Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-29
z UNACCOUNTEDF FOR
| AFTER SHIPS CRASH
Fourteen Persons Known to Have
Perished in Sinking of Steamer
Near Muskegon,
Near Muskegon

twenty-five persons were officially I'M
accounted for early today and fourteen
were known to have lost their lives in
the sinking yesterday of the Crosby line
lake steamer Muskegon. which was
driven into the pier by the gale she had
battled across Lake Michigan from Mil
waukee, and pounded to pieces by the
heavy sea. Coroner James Balbirnie
and crosby line officials stated they be-
lleved all the missing had persisted.
The purser was unable to give the
names of those unaccounted for. but
thought they included four of the crew
: and three passengers.
II no bodies are found in the hull
of the steamer. Capt George Garfield
OF the local coast guard station said.
| he would start dragging the channel
| Coroner Balbirnie and others express
the belief that most of the missing
bodies were swept up the channel
| into Muskegon lake.
Alvin Baum. a travelling salesman
| of Milwaukee. was added to the list
of missing today. His father, arriv-
| ing here today, said he was on the
boat when it left Milwaukee. His
| body has not been recovered.
Two of the four bodies at the
morgue have not been identified. Both
! are women.
Despite the efforts of officers. large
Quantities of wreckage and freight
were carried away from the shores
last night by the hundreds of per-
sons who visited the scene.
Hull of Vessel Searched.
| With calmer seas today officials be-
gan searching the hull of the vessel
| which sank from sight in fifty feet of
| water last night. Some of the missing,
it was believed. had been trapped be-
tween decks when the steamer rammed
| the pier.
Coast guards and anxious relatives and
| friends spent all of last night patrolling
the wreck-strewn beach waiting for the
sea to give up its dead, but only six
bodies had been recovered this mornins.
Red Cross Gives Aid.
The survivors who with few excep-
tons, lost all their personal belongings.
are being cared for by the Red Cross
Three of them were seriously injured.
| Federal officers were expected to ar
rive today to investigate the accident.
Coast Guards Graphic Story.
| r. ]. Kaknborsky, a member of the
coast guard who was on watch, saved
many people, and it was largely
through his efforts that nearly all
did not lost their lives He tells a
|
! Il saw the boat coming toward the
PIERS" he said. There was a gale
but the ship seemed to be making
good Roadway. 1t came alongside the
piers, and then it was caught by the
undertow and struck. 1t swung back
the piers. 1t. then hung on to the
piers. 1t seemed to me that the I'M
dertow just lifted the ship out of the
water. 1t swung around with terrific
force.
81 saw Capt. Miller on the deck. ]
at once sounded all the whistles. and
the coast guards and life-savers were
out within two minutes. By this time
however. the boat was being pounded
to kindling. The lights went out
probably as the water filled the boat
II had flashlight in my pocket, AND
it was in this way that many of the
passengers were able to get off. II
was so dark we could not see. and my
flashlight was the only aid these
people had.
Capt Miller was next to the last
survivor who got off the boat. Fred
iSteffins, second mate, was the last
and he was rescued from the wreck
age by the guards after he had beer
carried 200 feet. I heard a few
screams. but it was SO sudden, Sc
quickly over. that it seemed that only
wreckage was left when We finally
got our bearings"
A Passengers Narrative.
One of the passengers who crawled
through the labyrinth of staterooms
to safety is George Watson of Mil
waukee. Mr.. Watson describes the
disaster as follows:
The crash of the boat against the
piers was the first intimation l hac
of the peril. 1 had slept soundlJ
throughout the storm.
"The failure of the lights I believe
was the cause of the loss of life, fol
those on the channel side of the boa'
were unable to find their way through
the Railways and up the steep incline
to the top of the boat.
'1n creeping along the steep angie
of the cabin l met woman crying In
the darkness for a life preserver.
endeavored to quiet her, and together
we found the life preserver. and made
our way out to the housing over the
wheel. A rope dangled down the side
of the boat to the peir. The woman
slid down first and l followed.
1.-The awful screams during the slight
panic that ran through the boat was
what disturbed me most" said Mr.
Watson, but 1 believe the heroism OF
the crew and the help given by the
coast guards helped much in quieting
the passengers"