The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-10
Steel Car Ferry Pere Marquette
Sinks Far From Shore in
Lake Michigan.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER
50 FAR A MYSTERY
Financial Loss Is Heavy, Ship
and Cargo Being Worth
Over $50O,OOO.

IUDINGToN, Mich. Sept. o.-One of
the worst marine disasters In the history
OF Lake Michigan navigation occurred
early today, when car ferry Perc Mar
quette No, IS. flagship of a fleet OF SIX
steel car ferries owned and operated by
the Pere Marquette Railroad company
sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan
twenty miles OFF Port Washington. with
loss Of thirty lives.
The dead include Captain Peter Kitty
OF Ludington, S. T.. Sezepanek OF chi
cago. purser and wireless operator. whose
signals of distress brought assistance 10
the sinking steamer, and two members
of the car ferry No. II, who lost theiI
lives in an effort to rescue the crew OF
No. is.
Ely Colbean of Saginaw. Mich. a
member of the crew OF No, is, would
make thirty-first victim, but ii is be-
lieved he was not aboard when No 1s
foundercd.
The Dead.
PETER kitty. LudinSton, captain.
JOSEPH BRElENISkl Manito~oc
W. II. BROWN. second mate. LudIng-
s. +, sEzEPANEK, purser Worcester
Z. r. LEADHAM chief engineer
CMNLMER RosECRANz. assistant
engineer Nortnport Mich.
PAII, RENNERE, second assistant
engineer. LudinSton,
UNKNOWN NORWEGIAN o1LER: -
a. j. MACK. steward. Westfield, n Y
stead streets, Chicago;
JOHN SCHRAUFAGEL, cook, Milwau-
n. L. BERTRAND. passenger, Luding-
MICHAEL IIAYTHALER. fireman
SAMUEL BoUCHIE. fireman, River
w. PARKER, fireman. Marine City,
UNKNOWN FIREMAN
MRS. MARION TURNER. cabin maid
Ludington,
UNKNOWN LOOKOUT.
OLE BAKKEN, whcelsman. Luding-
JOSEPH MARION, scrubber. Ludng-
TOM KELLY AND BROTHER, stow
aways, Detroit.
- JACOBSEN, seaman. residence
CHARLES JENSEN, oilcr. Ludlnston
JOE PETERSON, watchman. steamer
JACOB JACOBSON. scrubbcr, steame,
No. II, Ludington.
The steamship company issued a lisi
OF forty-livc names OF survivors of the
wreck all members of the crew. most oil
whom were brought here tonight on Pere
Marquette No. II.
Eight bodies were recovered six being
brought here on car ferry No. II, and
two being taken to Milwaukee on ca,
ferry No. 20.
One of the bodies taken 10 Milwaukee
was that OF Mate Joseph Brczenislsi.
Inc boat was valued at 500 600, and
the cargo, which included twcnty-nine
loaded cars. ut 100000 to sl50.Ooo,
The total loss will exceed half a mil
insurance in Lloyds In England,
Gar ferry No. is sinking; help, was
the c. Q. d. wireless message that
brought the first news of the disaster
ing.
Many Calls for Help.
The flash was repeated continually for
nearly an hour. but was unsigned
At $50 a. III. Superintendent Mercer
eau OF the Perc Marquette car ferry line
received wireless from car ferry No
The lost car ferry carried n crew OF
fifty men and had on board two women
passengers, said to be from Saginaw.
At this hour the cause of the accident
is unknown and the facts will not be
available until No IL arrives here late
this afternoon
Marine men are utterly at loss to
one OF the finest and most costly ferries
ever built ON the great lakes. and only
yesterday the craft was inspected by
government officials at this port and
found to be in first class condition In
every respect, This WAS her first trip
on regular run after returning from
under charter TO n Chicago company, be-
Ing run in the excursion business be-
tween Chicago and Waukegan during
most of July and August.
!, 1s.Cf - Of
o'clock, with n fair but stlT wind, and
carrying twenty-nine loaded cars. the
ferry made good weather for five hours
on Its course 10 Milwaukee.
At 4: 20 o'clock word WAS sent to Capt
Peter kitty that his boat was rapidly
making wafer ait and that the pumps
were unable TO keep oven with the IN
flow Kitty headed his ship With al
speed toward Shcboygan. on the Wis
consin shore, and as tho water gained
nine cars were dropped OFF the stern OF
the ferry 90 tighten her. but this gave
the vessel only slight temporary relief.
Worked Like Heroes.
At T;s0 a. IN. the boats buoyancy could
no longer sustain 1t Suddenly the great
bow rose high I'm The air. the stern set
Tied swiftly and, with roar and crash
of bursting decks and bulkhcad, the ship
shot downward and was lost to view.
AgoniZnE cries for help rose above the
roar OF the sea. In twinkling twenty
seven lives were snuffcd out
Lowering one of her llfcboats. contain
ing four sailors the crew of No. II be
gan a work which marks many of the
number rs heroes. The iifcboat touched
the waves. which hurled her against the
side OF the steamer and she was crushed.
Two of the sailors were rescued. The
other two. Joseph Peter and II Jacob
son, Il scrubbor, Immediately sank. After
this incident II is said certain members OF
the crew were loath 20 enter the small
boats but others quickly manned another
lifeboat. which was successfully launched.
IT was u race against time and IN tine
face Of great danger moro than thirty
were saved.
Meanwhile the tug A. a. c, Tcssley.
Milwaukee Car Ferry L, Nj, No, 20.
steamer L. NJ. No u, and n tug from She
boygan towing the Shcboygan life- savlng
crew. arrived. They Instituted u thor
ough search FOR survivors and bodies and
succeeded In picking up seven of the for
rnnr md eight of the latter.