New-York tribune., 1910-09-10
TWENTY-FIVE DROWN
IN LAKE MICHIGAN
Captain and Many of Crew Go
Down with a Car Ferry in
Middle of the Lake.
THIRTY-FlVE MEN SAVED
One of the Dead Was the Wire
less Operator, Whose Sig
nails Brought Assistance
as Steamer Sank.

udIS bIOuSut IaooASCe@hSS
as Steamer Sank.
Ludington, Mich, Sept 9.-Twenty-h'he
lives were lost to-day when Pere Marquette
car Ferry No 1S bound from LudingtoH to
Milwaukee, went to the bottom of Lake
Michigan. half way across the lake. 1he
dead include Captain Peter Kitty, of Luz
dington; s. +. Sezepanek, of Chicago
yurser and wireless operator, whose siSnais
of distress brought assistance to the SINK
ing steamer, and two members of the ere"
of Car Ferry No. IT, who lost their lives In
an effort to rescue the crew of No is 1he
financial loss exceeds $500, coo.
The cause of the disaster is enNeioped
in mystery. F. +. POtyin. cabin Watch,
said that the boat was very low at Inc
stern when the first alarm was gwen lie
said they pushed tWenty-nine rallroau cal >
into the lake to ease the vessel, out "lIh-
out avail Seymour Cocnrane, of chicago
another survivor, said he was readihS
magazine in his berth, when a cabih poS
raped on his door, about 40 a M ana
shouted that the boat was sinking
Cochrane foated on a cabin door nhti'
picked ip by No. II. The purser had given
him S1OGG which was due Cochfane EN-
ployers after they had delivered the boa'
to the pere Marquette companH II having
leased her all summer. But Coehrane couid
not load himself down with the COIN ana
tied the money to the steamers ran as
the boat went down.
The story of the loss of car Terry fere
Marquette IS constitutes the most tragic
and thrilling chapter yet written IN 'ne
history of the Lake Michigan marine.
Leaving Ludington last night at i;'o
o'clock. with a fair but stiff wind. and
twenty-nine loaded cars on deck, the 1effy
made good weather for five hours on Ats
course to Milwaukee.
Tried to Run Ashore.
Word was sent to Captain Peter l<lltS
at 4:3O a. m. that his boat was rapidly max
ing water aft and that the pumps were
unable TO keep even with the inflow. klity
| Immediately headed his ship with all speed
toward Sheboygan, on the Wisconsin shore
The steamers pumps were worked to
| their fullest capacity But in spite of every
effort the terrible fact dawned upon the
captain and all on board that the boat
was gradually but surely sinking
With great difficulty nine railroad cars
were dropped off the stern of No. Is. but
this gave the vessel only slight and temp
orary relief.
The boats buoyancy was not sufficient
at 7:30 this morning to sustain it Suddenly
without warning, and before the Mortified
gaze of fifty men board the Pere Mar
ouette car ferry No II, which had just ar
rived on the scene In response to a dis
tress signal, the great black bow of No
Is rose high in the air the stern settled
swiftly toward the bottom. and with roar
and crash like an explosion, the ship shot
downward and was lost TO view.
The horrlfied onlookers on steamer No. IL
stood for a moment speechless Irresistbly
drawn by a tremendous suction. score of
men could he seen speeding toward the
vortex of the sinking steamers revolving
wheels.
Work of Rescue.
Then began the rescue. Lowering one
of her Iifeboats, containing four sailors, the
crew of No. Il began a work of humanity.
No sooner had the ifeboat touched the
waves than il was hurled with terrific
force against the side of the steel steamer
and crushed into d shapeless mass.
Two of the sailors We're rescued by those
on board, while the other two Immediately
sank and drowned Another Iifeboat, which
was successfully launched. did heroic ser
vice ana Ill less lfldn du lOtI piChfu up
fourteen survivors, who were floating about
clinginS to bits of wreckage
Then another lifeboat was manned and
Joined IN the work of rescue. It was a race
against time and in the face of great dan
ger more than thirty were saved.
Meanwhile the tug \. 4. {. TesSler. of
Milwaukee,; car ferry j. NJ. No, 20. steamer
p NJ No. and tug from Sheboygan,
towing the Sheboygan lifesaving crew, ar
rived on the scene They instituted a
thorough search for survivors and bodies
ard succeeded in picking up several of the
| former and eight of the latter.
| The cause of the disaster is and may al
ways remain an unexplained mystery. The
men who know what the trouble was are
all dead and among the survivors there
re only two theories and speculations. The
/ best conclusion seems to be that the car
fcrry's after water compartment filled
through an open or broken headlight, which
was followed at the last minute by burst
ing of bulkheads.
Chief Engineer Ross Leedham and his
first assistant. Charles ~Rosencrans, died at
their posts in the ensiiffe I0Uis.:
So quickly did the steamer take her final
| plunge that not a man had opportunity TO
! reach one of the six lifeboats, which had
! been launched and lay alongside the car
| ferry ready for the supreme moment. When
| the boat went down every one who could
| reach the deck ran for the sides and
| jumped into the lake. and the strong
| swimmers were for the most part able TO
| make their escape from the whirlpool
which consumed their less fortunate ship
| mates.
As the boat went down the roof of the
! cabin gave way under the force of the
| terrific air pressure, and with a crash and
| roar the cabins and smokestacks shot
| into the air in every direction causing
death to many who might have escaped
| drowning.
! In this manner it is said the majority of
the twenty-nine victims lost their lives.
| All the bodies thus far recovered are badly
mutilated and bruised
Story OF Survivor.
Perhaps the most remarkable escape il
that of Simon Burke, quartermaster. who
was the last man to leave the doomed ship.
Burke said:
Il was at the wheel during the whole
trouble and really knew very little of what
| occurTad t'aptaiD Kitty came into fba