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March, 1914 THE MARINE REVIEW Zi - some time. Capt. S. A. Lyons, Steamer J. H. Sheadle We loaded grain at Fort Wil- liam and left there at 8 P. M. the night of Nov. 6. The captain of the James Carruthers and I were in the shipping office together and intended to come down together as we were going to get away at about the same time, but evidently he did not get out until some time after TE did, When I left, the barometer was below normal, but stationary, and the wind had been blowing for After getting outside of Thunder Cape was a _ heavy sea running from the southwest and a strong breeze. I went back under Pie Island, letting go an- chor at 10 o'clock and laying there until 3:30 the morning of the 7th, when the wind went north and we proceeded on our voyage. On arriving at White Fish, it shut in very thick and foggy, which held us there the balance of the night and until about 8 o'clock the following morning, Nov. 8. There were a number of steam- ers laying at anchor further down the: Bay and. they,..of 'course, locked down ahead of the Shea- dle. The James Carruthers locked down just ahead of us, then we followed-at 8:30 P. M., with the Hydrus immediately after us, both of which vessels were lost. It had been snowing, having commenced along in the afternoon. It was snowing some while we were in the lock, but had cleared up when we left the lock. I had wired the office I would not leave, but as it.cleared up, we continued on down the river, passing out into Jake Huron at 1:53 A. M. the morning of Nov. 9, with the wind light north north- east. The only variations in our course from that time until prac- tically within two miles of Thun- der Bay was one-eighth of a point. As we approached the fuel dock of Messrs. Pickands, Mather & Co., we sighted the Carruthers taking on fuel; she left the dock, rounded to, and entered. Lake Huron shortly before we did. Before we arrived at Presque Isle, Lake Huron, it commenced to snow some; sometimes it would clear up so that we could pick up the land; we saw Presque Isle, Middle Island, and Thunder Bay. From our soundings when we got to Thunder Bay at 8:35 A. M.- we were about two miles outside of _ been our regular course down Lake Huron, having steered southeast by south one-eighth south. The barometer at this time was below normal, but stationary. In an hour and a half after passing Thunder Bay Island the wind had increased and there was a strong wind from north north- east with snow. The sea kept on increasing, and the wind changed to due north, blowing a gale. At 11330 JA. M.. the...course' was changed to south by east one-half east in order to bring the ship more before the sea, and we con- tinued to shift from a half to a point as the sea increased so as to keep the ship running practical- ly dead before it; also to keep the ship from rolling and the seas from breaking over the decks. We got the regular soundings at Pointe Aux Barques that we had getting on previous trips, and by the soundings and the time we could tell when we _ were abreast of the Pointe. It. was snowing a blinding blizzard and we could not see anything. Ac- cording to the soundings we got by the deep sea sounding lead we were abreast of Harbor Beach at 4:50 P. M. and three miles outside the regular course we take dur- ing the summer. At this time the wind was due north and at Har- bor Beach we changed our course to due south running dead before the sea and wind. The bell rang for supper at 5:45 P. M., which was prepared and the tables set, when a gigantic sea mounted our stern, flooding the fantail, sending torrents of water through the passageways on each side of the cabin, concaving the cabin, breaking the windows in the after cabin, washing our pro- visions out of the refrigerator and practically destroying them ll, leaving us with one ham and a few potatoes. We had no tea or coffee. Our flour was turned into dough. The supper was swept off the tables. and all the dishes smashed. Volumes of water came down on the engine through the upper skylights, and at times there were from 4 to 6 ft. of water in the cabin. Considerable damage was done to the interior of the cabin and fixtures. The after steel bulk- head of the cabin 'was buckled. All the skylights and windows were broken in. A small working boat on the top of after cabin and the mate's chadburn were washed away. It was blowing about 70 miles an hour at this time, with high seas, one wave following another very closely. Owing to the sudden. force of the wind the seas had not lengthened out as they usually do when the wind increases in the ordinary way. In about four hours the wind had come up from 25 to 70 miles an hour, but I do not think exceeded 70 miles an hour. Immediately after the first sea swept over our stern, I ordered the boatswain to take sufficient men and shutters to close all win- dows in the after cabin. The men forced their way aft, braving the wind, sleet and seas, one hand grasping -the life rail and the other the shutters. Reaching the after cabin in safety, they began securing the shutters, when an- other tremendous sea swept over the vessel, carrying away the shut- ters. The men were forced to cling to whatever was. nearest them to keep from being washed overboard; immediately a_ third sea, equally as severe, boarded the vessel, flooding the fantail and hurricane deck. The men attempt- ed to reach the crew's dining room, but could not make it, and only saved themselves by gripping the nearest object they could reach, indeed one of the wheels- men was only saved from going over by accidentally falling as he endeavored to grope his way to the rail; his foot catching in one of the bulwark braces, preventing him from being swept off. An- other monster sea boarded the boat, tearing the man loose from the brace and landing him in the after tow line, which had been washed from its rack and was fouled on the deck. The men finally made the shel- ter of the dining room and galley. One of the oilers stood watch at the dining room door, closing it when the boat shipped a sea and opening it when the decks were clear to let the water out of the cabins. The steward and his wife were standing knee-deep in the _ icy water. The steward's wife was assisted into the engine room, the steward remaining in the dining room, securing furniture and the silverware. The firemen and sea- men were comfortable in their