Maritime History of the Great Lakes

The Greatest Storm in Lake History, p. 2

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2 The Marine Review March, 1914 her, demolishing her after cabin, carrying away the starboard life boat and tearing off the top of the pilot house. About 8 o'clock at night the steward's wife was swept into the engine room by a particularly heavy sea, which struck the after quarters. Though the steamer was in good trim and her engine kept wide open, it was impossible to keep her headed into the sea and she gradually went off into the trough. From that time on she wallowed heavily, with the seas breaking continuously over her, demolishing the crew's quarters aft and pouring tons of water into the engine room. Pumps and siphons were kept going to free her, and when the captain saw the Port Austin light close aboard, he threw out the port anchor to bring her head to wind, but she continued to drift until she was slammed upon the reef, where she was pounded so badly that she broke in two. All her hatches were torn from her and her rivets sheared off the top sides as if they had been cut with chisel and hammer. The crew remained aboard the ship all day Monday, but the sea moderating on Tuesday morning, they were enabled to lower the port life boat and reach the shore. The balance of the crew were taken off by the life savers. Everybody aboard spoke in the highest praise of Mrs. Black, the cook, who floundered about in the galley in water waist-deep, trying to prepare meals for members of the crew. The Hanna was abandoned as a total constructive loss. It was at first thought that the ship found floating upside down near the foot of Lake Huron was the Canadian steamer Wexford, owned by the Western Steamship Co., Toronto, Ont. This steamer was built by Wm. Doxford & Sons, Sunderland, England, in 1883, and was of Canadian canal size. Doubts were expressed as to the correctness of her identity and certain evidence tended to prove that she was the steamer Charles S. Price, of the Hanna fleet. Divers later corroborated this evidence. The Price, which was built in 1910, was loaded with coal and was in seaworthy condition. She and the Isaac M. Scott, also loaded with coal, passed Port Huron at approximately the same time that the PI. M. Hanna Jr. did. While the barometer was low, and high northwest winds were scheduled, there was nothing to indicate either in the sea or the wind at that time that the passage could not be made with reasonable safety. The first intimations of further disaster usually came in the form of life boats or life rafts washing ashore. Vessel owners would hug the delusion that they had merely been swept overboard in the seas until the bodies of members of the crew also came ashore and then hope would be definitely abandoned. From these dire tidings it finally became certain that the steamers James Carruthers, John A. McGean, Argus (formerly the L. Woodruff), Hydrus (formerly the R. E. Schuck), the Wexford, Regina, Charles S. Price and Isaac M. Scott had totally disappeared on Lake Huron and that the H. B. Smith had foundered on Lake Superior somewhere between Marquette and the Sault. In addition, the Leafield had struck the rocks on Angus Island, Lake Superior, and had foundered in deep water. The L. C. Waldo had run ashore on Manitou Island, Lake Superior, becoming a total constructive loss. The Turret Chief had been driven ashore on Copper Harbor, Lake Superior, and the Matoa had gone ashore on Pointe Aux Barques, Lake Huron, both becoming total losses. Lightship 82 had been torn from her moorings near Point Abino, Lake Erie, and had foundered with her crew of six. The barge Plymouth had gone down near Gull Island, Lake Superior, with her crew of seven. No such widespread disaster ever struck the lakes before. The most appalling thing, however, was the fearful loss of life. Twelve vessels had foundered, taking down every member of the crew, amounting to 232 souls. Adding to that the three who lost their lives in endeavoring to reach shore from the stranded steamer Nottingham, the total death toll is 235. Every effort was made by the Lake Carriers' Association to recover the bodies. A complete land patrol of the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior was organized, while revenue cutters scoured the lakes, and as soon as a body was recovered and identified it was expressed home. Meanwhile a disaster fund was started and con- A VERY GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPH OF THE STEAMER CHARLES S. PRICE TURNED TURTLE

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