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. =========================================================================== Pentwater News Pentwater, Oceana Co., Mich. Friday, March 7, 1873 Volume III, Number 112. Neighborhood News - Manistee The tug WILLIAMS will go to the assistance of the propellers MANISTEE and MESSENGER as soon as the ice will permit. Only five more weeks till opening of navigation - if Old Sol does his duty. An appropriation of $20,000 has been made by Congress for Pentwater harbor. We understand that there yet remains $18,000, of last year's appropriation, making in all, a grand total of $38,000. **** if judiciously expended, will undoubtedly fix our channel in a first class fashion, and allow the largest propellers on the lakes to enter with perfect ease. The Ice on Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Wisconsin of the 24th ult., has the following: "The propeller CITY OF FREMONT left for Grand Haven for the third time last night, but was compelled to return, after having penetrated the ice belt a distance of only fourteen miles. During the high easterly winds of last week the ice was never at any time out of sight of land. At this point, since then, it has constantly been added to, so that it now once more fills the bay. In view of all the facts that can be ascertained, we have no hesitation in saying that Lake Michigan, at this point, where its width is eighty-five miles, is now entirely bridged over with ice, varying in thickness from one to twelve feet. Never before in the memory of the oldest inhabitant has this been known to occur. It will require a high southerly wind of at least one week's duration to break up and drive this formidable belt to- ward the lower end of the lake, and enable the steamers of the Engleman Line to cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentwater News Pentwater, Oceana Co., Mich. Friday, March 14, 1873 Volume III, Number 113. THE STEAMER MANISTEE. Six Weeks Fast in the Ice - The Perils of Winter Navigation on Lake Michigan - Worse Than Imprisonment. We are indebted to Mr. Griffin, First Mate of the propeller MANISTEE, for the following account of her six weeks cruise in the ice-locked waters of Lake Michigan. Mr. Griffin left the MANISTEE and arrived at Ludington on Monday morning last, stop- ping at Pentwater on his way to his home in Milwaukee. The MANISTEE left Milwaukee for Grand Haven on Jan. 25th, 1873, at 5 P.M., and arrived safely at her destination on the following morning. During the day she unloaded her cargo, and at 3 1/2 o'clock in the afternoon cleared for her return trip. At 5 o'clock the same afternoon she was fast in the ice, just outside the Grand Haven piers, with ice running north at the rate of four miles an hour. [Here there are three short paragraphs which are only partly legible and have been omitted from this transcription.] On the following day the men returned with a skiff. Feb. 5. The Mate and ten men went ashore at Duck Lake for provisions, and returned without accident. At this time the MANISTEE was lying about ten miles off the land. Feb. 6. All hands were engaged in cutting out a channel, which proved to be a futile endeavor, as the succeeding day found it firmly closed by the ice. At this time the clerk, six deck hands, coal passer and two boys left the boat in order to make the provisions hold out as long as possible. Feb. 8. Lost sight of the MESSENGER. The wind during all this time had been from the south to N.W., and so continued until the 14th, when it changed to the east, and the boat drifted to Little Point Au Sauble. Feb. 15. The MANISTEE lay about two miles off Crystal Lake, but during the night she drifted off shore, and the next morn- ing was about ten miles off land. Feb. 17. The boat was cut loose, and an attempt made to work her out. No use. Toggled line astern in the ice, - tried to flood the ice, - but it was found to be ten feet thick in some places, and all efforts had to be given up on account of the scarcity of coal, only eight tons being left. The boilers were then blown off and cleaned out. Feb. 18. The wind having blown from S.E. during the night, at noon, no land was in sight from the mast head; but about 2 P.M. the wind changed to the west, and at 5 P.M. land was again in sight. Feb. 20. Captain Morgan and Mates Griffin and Russell, accompanied by the Engineers, Firemen and Watchman, left the steamer in a yawl to get provisions. The captain and one of the firemen broke through the ice in their attempts to gain the land, and were nearly drowned. The party was met on the beach by D. Melendy, with a team, who drove them to Farrell's Hotel, where a dinner was at once prepared. They remained on shore until the 23d, when the mate and eight men returned to the boat with provisions. Feb. 24. The Second Mate and 7 men went with a sleigh after provisions, and at 11 o'clock Messrs. Lawson & Caldwell, from Ludington