Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-08-15
The "Star" Route Mail Man

was that of the Hitchcock brothers,
carriers on the routes out of San
dusky. Some winters ago, while en-
deavoring to deliver mail to residents
of some of the smaller islands in Lake
Erie they were caught in \ storm and
running ice. They were carried down
the lake BY the resistless force of a
Drift In which they had become
wedged The carriers were given up
for lost by the excited islanders. A
eablegram wired to Kelly Island read
Look out for the carriers; they
are fast in the ice and drifting that
way"
But the two men, after many eff
forts, were rescued. They were in an
exhausted condition and so complete
ly covered and weighed down with ice
as to be helpless. Their caps were
frozen fast TO their heads and their
clothes so loaded with ice that the
wearers were unable to bend.
On arrival at home their friends
were obliged to cut and tear away
their ice-armored garments. After
changing clothing a bushel of ice that
had fallen off in the process was
swept from the floor.
| For several years George and
Charley Morrison were employed as
carriers on the Bass Island route.
They, too, passed through many
arduous and trying experiences, be-
ing the victims of many close calls
from death. Out on the lake in all
kinds of weather, with ice conditions
of every description they batted with
storm, running ice, fog and binding
snow.
Formerly associated with George
Morrison in the mail carrying service
was his brother-in-law, Carl Rotert.
| The two were unexpectedly overtaken
by an accident which resulted in the
drowning of Rotert. Among the
articles carried in the boat operated
by the two men was long, unwield-
ly piece of metal This in some way
shifted, capsizing the boat. Morrison
found himself struggling in the water.
With great difficulty he succeeded in
extricating himself, but Rotert was
carried under the ice. His body was
not recovered until late the following
spring.
Henry Elfers carried the mails to
kelly's Islands for over forty years.
During that time he had many hair
breath escapes and adventures galore.
When l was a youngster," said
Elfers not long ago, 81 was out in a
boat about all the time. Now | don't
care for ordinary sailing but battling
with the ice has a fascination for me.
As soon as the ice begins to form 1
feel eager ~ get out one of the iron
clads and fight my way across. Each
is a fiat bottomed skiff. There's q
sail In the bow to carry US through
the water or over the ice when con-
ditions are right. There are two
iron-shod runners on the bottom SO
the boat may be used as sled. The
sides are sheathed with galvanized
iron, This is very important because
thin ice will cut a boat like knife.
From heer to Sandusky is ten
miles in a direct line and | go there
when conditions are good. At other
times go to Marbehead which is
four miles away and the nearest point
on the mainland. | have sailed these
four miles over smooth ice in 20
minutes. | have covered the same dis
lance in eight hours. That was when
the ice was about an inch and a half
thick and | had to break my way over
every foot of the four miles. At
times the lake has been covered with
icebergs 20 to 80 feet high and |
have had to travel Is miles in
roundabout course to reach Marble
head.
"In the winter of 1896 ! started
back from Marblehead with my son
and We got to within half mile of
the island when we were caught in a
blizzard. The wind blew 55 miles an
hour. Snow filled the air so | could
not see my son at the other end of
our sixteen foot boat. Our sail was
torn to pieces and we battled with the
blizzard four hours before we sue
ceeded in reaching Marblehead.
AT s o'clock one night, had al
most reached the island when found
| could not land on account Of run
ming ice. | turned toward Marble
head but lost my way in a fog and
did not reach there until 3 o'clock
next morning Twice the life savers
came out and got me when high seas
and running ice made it impossible
for me to land without their help"
The craft used by Uncle Sans car
riers to deliver the mails to these
points on Lake Erie is a combination
sailboat, rowboat, ice yacht and sled.
The star route from Ellison Bay,
the northernmost post office in the
Door Country peninsula to Detroit
Harbor, Wisconsin is one that is COW
cred by carrier entirely by water,
crossing the famous passage called
Deaths Door"
During the months when navigation
is opeR that is, from May l to No
venfber l, carrying the mail on this
route is a comparatively safe occu-
patton, and free from difficulties. It
is during the winter period, however,
from November l to May l, that the
carrier has more than a mans size