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Show STATION KEEPER MESgH (Chicago Tribune Special Service.) SAL"LT STE. MARIE, Mich., Nov. 14. Keeper John Anderson of the Chicago Life-saving station is the hero of marine men on the great lakes tonight. The story of Ids heroism in taking charge of tho rescue work of the wrecked steamer H. K. Runnels, which was pounded to plecfl on the shores of Lake Superior, near Grand Marais, is one that will probably prob-ably go down in the history of life-saving work on lake Superior. When the Runnels was dashed ashore this morning in a mountainous sea, with snow blowing impenetrably, it found the Grand Marais life-saving crew without a leader, due to the illnes of Keeper Benjamin Ben-jamin Truesdale. The Chicago Life-saving station keeper. John Anderson, was in Grand Marais aboard the L SL subchaser sub-chaser 43$. which Is on Us way to Grand Marais, Minn., to lay up for the winter. Immediately he look charge of the rescue work. Tho Runnels's crew of seventeen men were helpless, with the sea rolling over the vessel and everything coated with Ice. The ship struck the reefs about 7 o'clock this morning and began breaking up almost immediately. Anderson put the rrew of the 43S on dirty, while the coast guard men rigged p the beach apparatus, ap-paratus, and with one shot sent a line over the wreck. A breeches buoy was sent to the ship, but It froze solid to the cable and could not be used. The giant sea smashed over the piers and tho workmen, work-men, fretting their clothing stiff. A thirty-foot surf boat was rigged up, and. with Anderson in charge and handling the steering oar. made four trips and return, re-turn, taking off every one of the crew. Anderson was the only man who was not lashed In the surf boat. He was swept overboard three times, but each time managed to crawl back into the tiny craft. Word of tho probable destruction of the Owen was brought to tills city by the steamer Wllpen. which passed t he locks downbound this morning at :16. The Wllpen sighted wreckage for a space of ten miles out from Man I ton light, which is off Keweenaw point, and the body of a man, which was held up by a life preserver. So fierce was the storm that no effort was made by the Wilpen to pick up the body or make more careful care-ful Investigation. A lifeboat upside down, part of a pilot house and other wreckage were also sighted. The steamer Owen was seen In lake Superior Wednesday by the steamer Clemson. which passed through the Soo last night. The Owen was having hav-ing a struggle with t he waves at t he time and she was evidently In danger beCftUSS Of her small siie. Tt is announced an-nounced that the, Owen was 2S1 feet long and had a forty-one-foot beam, being 8127 tons. The ship was bound for Kort William with coal. She passed the locks here early In the week. |