Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-08-05
A SHIP Ora

same cause. These collisions are fire.
quent in these Northern waters Of dense
fogs, variable currents and a narrow
seaway, while the infeEiority of look
outs adds to the risk OF such a mishap.
In August the big new liner South
wark, outward bound from Montreal
with S4 passengers, grounded In Belle
Isle strait, and for a time 1t
was feared would become a total loss,
but she was floated. A similar misbap
befell the Athabasca in the same neigh
borhood shortly after, dense fog being
the cause OF both STANDINGS. This
area is perhaps the most ~fog-veiled
zone in the world. It rarely has fine
weather, n the passage usually Is
made by liners in a dense mist, and
the region Is a scene Of frequent dis
aster to'freight and mail boats.
Toward the end Of November the
lake steamer 500 City, which had been
plying on the great lakes for 90 years,
was purchased by a Arm in Texas and
RENTED at Quebec for the long voy-
age to Galveston. She left Quebec and
steamed down the ST. Lawrence, and
two weeks later a mass OF w~reckage,
Including so life belts marked with the
name Of the 500 City and part Of her
deCkhouse "a washed ashore at Cape
Ray to tell the tale Of another of those
wrecks that are the terrors Of this
coast.
Season Of Navigation.
Belle Isle strait is open to navigation
only from July to November. Water
borne commerce with Canada ceases at
the end Of the latter month and opens
again about the first of May following,
and from then on until we'll on in
July Cabot's strait, the southern en-
trance between Newfoundland and
Cape Breton, Is used. During these
months me also during the mid
winter eason when Halifax Is the
terminal for all Canadian sea traffic,
ice Is prevalent in the gulf, On the
south coast Of Newfoundland and on
the Grand Banks, and many are the
disasters caused by 1t as we'll as by
the tempests which rage in these wa
tiers all the winter through. For in
stance, during December two Nor
wegian steamers, Silyorstad and Fal-
con, bound from Glasgow to Sydney,
Cape Breton, with Goa cargoes van
ished in the north Atlantic, and 1t is
supposed foundered with all hands.
Coal is a most dangerous cargo, espe-
cially anthracite, which Is so slippery
that 1t easily shifts when a vessel is
in a heavy sea and often sends her to
the bottom with her whole crew.
The settlers on both sides Of Belle
Isle strait find their chief harvest in
wrecks. All along this seaboard IT Is
not uncommon to find the houses built
out Of wreckage furnished from the
saloon and f~orecastle, cabin and
pantry. Even articles about the homes
are acquired from stranded or broken
up vessels, and even the sails, ropes,
blocks, anchors, chains and other gear
about the fishing boats are obtained
by the same easy and economical pro-
cess. When cattle ships go ashore the
fisher folk obtain an abundance of
farm stock.
All eastbound cargoes are largely Of
provisions n f~oodstuffs, and when q
liner ZONES ashore they help them
selves generously to bags and bar
rels Of flour, cheese, bacon, hams,
pork and every other essential com
modify to maintain life in a rugged
searfaring population.
They are ingenious, also, this PEG
Pile. When the Mariposa went to
pieces and great tierces of lard were
cast open IN the beach. they took up
the sand with which this was mixed
and melted and strained it so that
they obtained the greasy compound
almost as pure as original. The fleece
Of sheep obtained from wrecks they
spin into garments and use for var
ious domestic purposes. Occasionally,
indeed, the skin is converted into win
ter Barb; and, generally speaking. no
small share OF the prosperity Of the
place depends on the frequency OF
wrecks and the abundance Of food and
other materials contained in these
ships.
This is not only Death Hole Of the
sea through natural conditions, but
mar has made 1t his favorite spot for
! ScuttRng ships for their insurance.