Evening star., 1916-10-23
LAKE STEAMER LOST
AND q ARE DROWNED
Captain Only Survivor of Erie Vessel
James B. Colgate in BLACK
Friday" Storm.
By the Associated Press.


CLEVELAND. Ohio, October 23.-
Capt. Grashaw of the steamer James B.
Colgate was picked up yesterday in
Lake Erie on life raft by the Mar
quette and Bessemer car ferry No. 2.
after he had been at the mercy of the
storm. without food or water. for thir-
ty-four hours. He was taken to Con-
neaut. The Colgate went down at 10
o'clock Friday night off Long Point.
Canada, opposite Erie
Every one of the crew of twenty-one
periShed, nineteen of them sucked to
death the instant the big steel boat
foundered in the storm, and two added
to the roll when exhaustion. exposure
and the relentless waves washing over
the raft that carried their captain,
washed them off when their strength
gave way.
The ferry steamer picked up the cap
tain off Rondeau. Canada, opposite
Cleveland. The Colgate went down the
night of what has come to be known as
black Friday" in marine circles. Six
men We're lost when the steamer Filler
sank in Lake Erie Friday, only Capt
Mattison being saved Earlier that
same stormy night the steamer Marshal
r. Buffers foundered, but its crew of
thirteen men were saved.
Less than an hour after the Filler
sank, the Colgate. by far the largest of
the three victim vessels, went down
miles away. The twenty-one of her
crew who died raised black Fridays"
sea casualty list on Lake Erie to twen-
ty-seVen. There was no wireless to
give warning and the lake held its se-
cret until yesterday. when Capt Gra-
shaw was rescued. Capt Grashaw was
battling for life in a hospital at Con-
neaut today.
The Captain's Narrative
capt. Grashaw's story follows: I'VE
We're passing Long Point about s or Z
O'Clock Friday night when trouble be-
gan. The boat sprank a leak forward.
we were all aft at the time, and i'm
mediately we could feel her tipping
and settling at the head.
Every man worked for his life then,
storm had increased so that the Col
gate did not have a chance. The gale
was terrific, rain was driving and the
waves pounded. We got the life raft
ready Just as the boat was SO far
down that the decks were awash
When she sank everybody jumped
into the water. l went down, and when
l came up by some chance my hand
touched the raft. l grabbed it and
pulled myself on it just as Second En-
passer reached it. What happened to
the others L don't know. l never saw
them again. They must have been
sucked right down with the ship.
Then our awful fight began-some-
thing I'll never forget.
Twice the raft turned completely
over and we were washed loose, but we
managed our holds. 1 must have been
unconscious half the time, for now l
can't remember distinguishing from
night and day, while the storm went
on and our raft plunged with us. Never
once in sight of ship that might res
cue us until this morning. -
First the coal passer was washed
away. Then hours later Ossman, to-
tally exhausted. was washed to his
death. How managed to keep on the
raft 1 do not know. Time and again it
turned over with me. Each time l had
to fight my way on top again.
The Colgate was built in 1892, was of
whaleback construction. $500 gross
tons. 30s feet long, 3S feet beam and
"a feet deep. She was fully insured.
List of the Lost.
The list of the lost crew of the Col
gate follows:
Henry Larsen, George Coon, Milwau-
kee, Wis: Charles B. Sutliff. Solon