The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-12-14
The Great LAKES
Romance and Tragedy of These
UnsaIted Inland Seas.
A VAST MARINE GRAVEYARD.

man Life and Ships and Rich Car
soes-Mysteries of Missing Vessels.
Some day the great lakes are going
to contribute glorious share to the
literature of America Until now they
have been unhonored and unsung, ex-
cept i1s some isolated cases. where the
poet or the romancer has sought his
audience in vain. All OF the romance
Of the sea is not contained in the At
.antic or the Pacific The great lakes
are rich in romance. History and
legend have joined hands to weave a
thrilling narrative around this enchant-
ed country. Indian tradition clusters
thick about it. Three nations strug-
gled for dominion over the lake coun-
try England France ana the United
States. Innumerable shipwrecks have
contributed their black pages to the
story of the inland seas. The thrill of
storm at sea. of struggle with the ele-
ments in the blackness Of Lake Su
perior night. of glorious victory or
brave defeat. remains TO be recorded
fttingly
What chronicle contains a more fas
cmating record than the narrative OF
the voyage of exploration made by
Rene Cavalier de Ia Sale In his good
ship the Griffin, the first sailing vessel
to venture forth on the great lakes?
In 1879 this ship, captained by the In
trepid French soldier of fortune and
manned by merry crew Of yoyagers.
with several Jesuit zealots. sailed the
length of Lake Erie, Lake St Clair and
Lake Huron on voyage of adventure
and discovery. The Griffin was lost on
its return voyage. La Sale who had
remained III the north country. never
heard of it again The first mystery of
the great lakes had been recorded
Countless others were to follow it, For
the great lakes hold their grim record
Of tragedies
II is interesting to note that no sim
liar area OF any ocean, If suddenly strip
ped Of its volume OF water, would ex-
pose to human gaze larger number OF
sunken ships or more valuable cargoes
than lie at the bottom of these inland
waters. A record kept between the
years 1878 and 1898 reveals the start
ling fact that in that period 5999 ships
were wrecked on the great lakes. and
1903 Of these were total losses. The
loss Of cargo during the score Of years
was nearly $S,000000
Some Of these vessels disappeared al
most as mysteriouSly us did the Griffin
In the brave old days of exploration
No wreckage Coated TO the shore The
great lakes hid well their secrets Nav
igators of the northern lakes insist that
there are portions of Lake Superior
! where 1t is impossible to find the bot.
! tom The superstition is that some
ships that have gone down at sea are
held forever IN this unfathomable pit
beneath the waters.
Like the sailors OF the salt seas, the
men who navigate the inland waters
| are a superstitious lot Almost every
| wreck that marks the history Of the
| lakes is the inspiration Of some weird,
fantastic story that by frequent repeti-
! tion assumes the dignity Of truth In
the sailors ready mind One such su.
perstition that is firmly rooted IN the
minds Of all great lakes naYigators
concerns the mysterious wreck Of the
| Bannockburn
She was a big, powerful freighter
carrying crew of twenty two men
| She cleared Duluth on a day in the
ate fall What happened to her viii
never be known. She went out in the
morning and was last sighted the next
evening That was the end Not one
| Of her crew was ever found. For more
than year the chill waters OF Lake
Superior guarded wen their secret
| Then one day an oar was found float
ing among the driftwood of the bleak
north shore a piece OF tarpauIin was
wrapped securely around it, and when
this was removed it was found that
the word "Banuockburn" was scraped
into the wood The oar is all that re
mains today to tell the story of the
missing freighter
According TO the queer twist given
the story by the sailors Of the inland
seas, the Bannockburn is supposed to
be the Flying Dutchman Of the great
lakes. Sometimes at night when the
chill north wind sweeps across the
swollen bosom of Lake Superior and
the stinging ice devils" Gil the air,
the lookout ON some lonely point calls
loudly TO his companion and points to
where he imagines the Bannockburn
all white with ice and ghostIy in the
darkness. is slipping through the black
| mystery of the lake.
The history of the great lakes is
punctuated with thrilling narratives
such rs this There are brighter chap
ters that tell Of heroic rescues made by
dint of dauntless courage and super
human effort George " Stark in
| Outlook
Decorated With Plates.
One If fha imDnrt9ut uDartmpntS Mt