Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-16
DISASTER ON LAKE ERIE
Fishing Vessel Battled With Heavy
Seas Twenty Hours.
FOUR FROZEN BODIES FOUND
Thrilling Stories Of Struggle With
Waves Told by Men Of
Other Craft.

CLEE EELANJ, ONO, Marcn lO.-A HSu"
ing tug. with a crew Of seven. is lost as
a result of the gale that swept down
over the lakes yesterday and Is still rag
ing on Lake Erie today.
The Silver Spray. of Erie, Pa, operated
by the Booth Fisheries Company. went
down off Cleveland harbor last night
after battling with the heavy seas for
twenty hours. The last seen Of her was
at am. today, when Capt. Hansen
of the lifesaving station sighted vessel
a few miles out burning torches as sig
mails of distress. This morning the tug
buckeye. Capt. Cornelius, patrolling the
breakwater, sighted what Is believed 10
be the pilot house of the Silver spray
afloat in the lake off East 10th street.
Two bodies, which Capt. Cornelius
believes belong to members OF the
Silver Sprays crew Of seven, were ly-
ing on the breakwater. 1t was inn
possible for the tug to get near enough
to take off the bodies. The follo-"-
ing were the members Of the crew of
the Silver Spray:
James Purdy. captain. Erie. Pa.
Robert Watts. engineer. Erie. Pa.
Edward Holmes. Cleveland
Charles Brasse, Cleveland.
Henry Anderson. CLEVELAND.
Thomas Reed. Erie, Pa.
Unknown boy, Cleveland.
Saw Pieces Of Wreckage.
Later the Buckeye saw pieces Of
wreckage washing against the break
water.
The Silver Spray had been in commits
sion five years, and was regarded as the
most durable boat in the fleet OF fishing
tugs. The owners say she has often
encountered last night. Members of the
fleet that left here yesterday morning
for the first cast Of the season, however.
say that the boats engine acted badly
shortly after it cleared the breakwater.
Thrilling. stories of long battle to
make the harbor with immense waves
beating down upon their vessel and freez-
ing spray transforming 1t into mass OF
ice were told by the eight members OF
the crew of the Eff1e B., another menu
Der of the fishing feet which put into
the harbor at am. today. The men
were almost frozen, and arrived haii
dead from their experiences. They SAID
they had seen nothing of the Silver Spray.
- Four Bodies Found.
At II 80 am. the Castsnet, Capt. Don
aid Mckeever, returned with four bodies
L
inside the breakwater. These were identi-
fed as Captain Burdy. Engineer Watts
and Seamen Brasse and Anderson.
The bodies all wore life preservers.
They were frozen stiff and covered with
ice.
The Castanet also picked up fragments
of a lifeboat and four oars. 1t was evil
dent that the men had deserted the Sill
Yer Spray, probably as she foundered,
and endeavored to make the shore in the
lifeboat. Unable to reach the opening in
the breakwater. the lifebost was driven
upon the rocks and smashed to pieces.
UP by the waves and heaved over the
breakwater into the more quiet water
beyond.
Unknown Vessel Aground.
BALTIMORE, Md. March 16.-A dis
patch to the maritime exchange from
known steamer is aground on Chinco-
league shoals. With fierce northwest
gale blowing. the vessels position is re-
garded as very dangerous.
VALPARAISO, Chile, March 16--The
British freight steamer Cacique is ashore
in LaGartiia channel. between Ancud
and Puerto Montet Her position is
dangerous one and assistance has been
The Cacique sailed from New York
January n for Valparaiso. She stopped
ported arriving at Bahia Blanco March i.