New-York tribune., 1909-12-10
STEAMER BURNS IN
LAKE ERIE.
Tsco of Cree Perish-HTeless
RiraIry Alleged 70 Hare
Delayed Rescue York.
rRr relerraph 10 The tribune !

.-lsrio,, b. the steamer L. g Hanna and
br.,,,el-, here. They were rushed 70 a
.r-ir and went 70 Buffalo. 10 the head
quarters 81 the Anchor Line Company.
- owner of the Clarion
The wireless message which told Of the
,,r~,inC a. the Clarion was first picked up
r, Bert T. wendler. night operator al the
r,e,roit station of the Clark Wireless
r-or,nany. wendler heard the C Q n
csu AZ $40 p. m. He answered az once
end learned that the steamer calling was
fI,e Rope. equipped with another wireless
srste-1. When ne signed &C. w" signi-
.,irg Detroit clark station. IL is said, the
c,ber onerator refused 20 talk.
IF the Bope wireless operator had
,,esn kind enough 70 answer me when
-sezed ,lp his call, the lives Of two men
might have been saved" said Wendler'
Az Detroit to-day. I could have called
81, Captain westcott al the local marine
reporting Office sad had some Of the
-ugs that sre stationed al Amherstburg
urs Bar Point on the spot in two hours"
CAPTAIN LEFT OTHERS ON BOARD.
According - the hurried tale OF the
six sailors here, al attempted 10 leave
tho clarion as soon as il was asoertained
that she could not be saved. Captain
Thomas Bell. Of Ogdensburg. y. Y, and
twelve other members Of the crew took
~ the Iifeboat They left without food
and shelter
The mate was overcome by smoke and
died beloz An effort was made by the
sfx survivors 10 enter another lifeboat,
hut il was swsmped. one sailor fell
overheard and was drowned in his ef-
forts 70 save the ufeboat. The men were
forced 10 remain on the Clarion, where
they were later picked up by the steam
e. L. c. Hanna.
The Clarion is a 1.7oo-ton steel boat.
she was bound from Detroit 10 Erie
Penn. 70 lay up, when FIRE broke out.
The cause Of the flre is not known. The
survivors, were questioned by the owners
a. this point, but they could give no in
formation. other than that the blaze
started between decks and spread rap
idlv Only for the arrival Of the Hanna
the men soon would have been compelled
10 Jump into the MATER 10 escape the
FIRE
The six men left on the boat crowded
ard the stern against the wind, thus
keeping as far from the FIRE as possible
Tho Games were near them when the
Wanna arrived. Only a few feet Of the
steamer was left above water when hey
were taken OF. For several hours the
Hanna worked against the wind and
sea- al the time guarding against being
sci ahre. in an effort 10 rescue the six
sailors.
LITTLE HOPE FOR MISSING.
The Ifeboat with its heavy burden was
no in sight when the Hanna left the
scene nor W there any indication that
the men might have been saved by an
other boat.
survivors say one OF the crew fell over
board when attempting to enter the life
boat. but was later taken out OF the
water and taken with those in the life
bost With the temperature near Zero
r. was not considered likely that he could
survive the ordeal
Seven vessels passed the Clarion while
the IRE was in progress. The blaze at
the time was confined 10 the interior Of
the steamer, and as the lights were out
no signals could be flashed.
BlTalo, dec "a 4. hti'h ti4OA
engineer Of the III fated Anchor Line
steamer Clarion, arrived here tonight
from Cleveland Welch and the i've sur
Nivors VINO were taken off the burning
steamer just before she sank, were an
once taken 10 the Anchor Line oftice,
where The chief engineer told thrilling
story Of their experiences on a burning
ship with no lifeboat and bufeted about
by one of the worst storms az the sea-
son
The i've rescued men who came with
Welch are: Second Engineer John Gra-
ham. Firemen Harry Murray Of NIL
wsukee; Theodore Larson and Joseph
Baker. Of Buffalo. and Second Cook
Michael Toomey, Of Buffalo.
Welch was in charge Of the crew aft
when the fire broke out He saw
Thompson, the mate, run below when
the alarm was given.
He never returned" said WEIGH He
must have been overcome by the smoke
which soon began 20 roll out OF the
Estchwsys in dense volumes. The fire
spread so quickly that there was no
time 10 effect a rescue. In an increo-
ihly short time the hold OF the Vessei
was sesthing mass OF flames and me
boat owing 10 the loss of her steering
gear. was completely out Of hand
We saw Captain Bell and the forward
crew launching the big metallic hfeboaI
and we turned 70 the light wooden boat
on the davits sft Her lines were coat
ID with ice, and long before we got them
clear Captain Bell and the other MEM
bers OF the crew had succeeded in get
ting away in the larger boat
In trying 20 launch our lifeboat poor
IcCsuley missed his footing and zen
into The water. II was pitch dark er-
nept for the glare from the holds. and we
never saw him again.
Our boat was ewamped by big roiler
the moment IL touched the water. There
we were. with a roaring furnace beneath
or feet and without a boat even IL one
boulc have lived in such a sea
For four hours we fought the names
10 keep the Clarion above the water as
'ong as possible. in the hope or rescue
The intense heat had driven us 10 about
The limit OF endurance when We We're
rescued by the Hanna"