The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-17
SEVEN MEN CD
DOWN IN LAKE
Silver Spray, a Fishing Tug, Is
Wrecked Off Cleveland
HarbOr.
FIVE BODIES RESCUED
FROM THE BREAkWATER
Captain Writes Farewell Note
to Wife Before Being En-
quilted in Waves.

CLEVELAND O., March l6.-With the
recovery OF five bodies OF the crew OF
| the fishing tug Silver Spray, which went
down off the breakwaJer in last nights
| gale. the Castanet and Lorain tonight
gave Sp the search. Dock men who saw
the vessel leave port yesterday say only
seven men were aboard.
Two bodies are still missing. They
are those of Edwin Holmes. fisherman
and an unknown boy, both of Cleveland.
The Silver Spray of Erie. Pa, operated
by the Booth Fisheries company. went
down off Cleveland harbor after bat
| Ting with the heavy seas for twenty
hours. The last seen OF her was at 2
a. M. today, when Captain Hansen OF the
life saving station sighted a vessel a rev
miles out burning torches as signals Of
distress.
This morning the tug Buckeye, Cap
tain Cornelius. patrolling the break
water. sighted what is believed to be the
pilot house OF the Silver Spray affoat
off East Fortjeth street. Two bodies.
which Captain Cornelius believes were
those OF members Of the Silver spray
crew. were lying on the breakwater. 1t
was impossible for the tug TO get near
enough to take off the bodies.
List of Victims.
The following constituted the crew OF
the Silver Spray.
James Purdy, captain, Erie, Pa.
Robert Watts. engineer, Erie. Pa.
Edward Holmes. Cleveland, o.
Charles y. Brusso. Cleveland. o.
Henry Anderson. Cleveland.
Thomas Reed, Erie. Pa.
Unknown boy. Cleveland
The Silver Spray has been in commits
sion nve years and was regarded the
most durable boat n the tieet of fish
ing tugs.
Members of the leet that left here yes
terday morning for the first cast of the
season. however. say the boats engine
acted badly shortly after it cleared the
brcakwater.
Thrilling stories Of a battle 10 make
the harhor with immense waves sweep
ing over their vessel and freezing spray
transforming it into mass OF ice were
told by the eight members of the crew
OF the Eftie Il, another member OF the
fishing feet, which put into the hnrbor
at a. m today All the other tugs
accounted for.
AZ 1880 o'clock this morning the tug
Castanet returned with four bodies
picked up inside the breakwater These
Engineer Watt and Seamen Brusso and
Anderson The bodies were covered with
ice The Castanet also picked up frag-
mcnts of a life boa: and four oars II
was evident that the men had deserted
the Silver Spray. probably as she foun-
dered. and endcavored 10 make their way
ashore in the life boat Unable to make
the opening in the breakwater the life
boat was driven on the rocks and
smashed to pieces. The bodies and the
wreckage were picked up by the waves
and heaycd over the hrcakwatcr into the
more quiet waters beyond
Dying Message Received.
: last message from the crew OF tn;
Silver Spray was found this afternoon
when port hole cover WAS picked up
on the shore. Written on 1t with lead
pencil was the following:
Good bye. Hattie, We are going on
the brcakwater tSignedl
JAMES PURDY."
II was Captain Purdy's farewell to his
wife who lives at Erie.
The arrival here OF the tug LLOYD May
disclosed tho fact that her captain
Charles Purdy. was father OF Captain
James Purdy Of the silver Spray.
The Lloyd May probably passed the
silver Spray some time in the night. but
her crew saw nothing of ihc vessel.
When the elder PurdY was told OF the
founderng OF tho Silver Spray. he ex-
pressed belief that his son and the crew
would be reported alive.
cred worse storms than this" he main
tanned.
He did not give up until he saw his
sons body.
When Mrs. Thomas Reed OF Erie. Pa.
wife ui one OF the victims of the wreck
OF the tug Silver Spray, sent him a
comic postcard bearing the inscription.
"IIc Won't Come Back Again" she 1T
tie reaIiz ID how prophetic the words
We're,
The card mailed yesterday was wait
ing Tor Reed when his frozen body WAS
brought ashore today.