The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-10
.sTEANERsG0[LID[;
THREE sEAMEN
DROWNED
VIM. H. Mack and John 1Eitchtll
Come Together at Midnight g.
whitehall Point and Mitchell
Goes Down,
Passengers and Grew Are Aroused
From Sleep in Remarkable Short
Length Of Time.
THE DEAD:
Archie MosIey, second mate.
George Austin, watchman.
Al. cIemona cook.


Al. cIemona cook
sAULT STE. MARIE. Mich. July
10.-The steamer Matoa, down bound.
reports this morning that the steam
or VIM. II. Mack. down bound. light
from Marquette. coliided with the
steamer John Mitchell. up bound. near
Whitefish point about last midnight
In the i've minutes between the tine
the steamer William Henry Mack
struck the John Mitchell with terrific
force and when the latter boat took
q plunge to the bottom, all passengers
and crew OF the sunken vessel except
three were saved.
The weather was hazy and the
Mitchell Was proceeding under check.
About eight miles above Whitehsh
point she was struck by the Mack
which was downbound light from Mar
Quette. on the starboard side just
abreast No. hatchway. All on board
the Mitchell were asleep with the ex-
ception Of the crew on watch. With
commendable Quickness the passen-
gers and the crew were awakened and
hurried on deck and transferred TO
the Mack which stood close by all the
time. Only two besides the three lost
got into the water.
Mrs. Clemons, wife of the cook who
drowned, Fay Clemons. an unknown
fireman and a woman passenger were
taken from the vessel In life boat.
the others getting aboard the Mack az
she lay alongside. Mrs. Clemons was
seriously injured while being lowered
into the lifeboat and was taken to the
500 hospital upon the arrival Of the
steamer Mack at the 500 at III o'clock
this morning. The three who were
lost jumped from the boat. Had they
remained on board they would have
been saved.
Capt John Massey. the master OF
the Mitchell. Ia veteran OF the lakes
having been sailing 81 years. This 10
his first collision. In the short time
before HIS boat sank he was forward
trying to- hurry his passengers to
safety. Had the boat turned over one
minute sooner he and all In his care
would have been lost.
The steamer Mack struck the
Mitchell while running full speed. SO
terrific was the crash that her bow 10
pushed IN 80 feet to her bulkhead.
The John Mitchell carried crew
OF "a, six passengers and one boy
The passengers were Mrs VIM. Grant.
Miss Alberta Grant, Mrs. A. b. Grant.
Mrs. e. A. Smith, Mrs. Al, A. Willoutt,
Miss Clara Bundschun and John Hum
mington. All were from Cleveland.
Capt Burnham OF the Mack refused
to make any statement of the collision.
Captain Massey's story 10 as fol-
lows:
I'VE were running on our course
under check at the time of the col
lision. was on the bridge and with
out warning there suddenly loomed
up In front of me the outline or q
steamer downbound and directly IN
line with the Mitchell. just. had
time to blow the danger signal when
the crash came. The Mitchell careeu-
ed over somewhat so that one OF her
spars fell across the deck of the Mack.
keping my boat afioat for short
time. think that II was about fIvo
minutes after the collision that the
Mitchell went down.
1T was on the bridge at the time and
as soon as the crash came and real
lied that the Mitchell was doomed I
gave attention to saving the passen-
gers and crew The passengers were
eli asleep In their staterooms at the
time and behaved beautifully. They
rushed on deck clad only I'm their
night clothes but were not panic
stricken, following orders explicitly.
which explains the small loss Of life.
/ got a ladder and placed Il across
from the stern Of the Mitchell to the
deck Of the Mack over which all or the
passengers were helped to safety. The
women made no outcry. even the lit
tie boy and girl showing exceptional
bravery In the great danger that con-
fronted them"
Miss Fay Clemons. daughter Of the
drowned steward of the Mitchell,
proved herself a heroine and but for
her presence OF mind at least three ad-
ditional lives, including her own,
would have been lost When the life
boat was swept into the sea and over
turned. Miss Clemons got from under
the boat and shouted to the crew Of
the Mack to throw her lire. This
was done and she made II fast to the
side of the yawi so Il was possible
for those on the end OF the line 20
right the boat. Miss Ciemons then az
sisted the women into the boat. Her
mother, who had had her leg broken
when the yawl lift the deck OF the
Mitchell as she was being lowered.
was In the life boat and had tainted
and but for the daughters assistance
would have drowned
49, - ----