Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1894 — DIE IN THE WAVES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DIE IN THE WAVES.

Day of Untold Horrors on the Great Lakes. MANY SHIPS GO DOWN Men Drown in Sight of Thousands of People. Terrible Disaster Wrought by the Tremen--I<hu Storm—Haman Llrei Lott and Fourteen Teasels Reported Wrecked at Various Points—Greatest Hurricane in Many Years Sweeps Lake Michigan— Shipping Tossed About—Crops in the Northwest Injured. Drowned like rats in a cellar. Drowned while a great city looked cn and wrung her hands in an agony of helplessness. Drowned even as their bleeding hands reached up from the waters and clutched the cruel sea wall. Drowned before the eyes of 100,000 people massed along the sho e and housetops. Drowned because the imperial city of the lakes has a life-sav-ing service that wculd be unworthy of a seacoast village. Eleven lives lost and half a score of vessels wrecked

as a result of gross negligence. This is the record Chicago had to face the morning after the storm. Sweeping down from the north across the lake with terrific force, the hurricane hurled itself upon Chicago, destroying life and strewing the shore with wrecks. Ten men met death in the lake and nine, lumber schooners went down in the path of the storm. From daybreak to nightfall there was nothing but death and disaster, misery and suffering. Beginning on Thursday evening with a capful of wind, the storm increased in strength and finally swept with all the fury of a hurricane on the struggling shipping caught on the boiling waters of the lake. All day long the storm raged, says a dispatch, and it was not until late at night that the wind dropped sufficiently to allow the distressed schooners to enter the harbor. Irom Glencoe to South Chicago the shore was strewn with wreckage. Twelve fishermen were rescued by a volunteer life-sav-ing crew from the government pier. The same crew rescued seven persons from the bumboat at the north pier. Tugs assisted in snatching sailors from sinking vessels. Others were dragged ashore as they floated in on spars or in the shattered hulks of their own vessels. Nearly 100 persons were in imminent peril of their lives, yet all but ten were saved. With the lee shore so near, there was little chance for the vessels caught in the storm to run before the wind. The only thing they could do was to reach the port for shelter. Many vessels failed to do so and the loss resulting from the storm is calculated to amount to several hundred thousand dollars. Fury of the Gale. Like a wild beast howling for its prey, the north wind arose and swept across the lake with a fury that knew no bounds. It caught the waves in its mighty grasp, hurling them high into space and lashing them into foam that made the air white, as if a sheet of snow had been dropped from the

clouds. The heavy rack above fled swiftly before the hurricane, as if a mighty hand had pushed aside the plaything of an hour. Leaping madly, like giants in anger, the tremendous waves came on, wrestling with each other and dashing their sheets of foarm upward. Leaping, roaring, tumbling, surging, the seething waves went on their course, climbing over each other as if they were flying before the hurricane. Three miles out, opposite the lake front, a long line of gigantic waves rushed along in a solid mass, with a great, white sheet of. foam crowning them. Boreas blew upon '.hem and caught tho sheet, scattering the glistening, watery crystals in the air, the fores of the shower almost beating the waves into submission. But the waves behind impe led the waves before: the advancing ridges swelled in all their strength, like hoary, white-haired monsters, and with a tremendous crash beat themselves against the breakwater. The pier stood bravely, and Boreas was foiled. Over leaped the waves, licking the tops of the breakwater as if eager to bury it forever., Floods of water dashed over the structure like cataracts. Inside the breakwater everything seemed quiet and peaceful, but there was a dangerous swell, the water moving up and down like a sail bellying under a strong wind. Outside the breakwater, where the shore was virtually unprotected, the waves spent .their fury and fled back only to gain fresh strength to hurl themselves later at the same spot. AU along the like

