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Show ON THE CRUEL ROCKS. Farther Particulars of thev Wreck of the "Algroma" in Lake Superior. Her Passengers Swept Away by the Sea and Swallowed Up by the ' Angry Wares. Fifteen Out of Fifty Saved The Captain's Cap-tain's Story of the Fearful Disaster. The doss of the "Algonia.'t Winnipeg, November 11. The following account is given in a special from Port Arthur to the Free Press: The "Algoma" cleared from Owen Sound about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday, the 5th instant, with freight and passengers for Port Arthur. Nothing of any account occurred during the voyage to Sault St. Marie, which point was made Friday. The boat passed Whitefish, Point about 1 p. m. Friday. The wind was at that time blowing a stiff breeze from the east and. northeast. At Whitefish Point sail was made, and the boat" proceeded on her way under a full head of steam, the wind unceasing in violence, accompanied by snow and sleet. Four o'clock Saturday morning the wind shifted to the northeast and a violent vio-lent snowstorm raged, THE SEl BUNKING MOUNTAINS HIGH, and the boat tossing about like a cork. At fifteen minutes past 4 o'clock the order was given to take in all sail and put the wheel hard-a-starboard to bring the ship about and head out on the lake again on account of the snow and darkness. While the ship was coming about she struck a point known as Greenstone Point, on Isle Royal, about fifty miles from Port Arthur and one mile from Passage Island lighthouse, which has been abandoned since the first of the month. After striking the first time the boat forged ahead, being driven by the wind. A second shock occurred shortly after the first. THE VESSEL STRUCK THE BEEF VIOLENTLY At the f oreside of the boiler, and she immediately im-mediately commenced to break up. Most of the passengers and a number of the crew were in bed at the time, but were rudely awakened by the shock, and the scene that followed beggars description. The water poured in through the broken vessel and over the bulwarks, putting out the fires in the furnaces and extinguishing the electric lights. THE SCREAKS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN Were heard above the fury of the storm. The crew hurried hither and thither, doing what they could in the darkness to render assistance, but their efforts were of little avail, for in less than twenty minutes after the vessel struck the entire forward part of the boat was carried away, together with the cargo and human freight. Several clung to the rigging and thelife-Jine the Captain had stretched along the boat, but were soon swept away by the sea and SWALLOWED UP BY THE ANGRY WAVES. The stern of the boat was steadily pushed upon the rock, and those who were not too much exhausted with fatigue and benumbed by the cold crept "to the after steerage and sought its welcome shelter. Less than an hour after striking all was over, and but fifteen fif-teen out of over fifty were saved. . The survivors remained from the time of the disaster (4 o'clock on Saturday morning) until Monday morning at 10 o'clock, exposed to the weather, with but little food and clothing, nearly everything having been washed away, when they were sighted by some fishermen, who came to their rescue. After taking the survivors from the doomed vessel and placing them on Isle Royal, where a fire was kindled for their comfort, the fishermen fish-ermen went out and intercepted the "Athabasca," "Atha-basca," which was coming in about ten miles away. Captain Foote, of that vessel, immediately put about and took the sufferers suffer-ers aboard, when they were subsequently brought here. The two dead bodies of Frost and Emerson were brought in on the "Athabasca." "Atha-basca." . THE CAPTAIN'S STATEMENT. Following is the statement made, by the captain before a notary publio here last night: The steel steamer "Algoma" cleared from the port of Owen Sound at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, on Thursday, the 5th of November, 1885, bound for the port of Port Arthur, having on board a general cargo and merchandise of about 400 tons. We had a good run to Sonlt St. Marie, which port we cleared at 1 o'clock on the afternoon of Friday, and passed Whitefish Point at 3 o'clock of the same day. It was blowing a strong breeze from the east and northeast, and the wind was increasing. We made sail at Whitefish Point at 7 p. m.; the weather was the same, but the wind was slightly increased, with occasional squalls attended with rain. At midnight the wind had increased to a moderate gale, with frequent fre-quent squalls accompanied by rain and sleet, a sea getting up. At 4 a. m. on November No-vember 7th the wind shifted to northeast, with a violent snow squall, and . A HEAVY SEA RUNNING. At five minutes after 4 a. m. we checked down and commenced taking in sail. At 4:30 all sail was in except the fore trysail, which was partly in. We put the wheel hard-a-starboard, and the 6hip was coming around to head out on the lake again, on account of the snow. After leaving White-fish White-fish Point, our proper course was northwest by west, but the wind being from the north- j ward we steered northwest by west, quarter west, until 10 p. m., to allow for lee way, when the course was changed to northwest until 4 a.m. We then steered west by south for the purpose of taking the sails in. While the ship "was coming around as mentioned, she struck aft about 4:20, and continued to forge ahead, driven by the heavy sea. About 4:40 she settled, the seas making a clean breach over her all the time and SMASHING THE SHIP UP- A blinding snowstorm still continued. On account of the seas and the surf,it was impossible im-possible to make any effort to save the ship or cargo. About 6 a. m. she parted, the fore-side fore-side of the boiler and the freight got washed out, and some of it was driven ashore. The survivors clung to the after part of the vessel ves-sel until Sunday morning, when the gale having abated and the sea gone down WE MADE A BAFT AND WENT ASHORE, And found we were on Queenstone Island, at the northeast end of Isle BovaL On Monday morning at 9 o'clock we sighted the "Athabasca," on which ship the surviving passengers and crew embarked for Fort Arthur, at which port we arrived at 6:45 p. m. on Monday the 9th of November. |