Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Huron Times Sand Beach, Michigan Thursday, November 4, 1880 (extracts of marine news) During the heavy north-easter last Saturday night, Capt. Hastings of the schooner SUNNYSIDE, which was lying just outside the harbor, discovered his vessel was drifting and investigation revealed the fact that her anchor was dragging and she was drifting down upon the reef just outride (sic). Realizing that he was unable to get out of the perdicament in which he found himself, he brought his boat and ran her head on the reef, where she still lays. The SUNNYSIDE was built in Cleveland in 1868 and rebuilt in 1879. She is owned in Cleveland. She lies in six feet of water, and as she went on light, considerable difficulty may be experienced in getting her off. As yet no decided steps have been taken toward getting her off although the tug BELIZE had a line to her but for some reason did not pull. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huron Times Sand Beach, Michigan Thursday, November 11, 1880 The Wreck of the William R. Hanna Saturday night about ten o'clock the vessel men lying in the harbor heard cries of distress from what was evidently a vessel drifting past. Sunday morning as soon as the snow storm had cleared away a vessel was to be seen lying at anchor about a mile and a half off the point in a completely dismantled condition. As soon as possible after he made her out the captain of the steamer WORTHINGTON ran out to her and took off the crew. Their story, as told by Capt. Bedford, is as follows: "We left Port Huron November 1, with a cargo of supplies for Prentiss bay; had a good run up, arriving on Wednesday afternoon of the 3d inst., the distance being 240 miles. We unload and took on 1,600 tamarac railroad ties for Toledo. The fact of these ties being badly water-soaked was greatly to our disadvantage through the perils of the night I am about to relate. We left the bay on Friday, the 5th, at 2 p.m., with full sail and a fair wind. At ten p.m. we were off Presque Isle. At six a.m., Saturday we were at Thunder Bay island, at which hour it began to snow with the wind north to north-east. I shipped my course the same as I always have in crossing the bay; that is, south by east half east. At noon the wind increased to a gale. We took in our mail sail and let her jog along under the fore sail and stay sail, having blown away our jib. At half past three we sighted Point Ausin reef light, one mile away and snowing heavily. We then hauled up east south-east to clear Point aux Barques, which put us right in the trough of the sea. She labored heavily, but didn't make any water until we got past the Point, when she sprung a butt, and filled so fast that the pump was of no use. At six p.m. she broached to and rolled over. We were then some five miles above Sand Beach harbor. The mate was at the wheel, and one man stood by him. As they saw her going over they jumped for the windward rail, while at the same instant one man with myself were getting a stop around the main peak, and as she went over we were thrown into the water. As quickly as possible we al clombed to the main rigging. Our feelings at this time in a raging sea, black darkness surrounding us, snow falling heavily, and great waves dashing over us every instant, can be better imagined than described. I confess for my own part I had no hope of ever seeing home or friends again. "At ten p.m. we drifted by the harbor of refuge, not 500 feet away. We shouted for help. Saw lights moving here and there on the break water, carried by persons who evidently heard our cries, and we had every hope they would come to our rescue, but as we drifted by the pier no help came, and hope died within our breasts. Then the wind canted to the north-west and our only hope was to get the anchor down to prevent drifting out the into (sic) lake. I accordingly cut away the weather lanyards and she righted. I then got the anchor down and gave her all the chain. "At this time our greatest sufferings began. The weather was freez- ing cold; no dry place on which to stand; no place for moving about, as a heavy sea constantly dashed over us amidships. The cabin was gone, and the only spot out of water was on one side forward - a space about four feet wide by ten feet long. "My mate, Sylvester Ray, and sailers Ralph Finelson and John Susa, all being young men, stood the perils of the night better than myself. I became paralyzed with the cold, and am satisfied would have perished before morning had not my companions dragged me about our narrow space and thus kept me from freezing. Finally morning broke upon us, but the snow was still falling so heavily we could not be seen from the shore. At 10 a.m., however, it began to break away, the snow ceased falling, and we found ourselves tossing about in a high sea not far from the wreck of the Sunnyside. The propeller L. WORTHINGTON, which was in the harbor, saw us and came at once to our rescue, and after making three attempts, succeeded in coming alongside and took us aboard. Capt. St. Clair, who heard our cries in the night as we drifted by, and who, with those cries ringing in his ears, passed a sleepless night as he informs me, came out to our rescue at the earliest possible moment, and proved himself a brave sailor and a gentleman, and if life is worth being thankful for, he will have our lasting thanks." Monday morning the helpless, water-logged wreck was towed into the harbor by the steam-barge JESSIE and left at anchor just off the grist mill. During the storm of Wednesday, she went ashore and is now a total loss to Capt. Bedford who had just bought the remaining half interest in her the last trip before this. The gale last Saturday night gave the SUNNY-SIDE and additional lift on the reef and the probabilities are that she will not be got off this season. The wreck of the HANNA shows again the positive necessity of a life saving station at this point. If the weather had been more severe the crew of the ill fated vessel would have perised (sic) beyond all doubt; while if there had been a well diciplined life saving crew at this place there would have no need of Capt. Bedford and his crew laying in a water-logged scow all night with a winter sea breaking over them hardly outside of the harbor of refuge. Additional signal stations are to be established on the lakes, designed not only to inform shipmasters of dangerous winds, but also to enable them to tell from which direction such winds may be expected. