The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-07-13

Corvet. The new firm-Stafford ana
Ramsdell--projected the construction.
with. Ramsdell's money, Of a number
OF great steel freightsrs. The first of
these-the Miwaka, test ship whose
experience was to guide them In the
construction of the rest--was launched
In the fall Of 1895, and was lost ON its
maiden trip with both Stafford and
Ramsden aboard. The Stafford and
Ramsdell interests could not survive
the death Of both owners and disap-
peared from the lakes. Is this what
you wanted to known"
The priest nodded. Alan leaned
tensely forward, watching; what he
had heard seemed to have increased
and deepened the priests feeling over
what he had to tell and to have aided
his comprehension of it.
'His name was Caleb Stafford" Fa-
ther Perron began. "(This is what
Benjamin Corvst told to me when he
was dying under the wreckage on the
ferry) He was as fair and able a
man as the lakes ever knew. I had
my will of most men in the lake trade
In Those days; but could not have
my will of him. With all the lakes to
trade in, he had to pick out for his that
traffic which already had chosen for
my own. But 1 fought him fair. Fa-
ther-I fought him fair, and would
have continued to do that to the end.
II was at Manistee, Father, I'm the
end of the season-December fifth of
1S0h Tho hn
early that year and was already bad
there was cold and a high gale. had
laid up one of my ships at Manistee,
and was crossing that night upon a
tug to Manitowoc, where another was
to be laid up. I had still third one
loading up on the northern peninsula at
Manistique for a last trip which, IL It
could be made, would mean n good
profit from season which so far be.
cause of Stafford's competition, had
been only fair. After leaving Manis-
tee' 1t grew still more cold, and was
afraid the ice would close in on her
and keep her where she was, so deter
mined to go north that night and see
that she got out. None knew, Father.
except those aboard the tug, that had
made that change.
"'At midnight, Father, to westward
OF the Foxes, we heard the four blasts
of steamer In distress-the four long
blasts which have sounded in nv soul
ever since! We turned toward where
we saw the steamers lights: we went
nearer and, Father, 1t was his great
ship-the MiwakaI We had heard two
days before that she had passed the
500; we had not known more than that
Of where she was. She had broken her
new shaft, Father. and was intact ex-
cept for that, but helpless in the rising
The priest broke off. 1.-THE Miwaka!
I did not understand all that tn at had
meant 60 nim until just row-tlle new
snip OF the rival line, wnOse bllding
meant for him failure ana defest!
There is no higher duty than the
rescue of those In peril vt sea. He
Benjamin Corvet, who told me this
swore to me that, at the beginning
none upon the tug had any thought ex-
cept to give aid. A small line was
drifted down to TIE tug and to this a
hawser was attached which they
,hauled aboard. There happened then
the first Of those events which led
those upon the tug into doing o great
wrong. He-Benjamin Corvet-had
taken charge Of the wheel Of the tug
three o.en were handling the hawser
In Ice and washing water at the stern.
The whistle accidentally blew, which
those on the Miwaka understood to
mean that the hawser had been Sc
cured, so they drewsin the slack; the
hawser, tightened Unexpectedly by the
pitching Of the sea, caught and crushed
the captain and deckhand Of the tug
and threw them into the sea.
Because they were short-handed
now upon the tug, and also because
consultation was necessary over what
was to be done, the young owner of
the Miwaka, Captain Stafford. came
down the hawser onto the tug after the
line had been PIT .traight. He came
TO the wheelhouse, where BENJAMIN
CorVet was and they consulted. Then
BENJAMIN Corv"t learned that the
Continued next week.)