shore, from Ra-ine to £**ith there was a thick white line, growling, roaring, hissing and spluttering, as if it was the overflow of a huge caldron of'* boiling waten -Waves pounded the *beack with tae force of steam hammers, washing away portions of the shore. As the storm increased in fury the tug captains found it diWcqlt to bring their boats into the harbor, the most powerful tugs in the Chicago fleet were unable to breast the storm and bring their tows into the river. The north breakwater, however, afforded some protection for the schooners, and the boats anchored in a long line off the city. Then the storm became so violent that the tugs were barely able to live in the sea alone, and the situation became serious for the anchored fleet. The anchors lost their hold on the bottom, and many of the boats settled steadily toward the shore. In a vain effort to better the situation some of the captains made a little sail and tried to make the harbor, but they were driven through the anchored fleet, crashing into other vessels, carrying away spars, rigging, and smashing large holes in the other boats. One schooner, the Myrtle, whoso captain had tried to sail out of his bad position, had all its spars and rigging carried away and was finally sunk with all on board. Another boat, the schooner Jack Thompson, crashed into the Rainbow,* causing the latter to capsize, and being finally driven on the beach herself. The Evening Star,having dragged her anchors, went ashore witu the Thompson. How Six Brave Men Died. Th'e sinking of the Myrtle was the most terrible event of the long afternoon of horrors. Before the eyes of 10,000 men and women that lined the lake shore from Thirty-sixth to Thirtyeighth streets this craft went down, carrying six men with her. For an hour the crowds on the railroad tracks in Groveland Park and on the neighboring housetops watched the waves steadily carrying the boat toward shore. No help came. Men ran wildly back and forth in a vain effort to find assistance. When 400 yards south of the Government pier the Myrtle grounded and her anchor cables became taut. Two minutes later a.wave that lifted her ten feet into the air tore the anchors loose, the wind caught the tattered foresail, it bellied to the gust, and the Myrtle was fairly heaved out of the water. The six men on board waved their hands frantically. Suddenly their signals ceased, and they huddled together around the broken mainmast. An old woman knelt On the tracks in front of Thirtysixth street station, and prayed in a shrill, penetrating voice that silenced for an instant the curses of the frantic men about her. An instant later an

Illinois Central engine crept down the tracks from the south pushing a flat car. On the car was a brass mortar charged and < ready for action. The crowd drew a long sigh of relief, and cheered the life-saving crew lustily. The engine stopped, nut no attempt was made to fire a line from the mortar to the doomed Myrtle, now less than 300 feet from shore. The life savers left the car and ran to the shore with lines. They ran aimlessly back and forth. One or two mighty waves tossed the Myrtle against the breakwater. Twice she bounded back like a toy boat. It was after the second of these rebounds that the six men on board jumped to the water. A wave swept the craft over ‘them. It filled and settled slowly. Before the eyes of 10,000 men and boat sank out of sight. The men were seen no more. Crowds Saw Seanrn Drown* The news that lives were being lost, that ships were being tossed about like chips, that the harbor was filled with wreckage, and that human beings were clinging to the masts of their disabled vessels spread through Chicago like a flash. In less than an hour from the time the report was sent to the offices of the newspapers the 1 lake shore from Lincoln Park to South Chicago was lined with sight-seers, old and young. All braved the terrific gale, which blew them about like feathers, in their eagerness to catch a glimpse of some sinking ship or the figure of an unfortunate seaman hanging limp and almost lifeless to the rigging of his boat. Bield glasses and telescopies 1 were brought into re puisition and whenever one was found it < owner was surrounded bv a crowd. Ever and anon a groan would escape the sympathetic gathering. “Oh, why don't more men go out to those poor fellows,” was what almost every woman said as she heard some especially awful news. It was estimated that at one time not less than ICO,OJO persons were lined along.the lake shore from north to south. The Randolph street viaduct was a magnificent vantage ground, as it overlooked the center of the inner harbor. Tt was almost impossible for the pedestrian to make his way. Hats by the dozen yeie. blown far out into the harbor, bit undaunted the women folk as well as men remained chained to the awful sedne.-

