The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-12-01
COAST GUARD GOES
TO RESCUE OF HALF
SUBMERGED VESSEL
Men Make Their Way Hand
Over Hand Along Slender
Line to Breakwater
ONE RESCUER LOSES LIFE
Heavy Seas and Snow Make
Heroic Work of Guardsmen
Extremely Hazardous
ONE REsCUER LOSES LIFE

Muskegon, Mich. Dec. 1.-(Rl
Twenty-Five members OF the whale
back freighter Henry Cort's crew
reached shore safely this morning,
II hours after the ship struck the
Muskegon harbor breakwater last
night in q 60-mile gale.
Making their way to the break
water, hand over hand, on q line
shot to the freighter by coast guards
men, the sailors fought their way
over q mile OF the wave-lashed
breakwater to the shore.
All were exhausted and suffering
from exposure. Some had to be as
sisted to shore, apparently injured.
So far as could be told, only Is
men were on the Cort when it
struck.
Considered an Amazing Feat
The rescue of all Of them was
considered an amazing feat in view
Of the high sea that was running and
the 60-mile gale.
The Cort, pounding against the
rocky protuberance, seemed from
shore to be settling and little hope
was felt that 1t could be saved.
The only fatality -yas the drown
ing Of John Dipert, 23-year- coast
guardsman who was lost when 4
small boat was swamped Friday night
while trying to reach the Cort.
Dipert was answering his first call
to life saving duty.
Aiding the efforts Of tho rescuers,
the members Of the Cort,s crew threw
q line to the guardsmen who had
made their way to the tip of the
breakwater. Then, III improvised
breeches buoys. the men reached the
breakwater.
Waiting until the last man was
on the breakwater, tho men started
the second leg q their pertlous jour-
ney, across the three quarter mills
long breakwater, half Of which was
swept by towering waves.
The exhausted men were 1ashed TO-
gether In groups Of three, and made
their way to shore between waves.
Kepe Fire Going
Once ashore, they were taken to
the Civilian Conservation Corps camp
In Muskegon Dunes state park, . milo
and = half north Of the breakwater.
They had to walk . mile Of that dis
lance, then were carried the rest Of
the way in ambulanees and trucks.
They were put to bed 81 the camp.
The men revealed that they were
able to keep fire going On tho ship
and that they were sustained BY cof-
fee and apples.
The Cort struck on It's port bow,
then swung around. It seemed likely
that. with subsistence Of the wind.
which still was Of gale velocity, It
would slip from the ledge and sink.
Should it 60 to the bottom, it
would be the fourth time the Cort
has visited the Great Lakes equiv
alent of ''Davey Jones locker" She
sank in 1927 off Bar Point, in Lake
Erie: again in 1927 off Colchester.
In Lake Ontario. and again last De-
cember at Detroit dock. having
limped into port after striking Bal
lard's reef in the Detroit river.
Those three wrecks gave her the
title Of Junk ship Of the Great
Lakes.
She was built in 1892, of peculiar
construction, with rounded sides and
q low deck, that was supposed to
make her proof against the Wcissi-
tudes Of Great Lakes shipping. For
years she constituted the shock
troop" Of the Pittsburgh Steamship
Co.
Guardsmen Brave Storm
Preparations for the rescue wero
started early Saturday when the
freighter was sighted hanging half
submerged on the rocky breakwater
Of Muskegon harbor. There were re-
ports that the crew might have PERISH
ed as the coast guard cutter Escanaba
radioed there were no signs Of life
aboard the Cort. Later the lookout
Continued on Page Three)