The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-01-18
ICE BOUND LINER
BROUGHT TO PORT
Steamer Indiana Reaches Chi
. cago in Safety.
IN GRIP OF PACK FOUR DAYS
Passengers Tell Tale Of Suffering From
Intense Cold - Forty Of the
Crew Suffer From Frost ~,
Bites. ,..

Chicago, Jan. l5.--With forty mem
bers of the crew of fifty suffering
with frozen noses, ears and fingers,
the steamship Indiana of the Good
rich Transportation company docked
last night after being frozen four days
in Lake Michigan.
Despite their suffering, every en-
ploye, from Capt. Edward Wilson
down to the deckhands, was ordered
to tell nothing of what had occurred
on board by officials of the company.
Tell Tale of Suffering.
All of the nine passengers declare
that they did not expect to reach port
alive, and told a story of suffering RI
valing such as are related Of the Arc
tic regions. ...
From these passengers it was
learned that First Mate D. J. Mccarthy
nearly lost his life Saturday after
noon when he fell through a crevice
In the ice and was rescued when sub
merged to his neck in icy water.
George Wilson, a deckhand, is de-
clared to be one Of the worst suffer
ers, but at least two score of the crew
were more or less frost bitten as the
result of four days hard work chop
ping ice away from the sides of the
boat, and frequently slipping into the
Icy water.
Leaving Milwaukee last Thursday
morning, the Indiana had proceeded
only short distance when she began
to bump into large foes of ice.
Speed was slowed down and she picked
her way carefully for many miles.
Trapped by FIoes.
Arriving off Chicago that evening.
enormous ice packs were encountered
and, after ramming several, the Indi
ana was backing off to make another
rush when the wind swung an i'm.
mense foe up against her stern.
In almost less time than it takes to
tell 1t the boat was surrounded and
the propellers had to be stopped lest
they be broken on the submerged ice
From that time until the boat was
freed by change of wind, which
broke up the ice pack, the hours were
spent in almost ceaseless toll on the
part of the crew and terror on the
part OF the passengers.
81 never expected to reach port
alive" said Mr.. Bouston, one Of the
passengers, last night at seemed
that as soon as We would attempt to
sleep We would be awakened by a
thump or the creaking of the vessel,
as it strained in the grip of the ice.
Kansas Still Stuck.
The steamship Kansas of the North.
ern Michigan line is still frozen in
the ice pack, about mile east OF
where the Indiana was ice.bound, and
the Manistee, which started to her as
sistance Saturday night, was also
caught and did not escape until a few
minutes after the Indiana made port
Less than a mile east of the govern.
ment lighthouse the Manistee was sur.
rounded by foes ten feet high. With.
out any wireless equipment, the watch.
ers on shore could not communicate
with her.
Capt. Charles Garland of the life
saving station declared that unless
the wind changed suddenly she was
In no particular danger.
The steamer Flora M. Hill of the
Hill line, which left Chicago Saturday
morning for Waukegan and was re.
ported missing. cut her way through
the ice in Waukegan harbor and
reached her pier after a hard battle
with ice, wind and snow.