Palisadian., 1923-03-23
WRECKED AT HOME
PORT OF SEAMEN
Friends, Instead Of Death, Meet
Exhausted Crew of Vessel.
BATTLE HOURS WITH STORM

on Lake mICfi9dH Noeo W '''oe"'J
Of Lake transportation One of Its
Most Thrilling Chapters-Loaded
Cars Break Loose During Hurricane
and Batter Ships to HelpIessness--
Gale Drives Them Home.
Captain Fredericksen and the 81
men, heroes and survivors of the
wreck of Ann ArbOr car ferry No. 4,
are recovering at Frankfort, Mich,,
from their sufferings after ten-hour
battle with hurricane amid the ice
foes of Lake Michigan.
The story of the wreck and the mar
row escape Of the heroic crew, told
In brief ten-line message last week,
Is known now and adds to the history
of Lake Michigan one Of Its most
thrilling chapters.
No. A, one of the big ferries which
carry Ann Arbor railroad freight cars
from Frankfort to Escanaba. Green
Bay. Menomnee and ManistiQue,
now lies just inside the channel which
connects Lake Michigan with Little
Betsie bay. Icebergs 80 feet high are
piled over ner, and around the stoves
In Frankfort, their homes, the 81 sur
yiv0rs tell tale of heroism and suf-
fering, and of escape from death
which was in their eyes. miracle.
Hurricane Drives Them Home.
Driven before an S0-mile hurricane,
In binding snow, through one of the
widest nights ever seen on Lake
Michigan, with 10 cars Of coal and
merchandise loose on the tracks, and
tearing the entrails out Of the ship,
without control of the vessel, and not
knowing where they were, they were
driven straight to the narrow channel
leading to home-and saved.
And Captain Fredericksen's pipe
now stands in Frankfort's annals, to-
gether with Capt. Chuck Larsen's "lit-
tie breezy outside" after hurricane
blew No. 8 over the breakwater.
Old No 4, massive, aged, powerful
ly engined and manned by crew Of
frankfort men, carried 10 cars on that
trip. The ice was heavy, but the car
ferries, pounding and grinding
Through, had kept the channel open.
Heavy float Ice and great foes were
encountered. The weather was cold /;
eight below, and going down at sun
down, breezy and changeable, threat
ening snow.
Ice Blocks Bombard Ship.
The storm struck them at 10 p. m,
r-sleet, with a high wind and snow.
Waves lifted great blocks of ice and
sent them cannonading against the
steel sides of the big ship.
1t was 10:30 when Captain Fred
ericksen lighted his pipe. The wind
was rising Already the ferry was
taking water, the bombardment of Ice
breaking It's seams.
No. 4 was carrying on. fighting
giant seas, that piled ice on the decks,
and froze over everything. Then, with
the wild pitching Of the ship, one of
the strings Of loaded cars encased In
the steel hull went loose.
The crew leaped down into the in
ner shell of the boat, with crowbars,
huge wooden blocks, and leaping
among the loosened cars, strove to
jam the bars under the wheels and
lprevent them from batterlng out the
lends.
Cars rushed wild, up and down the
tracks. The heavy stopping blocks
were sheared away, huge iron stanch-
lions smashed Half an hour later the
Icars on the inner string got loose.
! s. o. s. Call Sent Out.
The wireless operator up in his
coop, with the Ice freezing him inside
until he seemed In prison, sent out
the 8. o. S. before midnight. The
great ship was doomed. Captain Fred
ericksen filled his pipe again and went
below. Exhausted, half-frozen men,
with crushed hands, with battered
bodies, were fighting to prevent the
loaded cars from breaking through
1.-THE steel shell and letting the waves
pour through unchecked.
The forward end crew was being
beaten. Every car they anchored
meant another one breaking loose.
Half OF them were injured Sweat
from their exertions froze upon their
bodies.
In the engine room the crew, br0il-
ing before overstrained engines and
freezing as the lake water swept to
their waists with the lurching of the
vessel, fought on, holding full head
Of steam, while water poured through
the ash pits and swirled around their
legs. One wave, Ice cold, came back
scalding hot and pouring off steam.
Captain Allows It's Breezy.
And Captain Frederlcksen filed his
pipe again and allowed 1t was a bit
breezy. The wireless man could get
no answer.
They did not know where they were
or In what direction they were being
driven.
1t was five in the morning when the
operator at Frankfort heard. the call
FOR help He flashed back that the
vessel must be somewhere near shore
as the call came strong.
1t was then, from what can be
learned. about eighteen miles out In
the lake. The snow was heavy, the
thermometer was close to 20 below
zero and the wind around fifty miles
an hour when the real hurricane
broke. The wind, raging before. sud
denly turned on full force. 1t rose te