The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-04-03
The pungent incense of

schooners. The pungent incense of
whaleback plug greets the nostrils of
the visitor to the waterfront sections
of the cities along the big ponds, and
his ears are assatled by jargon Of
words peculiar to the sai1ormen of
the lakes. It is in April that King
Winter gives way before the on
slaughts of Queen Spring and fees
bowling northward, leaving the lakes
free to the use of those who go down
to the sea in ships Joy Day. they
call it on the lakes when the fleets
sail out of port, but for many vessels
joy is soon turned to tragedy. April
is a tickle month, and nowhere more
SO than on the inland seas that divide
the States and Canada. Going blithe-
ly forth on a meek and gentle Spring
day, the gentle zephyrs may with
scant warning develop into a hurri-
cane that will send ship and mariners
against the rocks to death and des-
truction. The A. B., of the salt seas
may laugh at the fresh water tar, but
the latter faces more dangers in these
April days to come than any marin
er of the Atlantic dare dream of.
In the good old days on the lakes
there were many sails, but now the
schooners have been all but driven out
by the "tin-cans,' as the veteran lake
saiIormen scornfully call the steamers.
1t is true that the etin-cans'' are safer
than the sailing craft, but what Great
Lake tar worthy of the name cares
for safety? 'tThe dago bootb1ack on
a ferry-boat is as much a sailor as one
of these patent-anchOr men on a tin
cam declared a veteran who had
spent a long life before the mast on
the lakes, voicing the opinion of his
constantly dwindling comrades. With
the passing of the sail, the picturesque
garb of the old-time lakes men is
also on it's way to the discard, and it
is now possible for a tin-can man to
wear a f'boi1ed shirt" high collar and
derby and escape with his life.
The business of the mercantile ma
Wy of the lakes has increased, in the |
last ten years, to a point where the |
constantly increasing fleets can hardly |
keep pace with the transportation de- |
mand. F'reighters bigger than any to |
be found on the Atlantic ply the five |
seas between the United States and
Canadian ports. The facilities for
loading and unloading are unequalIed
anywhere else on the globe. The
sailormen, organized and be1ligerenu,
are better paid by far than the tars
who sailed in the "tubs'' of by-gone
lays. Fogs, dense pals of iuky
olackness that would make a black
sat seem blonde and luminous by
are the bane of the lake
shipping, and many a craft has gone
IN the rocks or co1lided with another
Jessel at such times. Perhaps the
worst disaster in lake history was in
$50, when the Lady E1gin went down
ollowing a collision with the schoon-
II Augustus. OF 385 persons on board
ls7 were lost, among them Herbert
ingram, a, member of the British Par
lament and founder of the I1lustrat-
ID London News. In 1882 about a
hundred lives were lost when the
Ianistee foundered in Lake Michigan.
~
re as nothing when compared with
he total of the tolls of human life ex-
.cted by the nemesis of the lakes since
he first red Indian padded out from
hore in frail canoe, pitting his hui
nan ingenuity against wind and wave
Every year, and most of all in April,
he lakes claim their victims by doz-
ms and scores, ana this years tussle
With the elements will be the last for
many a, tar