIFF
Only One Of the Men Had an Over
coat and all Of Them Were
Frozen Stir and Dead
When Found.

ERIE, Pa, Dec. 13.-With her flag |
at half mast, the state fisheries boat, !
Commodore Perry. Capt Gerry Dris-
coll commanding, brought to this port
late Sunday the frozen bodies Of
nine of the crew of the Bessemer and
Marquette ferry No. Q, which left Con-
neaut, Ohio, Tuesday morning carry
ing thirty-two men and which has
probably foundered in the middle Of
Lake Erie.
For forty-eight hours the Commo-
dore Perry had been search
ing the waters of Eastern
Lake Erie for traces Of the
car ferry, but until tiny ten-man
yawl was sighted fifteen miles off this
port at II o'clock, the men on the lit
tie state fisheries craft had almost
given up hope of being able to ever
tell even a portion of the story of the
fate Of the big car ferry.
AS the lookout on the Perry sighted
a tiny half-sunken yawl at about noon
orders were given to steam down up
on 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 arrived too
late. The nine occupants of the boat,
which was marked "Bessemer and
Marquette No. % were frozen stiff.
Taking the yawl in tow, the Perry
made all steam for this port arriving
here late Sunday.
News of the finding of the bodies
! had reached the city and thousands
of persons swarmed to the wharves.
AS soon as the fish boat made fast, a
| force of men with tackle set to work
raising the bodies of the men to the
dock, where wagons were in waiting
The procession of dead passed through
the principal streets Of the city, with
| hundreds of people following.
/ Conneaut, Ohio, where most of the
men lived, was notified by telephone
of the grewsome find, and a hundred
residents of that city arrived here
within two hours. They were taker
directly to the coroner's morgue
i where the following Identification.
! were made.
H. THOMAS, second cook, Por
Stanley.
i WILLIAM RAY, Conneaut.
J. w. SOURAS. waiter Conneaut.
G. R. SMITH, steward, Conneaut.
F. STEELE, fireman, Conneaut.
J. SHENK, fireman. Conneaut.
]. HART, oiler. Conneaut
O'HAGAN, Conneaut.
CHARLES ALLEN, Conneaut
The cook of the car ferry was tn
only man to wear an overcoat. Th
eight other men were dressed in over
alls and jumpers, indicating that tn
departure from the car ferry had bee
hurried. In the bow end of the boa
was found complete clothing for on
man, and it is the belief that tn
yawl originally contained ten mer
and that one, becoming crazed, dis
carded his clothing and jumped int
, the icy waters of Lake Erie.
Driscoll, commanding the Commt
dore Perry, said:
There was heavy sea running q
the time We sighted the yawl, and W
had some difficulty in reaching it. A
we made her out with our glasse
, eight of the men were sitting up
the boat, their life preservers strappe
!, about their shoulders. The ninth ma
y lay at the bottom of the boat, froze
to the slat flooring. Their clothin
6 was heavy with frozen water. We di
not attempt to take the nine dead me
, on board. as we feared the yawl woul
. capsize if my men attempted to boar
. it,
i The car ferry was a steel vess'
= with capacity Of thirty-four loade
i cars. Last Tuesday the ferry, wit
d thirty-two cars of coal aboard ar
4 carrying thirty-two persons, inclu
ing passengers and crew, left Co
neaut at 1924 a. m. In the terrif
storm that followed, during which
: least tifty-two lives were lost on Il
s. lakes, the ferry foundered. 1t is su
% posed that the tossing of the ferry
y the sea troughs displaced the co
e cars and they pitched through Il
Is sides, admitting water to the hold.
n 1t is supposed she went down abo
n, Tuesday noon, sinking midway /
IN tween Conneaut and Port Stanley.
ID - ------
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