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huron Times Sand Beach, Michigan Thursday, November 18, 1880 The genial face of Capt. Curtis was to be seen in town this week. He brought up the MARTIN to tow down the of the (sic) wreck of the HANNA. THE HARBOR. The Following extracts speak for themselves, and we publish them without comment: The Chicago Inter-Ocean of last Friday says: We wish to call the attention of the captains of the larger class of vessels, but more particularly of sail vessels, in relation to making Sand Beach as a harbor of refuge in heavy gales down Lake Huron. It is not now nor ever can be a safe harbor for anything but small vessels - lumber, steam and tow barges that can get along by the side of the piers and make fast to them. The harbor is small and the holding ground limited and not the very best, with rocky shores and a shoal a long way out. Our vessels are large and being increased all the time, and they require a great deal of room, with their great length and long chains, to run in there when it is nearly full of vessels, and get their anchors down in the right spot without colliding with other vessels, by dragging into the rocks before they fetch up. Navigators, owners and insurance men say they would prefer that the large class of vessels would take the open lake for it, and come to anchor in 10 or 15 or 20 fathoms of wter, where the holding ground is always good, or run back to Port Huron, but let Sand Beach alone. A vessel's bow is the natural and best place to take a sea. Let go both anchors, and pay out both your chains, stop up all holes in your deck and knock off some of your bulwarks and let the water run off as fast as it comes on; set an anchor and pump watch, and turn in, and she is safe in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred. Following is an answer to the above taken from a correspondence of the Chicago Times from this place: Your correspondent wishes to take exceptions to a portion of the article which appeared in the Inter-Ocean of the 11th, relating to the harbor of refuge at this place. The writer of said article says: "It is not now nor ever can be a safe harbor for anything but small vessels, - lumber, steam and tow barges," and gives us a reason, that "it is small, does not contain good anchorage, and is lined with rocks and shoals and reefs a long way out." In regard to its size, we would say; that when completed it will be one of the largest harbors from Chicago to the St. Lawrence, as it will have an area enclosed by a breakwater of over three hundred acres outside the "twelve foot line" and will be so constructed that a vessel can not get on the reef without first going over the top of the breakwater, which is eleven feet above high water mark and thirty-eight feet wide. The anchorage is now good inside the completed part of the harbor. In proof of this we have seen from twenty to thirty of the largest sail vessels on the lake at anchor here during the heaviest blows from the north and north-east that we have had and no harm come to them. We think, as does the writer of the article and the insurance companies, that a vessel should either come entirely in or not at all, instead of dropping anchor at the entrance especially when a vessel is insured for more than she is worth. During the freater part of the season there is a tug here that will bring all boats completely into the harbor at a very small charge and when our "falsoe economists" at Washington make the necessary appropriations for a tug and harbor master (as they have been petitioned to do by a very large number of lake captains), there can be no cause for complaint, and until this is done we would certainly advise the large class of boats to employ the tug, fir it is fact that no vessel or boat of any kind that has done this have received the slightest injury. The harbor is not completed, but when it is entirely finished it will be as safe a retreat as there is on the entire chain of lakes. We do not wish to mislead anyone but state the facts as we ha ve gathered them from a three year's resi- dence at the harbor. On the morning of the 6th Buffalo, N.Y., was visited by a severe gale which caused great destruction among the shipping, while its course through the city was marked by shattered signs, broken windows and damaged lumber piles. Numerous buildings were relieved of their roofs and several structures in progress of erection were leveled. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huron Times Sand Beach, Michigan Thursday, November 25, 1880 The schooner JANE MASON has laid up at this port. During the past week some of the largest steam and sail vessels on the entire chain of lakes were lying at anchor in the harbor. Bay City ship carpenters claim they are out of pocket a large amount by the early freeze up. Bay City ves (sic) refitting away from home wherever laid up. The Port Huron Wrecking company have raised the barge NORTHERN LIGHT and towed her into the harbor at Sand Beach where she will lie all winter. - Port Huron Times. The tow barge GEO. ELY came into the harbor yesterday with a hole in her bow worn by the ice in coming through the Saulte. She had a steam pump on board, but was not leaking very badly. The Port Huron Wrecking Co. is said to have the job of getting the SUNNYSIDE off the reef. Of course nothing can be done this season. We understand a watchman will be kept on her during the winter. The new steam barge T. W. PALMER sailed into the harbor last Sunday evening having broken the strap on the link of her after engine, when on her way across Saginaw bay. She let go of her consort and came here as above described. She was towed to Port Huron by the tug A. J. SMITH, where she repaired and started in search of her tow. The barge MOLLIE SPENCER left here last Wednesday morning with her four barges, and while on Saginaw Bay Thursday night the barge SHIA- WASSEE broke loose, and owing to the heavy sea running, she was unable to pick her up again. She then returned to the harbor with three barges, and left there here and went in search of the SHIAWASEE (sic), but failed to find here. She was heard from yesterday, and now lies frozen in the ice under the lee of Whisky Island twenty miles north of Southampton, Ont., having been driven across the lake by the gale blowing at the time. Complaints are coming from all over the country of the early close of navigation and its effect upon business. Chicago has no coal. Vessels laden with several million tons for that city are ice-bound, and railroads are too busy to care; the navigation of the Mississippi is well-nigh closed; hundreds of thousand bushels of potatoes and apples have been frost-bitten during transit; upwards of three million bushels of wheat was suddenly stopped on its way eastward and now is frozen up solid in the "raging ca-nawl"; while a lot of Port Austin's winter stock of dry goods and provision lingers at Port Hope.