The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-09-15
THIRTY LIVES LOST
TH|RTY-FIVE RESCUED
One Woman and a Passenger
Among the Victims.
AID WAS SUMMONED BY WIRELESS

hmVHS tHc NlCtlluS.
AID WAS SUMMONED BY WIRELESS
Pere Marquette Car Ferry, No. l8
Lost In the Middle of Lake Mich.
igan-Vessel Carried Crew of Co.
Eight Bodies Are Recovered--Car
Ferry, No. II, Responds to Appeal
for Aid and Brings In the Survivors
Loss to Vessel and Cargo Will
Amount to Over Half Million Dol
lars.
Ludington, Mich. Especially Thirty
lives were lost when Pere Marquette car
ferry, No. Is, bound from Ludington to
Milwaukee, went to the bottom of Lake
Michigan halfway across the lake.
The dead include Capt. Peter Kitty, of
Ludington; ). +. Sezepanck, of Chicago
purser and wireless operator, whose sig
mails OF distress brought assistance to the
sinking steamer, and two members of the
crew of car ferry, No. II, who lost their
lives in an effort to rescue the crew of
No. lS.
Eli Colbean, of Saginaw, Mich, a mem.
Der of the crew of No. lS, would make a
thirty-frst victim. but it is believed that
he was not on board when No. Is set out
from here on her fatal trip.
The steamship company issued a list
of 35 names of survivors of the wreck,
all members of the crew, and most of
whom were brought here on Pere Mar
quette car ferry, No. II.
Eight bodies were recovered, six being
brought here on car ferry, No. II, and
two being taken to Milwaukee on car
ferry, No. 20.
There was a moment of intense silence
as the big black steamer came through
the piers into the harbor. The men and
women turned upon each other and
fought and struggled with insane eager
ness to get first tidings of the fate of
relatives who went away from here last
night as members of the crew Of the i'll.
fated car ferry.
Loss More Than Half Million.
The ferryboat was valued at $4,000,
and the cargo, which included 2S loaded
cars, at 100000 to $l50,000. The total
loss will exceed half million dollars,
which is fully covered by insurance in
Lloyd's, of England.
Car ferry, No Is, sinking-help," was
the 5. o. 5. wireless message that
brought the first news of the disaster to
the city about A. NJ. today.
The flash was repeated continuously
for nearly an hour, but was unsigned.
At 7.30 A. NJ. Superintendent Mercereau,
of the Pere Marquette Car Ferry Line,
received a wireless from car ferry, No. II,
CT AZ that No ~ 81.
after all on board had been rescued by
life boats from No. II.
Cause of Disaster Not Known.
Marine men are utterly at a loss to ac-
count for the shocking disaster. No. IS
was one of the finest and most costly car
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-cass condition in
every respect.
A Tragic Story.
The story of the loss of car ferry, Pere
Marquette Is, constitutes the most tragic
and thrilling chapter yet written in the
history of the Lake Michigan marine.
Leaving Ludington, at ll.30 o'clock
with fair but stiff wind and 20 loaded
cars on deck, the ferry made good weather
for five hours on its course to Milwaukee.
At 4.30 o'clock word was sent to Cap
tain Peter Kitty that his boat was
rapidly making water aft and that the
pumps were unable to keep even with
the inflow.
With full confidence in the stability
and seaworthiness of his craft. the vete.
ran car ferry navigator headed his ship
with all speed toward Sheboygan, ON the
Wisconsin shore.
An effort was made to run number
Of railroad cars overheard and thus light
Ell the load and gain a few precious min
utes.
With great difficulty 20 cars were
dropped off the stern of No. IS. but this
gave the vessel only slight and tempor-
ary relief.
Suddenly without warning and before
the Mortified gaze of so men on board the
ear ferry, No. II, which had just ar
rived on the scene in response to dis
tress signal, the great black bow of the
flagship rose high in the air, the stern
settled swiftly toward the bottom and
with q roar and crash like an explosion
the ship shot downward and was lost
10 view.
Agonized Cries for Help.
CIith lOl HtlD IOHt duONf lnc
roar of the sea. Irresistibly drawn by a
tremendous suction, score of men could
be seen speeding toward the vortex Of the
sinking steamers revolving wheels, which
sealed their doom. Then began the
rescue. Lowering one of her lifeboats
containing four sails, the crew of No. II
began a work of humanity which marks
many of the number as heroes. No soon
er had the tiny lifeboat touched the angry
waves than 1t was hurled with terrific
force against the side of the steel steamer
and crushed into a shapeless mass.
Two Rescuers Drowned.
Two OF the sailors were rescued by
those on board, while the other two
Joseph Peterson and r. jacobson, a
crubber-immediately sank and drown
I'D. Others quickly manned another life
boat, which was successfully launched
This boat, in charge of Duncan Milligan,
of Ludington, did heroic service and in
less than an hour picked up IA survivors
who were floating about clinging to bits
OF wreckage.
Then another lifeboat was manned and
Joined in the work OF rescue. 1t was a
race against time, and in the face OF
great danger more than 30 were saved.