The Detroit times., 1909-04-08
THREE LIVES. LOST
ON FOOLISH WAGER
Wyandotte Men Try To Row Across
River in Wednesdays Big Blow
and Drown.


storm-tossed river on a wager. Wed
nesday afternoon. when the gale which
swept this section of the state was at
Its height The river claimed all three
when, realizing their folly. they trieo
to regain the American shore.
The men were Anthony Kaup, AZ
years old. saloonkeeper at Third and
Cherry-sts.. Wyandotte; Joseph kad.
Itch, aged 35, barber living al No.
40 Orchard-st. and Adam Felim, aged
%. OF the same address. They were
discussing the storm In Kaup's sa-
loon late in the forenoon, when Kad'
Itch said to Kaup:
I'll bet you IS you don't dare row
across the river with me-
Kaup took the bet and Felim went
along as stakeholder. They set out
shortly after noon. with Kadhch at
the oars. They Rugged the shore for
a short distance. then started across
the river on slanting course, SO as
to head the boat into the waves, which
tossed angrily about them.
The frail little craft weathered the
gale In good shape for time. Round
ing the head of Crosse lie. the three
men saw the main channel before
them and realized. apparently that
their boat had no chance against the
waves here. They turned back, but
for some reason. again turned the boat
toward the Canadian shore a moment
later. Reaching the main channel
they tried to turn back a second time.
but the boat was caught II the trough
of the sea and was swamped.
With the aid of marine glasses
watchers on the shore saw the three
men plunged into the water. Two OF
them came up presently and managed
to reach the boat, but a huge wave
washed them of again. Only one
man came up this time. He grasped
the boat and chung to II.
In the meantime William Farms
worth and Kaup's son, Joseph. were
to go to the rescue in a
launch, but II took some time to get
the boat into the water. Just as they
were setting out, the man chnging
to the skin was seen to throw up his
hands and the next instant was swat
lowed up by the waves.
The launch made Its way out to the
Kaup leaves his wife and four chill
dren. Kadlich and Felim were both
married and both leave families in
Servia.
These were the only lives lost by
the storm in this vicinity. though sew
eral had narrow escapes. The report
that two children had been blown on
a dock near Belle Isle bridge and
drowned proved groundless, after a
thorough investigation by the police.
Young Miles Redmond. Nc 117S Larn.
ed-st east. the boy who started the
story, was questioned by the police OF
Elmwood station, Wednesday night.
and finally admitted that he had been
fibbing. He was allowed to- return
home with a reprimand.
The gale, which ragged furiously
from o'clock Wednesday morning
until well into the afternoon, gradual.
ly died down as evening wore on. Al;
9 o'clock 1t was blowing at q 26-mie
rate and Thursday morning had still
further abated.
The resultant damage In the city
and state was considerable, but no ac-
curate estimates are possible.
Caught In the trough of the waves
in midstream, "Wednesday afternoon,
the steamer Victoria, OF the Detroit,
Belle Isle & Windsor feet, was so
badly damaged that she had TO lay
up for repairs. There was a panic
among the passengers as the forward
deck, accompanied by an ominous
creaking of timbers. gave way in two
places. Some Of those aboard thought
A ii l.
tainted in the excitement. Order was
promptly restored, however. and the
boat reached the Canadian shore In
safety. The accident opened two big
seams in the deck. dear the side of
the vessel. The steamer Excelsior
which was undergoing a spring clean
ing, took the victoria's place.
Fannie Counter, aged IA. daughter
Of w. f. Counter, OF the Forest apart
ments. Forest and Second-aves., was
struck by a falling sign in front OF
Kingston & Co.'S express office, No.
762 Fourth-ave.. and seriously injured
DR.. j. K. Clark found that her spine
Is fractured at the base OF the skull
and that she is also suffering from
of the brain. Her condi
ton is critical.
The telegraph companies experienced
some wire trouble as result Of the
gale. but II was scattered and not OF
a serious nature. The Michigan Cen.
trail s cable across the river was dis.
abled in the morning and In the after
noon the company's telegraph lines
between Detroit and Buffalo were put
out of business. Several trains on
the Buffalo division, through Canada,
we're delayed on account of the wind
About sixty square feet OF roofing
at the west end of the Burroughs Add
ing Machine Co.'S new addition, Sec
ond.ave. and Amsterdam-st., was torn
of during the forenoon. II was car
ried about 200 feet and then fell on
the roof of the tool shop, one-story
structure, causing about 5000 damage
and giving the workmen IN the tool
shop o bad scare No one was hurt.
however.
The vino put about 100 street lights
out OF commission on the west side,
the affected district being along Porter
and Howard-sts., from Fifteenth TO
and north CT Michigan
In the vicinity OF La Safest.
One OF the chimneys of the new
Presbyterian church, in walkervilis.
was blown down, and in Its fall
wrecked part OF the roof. In both
and Windsor several chin
neys. bill boards and trees yielded To
the gale and telephone and telegraph
wires vere down in places. N,
Street car trafflc was held up Ea!f
hour on Field-ave when a large tree
fell across the tracks. A chimney on