Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-10

The Cause Internationally Overloaded,
Starting Leak-35 OF Crew Escape
Picked Up by Another Ferry
Wireless Operator Calls
For Help and Perishes.

Ludington, Mich. Sept. 9.-Thirty
lives were lost today when Pere Mar
Quette car ferry, No. u.s. bound from
I.ndington to Milwaukee, went to the
bottom of Lake Michigan. hall way
across the lake. The dead include Capt.
Peter Kitty Of Ludington. S. F. Seze-
panek, purser, and wireless operator,
whose signals OF distress brought as
sistance to the sinking steamer ana
two members of the crew Of car ferrs
Nc. II who lost their lives in an effort
to rescue the crew of No. IL.
The dead-Peter Kitty, of Ludington.
captain; Joseph Brezinski. mate. or
Milwaukee; w. H. Brown. second mate
of Ludington: S. F. Sezepanek. purser
50 Gold street. Worcester, Mass: e. X.
Needham, chief engineer. Ludington;
C. Rosengrans, assistant engineer.
Northport, Mich; Paul Renners. sec
ond assistant engineer. Ludington; un-
known, oiler. Norwegian: A. J. Mack.
steward, Westfield. N. Y; w. H. Cum
MINIS, Chicago: John Schraufuagb MIL
waukee; L. s. Bertrand, passenger,
Luiing.on; Michael Haythaler, Forest
willie, Mich; Samuel Bouchie. River
Bourgers, N. s.: w. Parker. Marine
CITY: unknown fireman; Mrs. Marion
Turner, cabin matron, Ludington; Pc
ter Hire. Ludington; unknown lookout;
Ole Bakken, wheelman. Ludington; Jo-
seph Marion Ludington; two stow
always, Tom Kelly and brother, De-
itroit; Frank Warner. Chicago;
Jacobson, residence unknown; Charles
Jensen, Ludingtona. Joe Peterson
watchman, steamer No. II: Jacob Ja7
cobson, scrubber, steamer No. II, Lud-
ington.
The steamship company issued list
of sc names of survivors. all members
of the crew, most of whom were
brought here tonight on Pere Mar
quette car ferry No. II.
Eight bodies were recovered, six De-
ing brought here on car, ferry NO, II,
and two bodies being taken to Mil
waukee. The bodies brough here were
those of Capt. Kitty. Purser Sezepanek,
Steward Mack. w. H. Cummins. N. l..
Bertrand, and Mrs. Marion Turner.
One of the bodies taken to Milwaukee
was that of Mate Joseph Brezinski.
The other was reported to be that of
Joseph Koch, but as there is James
Koch in the list of rescued some DOUBT
has arisen in regard to the second
body taken to Milwaukee. Koch does
not appear in the steamers list or
dead.
The cause of the disaster In a mys-
terry. F. F. Potvin. cabin watch. said
that the boat was very low at the
stern when the first alarm was given.
He said they pushed 20 railroad cars
into the lake to ease the vessel. but
without avail.
Seymour Cochran of Chicago. an
other survivor said he was reading
magazine in his berth when cabin
how raped on his door about 40 A.
NJ, and said the boat was sinking.
Cochran fioated on a cabin door until
picked up by Nc. II. The purser had
given him $1,000 which was due Coch-
rams employers after they had deliv-
cred the boat to the Pere Marquette
Co., they having leased her all sum-
uler He would not load himself down
with the coin and tied the money to
the steamers rail as the boat went
down.
Many of the life boats were stove in
by wreckage tumbiing in every-direc-
ton on the tossing sea. The occupants
of the small boats were thrown into
the water and many of them drowned.
The sum of the catastrophe is q
lives lost and a financial loss exceed
ing s25O.0O0 dollars.
Ferry No. IS left Ludington last
night at 1870 o'clock with a fair but
stiff wind and 20 loaded cars on deck
The ferry made good weather for five
hours on it's course TO Milwaukee. but
at 4:3O o'clock word was sent to Capt
Kitty that his boat was rapidly max
ing water aft and that the pumps
were unable to keep even.
The captain promptly headed his
ship toward shore on the Wisconsin
side. The steamers pumps were
worked to their fullest capacity and all
the expedients known to skilled and
resourceful mariner were resorted TO-
But in spite of every effort. it became
evident that the boat was gradually
but surely sinking. ...-
With great difficulty, nine cars were
dropped off the stern of the No. Is,
but this gave the vessel only slight
and temporary relief.
The captain crowded his ship to the
utmost limit. hoping to reach shoal
water, but the effort was futile.
At 7.3O o'clock this morning without
warning and before the Mortified gaze Of
50 men on board her. Marquett car ferry
No. II, which had just arrived on the
scene in response to a distress signal.
the great black bow Of the flagship rose
high in the air. the stern settled swiftly
toward the bottom and with a roar the
ship shot downward and was lost to view.
The crew of No. II rushed a lifeboat
overheard with four men in it. The waves
picked 1t up instantly and crushed II
against the ferry's steel sides.
Two Of the sailors were rescued by
those on board. while the other two. 10.
sept Peterson and r. jacobson. a scrub
Der, Immediately sank and drowned. 9th.
er members of the crew quickly manned
another lifeboat which was successfully
launched. This boat. In charge Of Duncan
Milligan Of Ludington. did heroic service
and in less than an hour picked up Il
survivors who were floating abount hang.
ing to bits OF wreckage.
Then another lifeboat was manned and
joined In the work Of rescue. In the face
Of great danger more than 30 were saved
Meanwhile the tug A. A. c. Tessler OF
Milwaukee, car ferry p. NJ. No 20. steam.