FURY OF THE GALE ELSEWHERE. Six Persons Go Down with a Schooner in Milwaukee Harbor. f Milwaukee, Wis.—On the beach of Jones’ Island, just south of the mouth of the river and in the harbor of the port of Milwaukee, is a big and stanch schooner, high and dry, and out in twenty feet of water, with her masts standing straight up, with clcse-reefed spars, is another vessel. In the rigging of the foundered schooner is a dead woman lashed to the halyards, and up above, on the cross-trees, is an unconscious’ sailor, who, will bo dead before morning. Of their late companions four are dead and one alone survives. This is the story of a May day, a May day such as was never before known in the history of this city. It was a day with a r aging gale that played a varied accompaniment of rain, sleet, snow and hail. Oshkosh.J— Wednesday the thermometer registered 90 degrees in this

city. Thursday morning it wm 33 and enough snow had fallen during the night to whiten the ground. It was the severest oold wave the city has experienced in years and caused great discomfort. Sheboygan.—Decorations of the recent Catholic meeting., were blown down to-day, and the arohea across the streets nearly fell On the lake a tre-

mendous sea was running. In the city many more accidents were renorted. Kewaunee. —A heavy downpour of rain ended in a stowstorm, which continued for several hours. • Racine.—Trees were blown down and fences and outbuildings suffered considerably. Kenosha.—Trees and signs were blown down and cellars flooded. Clinton Junction. —Snow fell for six hours. Hall and Rain In Illinois. Rockford.—The thermometer dropped from 96 degrees at noon Thursday. From the hottest May day known in twenty years it fell nearly to the poin| of frost. Flurries of snow foil. Springfield.—A veritable blizzard struck this city. The thermometer, which registered 86 degrees, fell to 40 degrees in sixteen hours. Washburn —The hail was exceptionally large and damaged the growing crops considerably. Tuscola. —Farmers are alarmed for the safety of their crops. Marshall. —Considerable damage was done to growing crops. Effingham.—Great fears are felt for the crops and fruit. Bloomington.—A change of 50 de«

I grees in the temperature took place here in less than twenty-four hours. Wind in Michigan. Hillsdale. —The hailstorm took in a strip about two and a half miles wide, and there is Scarcely a pane of glass left in the houses in its course. Much damage was done to crops. Traverse City.—The severest storm in the memory of the oldest inhabitant raged here. Icy sleet and rain caused suspension of outdoor labor and much damage was done. Grand Rapids.—A lively flurry of snow fell and the thermometer registered 36. At Cadillac five inches of snow fell and the temperature was 32. Elk Rapids.—The schooner Mineral State, loaded with pig iron, was scuttled alongside of the pier in order to prevent her from pounding to pieces. Cyclone in the Hoomlff State. Laporte.—Henry Spirgel’s barn was demolished and the owner, who was standing therein, was killed. At Wellsboro a freight car was blown across the main track of the Baltimore and Ohio Hoad in front of an incoming milk train and a bad wreck resulted. Peru. —Reports from the country show groat destruction. South of this city a large brick schoolhouse and five barns were leveled. In this city a large flouring mill was unroofed and trees and smaller buildings were damaged. Muncie.—The storm blew the roof from the warehouse at the Port Glass Works and badly demolished a large tent that was occupied by some of the

hands at, work building machines lor the Whitely Reaper Company, whose factory was recently destroyed by fire. Valparaiso.—Two young women were prostrated by lightning. Ohio Feela the Storm. Norwalk.—Several cows were killed while standing under a cherry tree. In the north part of the city much damage was done to fruit trees by the hail. At Chicago Junction the school building, containing 40'J i cholars. was struck by lightning. One teacher and several scholars were hurt by falling Montpelier.—The cyclone near here did more damage than was at first reported. Little Martha Daso, who was injured, is dead. Mr. and Mrs.|Charles Moore, who were hurt, have little chance of recovery, who may be numbered among the victims is Mrs. George Mercer, and possibly her 3 months old babe. At Pleasant Lake the cyclone swooped down and caught up two pleasure boats, together with immense quantities of water, and dropped the same in the town, one boat landing on the roof of a hotel.

COLLISSON ON THE BREAK WATER.

CAPSIZING OF THE SURE BOAT.

LANDING THE WRECKED LIFE-SAVERS.

CLINGING TO THE WRECKED SCHOONER RAINBOW.

CLINGING TO A RAFT.