arrived with apparatus to take views of the boat and its surroundings. Feb. 26. At 4 A.M. the wind blew light from the S.E., and, for the first time in four weeks, plenty of clear water was in sight. All hands were engaged in cutting ice all around the boat. At 6 A.M. the wind was increasing, and backing around to the eastward. At noon it was blowing a gale, and snowing very hard, and this continued until midnight. Feb. 27. No wind. Had lived in hope that the east wind would break up the ice, but our hope has all vanished. Our chances of getting out of the ice are no better now than they were three weeks ago. Feb. 28. Wind north, clear and cold. Off Big Point Sauble, bearing east. Have drifted from Ludington since Tuesday. Have pumped ship, and are engaged in cutting ice around boat. March 1. Wind south, with appearance of snow. Were forced to begin cutting the boat fenders for fuel for our cook stove. March 2. Wind blew hard from N.N.W., with some snow. At 8 P.M. it blew a gale from the N.E., and was very cold. Drifted from Big Point Sauble to Little Point Sauble in the last twelve hours. March 4. Cannot see land from mast head. The deck pump has frozen up. Engaged in cutting ice all around boat. At 4 P.M. the weather cleared up, and we made land. Muskegon bluffs about 20 miles off. March 6. Wind S.S.W. Drifted a little south of Little Point Sauble. At noon it was thawing fast. March 7. Wind south. Ice rotting fast, and drifting north. We are five miles north of Little Point Sauble, and two miles off shore. Raining. At 8 P.M. arrived off Ludington. At mid- night were off Lincoln, about a half mile from shore. March 8. The wind shifted to the west, and the ice began to shove past us, and rolled us over to port. We finally brought up one mile off the beach near Lincoln. The wind blew a gale from the N.W., and it snowed hard. At 10 A.M. the captain, 2d mate, and 2d engineer went ashore. At 3 P.M. the moving ice cut away the ice around the rudder, and we began to pump up the boilers. The captain and men returned at 5 P.M. About midnight the ice began to move off shore. March 9. At 5 A.M. began to cut the ice ahead of boat, and got up steam in the boilers, but could not work the en- gine until 2 P.M., and then, with a large head of steam, we could only move about ten feet each way. March 10. Ice began moving at 4 A.M., and drove under the boat's bottom. I left at 8 A.M., and came ashore at Ludington, and so ends this business. Mr. Griffin, during the brief call with which he favored us, stated that he left the MANISTEE because he had another en- gagement which was to have begun March 1, but which he was unable to begin at that time on account of his peculiar situ ation. He says it is impossible for words to give any adequate idea of the feelings of the crew during their long confinement. The imagination can conceive of the sense of utter helplessness that must have come over them, as they idly drifted back and forth, surrounded by the merciless ice, not knowing how soon their vessel might be crushed in its close embrace, and they themselves find a cold and unknown grave. It is still regarded as doubtful whether these boats will yet be saved. We under- stand that several holes have been stove through the sides of the MESSENGER by the ice, but they have been quickly re- paired. The MANISTEE now lies 1 1/2 feet out of the water, surrounded by the ice. We do not wonder that Mr. Griffin feels relieved to find himself again free, or, as he ex- pressed it, "glad to get out of prison." A bright light was seen on Lake Michigan on Wednesday evening, supposed to be a vessel burning, or possibly a large fire across the lake. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentwater News Pentwater, Oceana Co., Mich. Friday, March 21, 1873 Volume III, Number 114. Neighborhood News - Muskegon The Gazette and Bulletin states that the Mason Lumber Co. have about concluded a contract for the construction of a first class model schooner, carrying 200,000 feet of lumber. Pentwater harbor was open March 15, 1873. We regret to say that it was again temporarily closed by floating ice. Messrs. Sammons & Fox have just finished getting out the timber for the new light-house which is to be built on this point the coming summer. It is a thing that will not only help to improve this place, but will be a great benefit to the lake navigation, as it is to be built on the beach and on the extreme point, which should have been called Big Point au Sauble, as it extends farther into the lake than any other point on the shore. Lake Navigation - Goodrich Transportation Company. The Goodrich Transportation Company, as ever, are the first to herald the opening of navigation. Their nine steamers are all being put in first-class condition for the business of the current season. These nine splendid and staunch steamers form four separate routes on Lake Michigan, all running out of Chicago, and as follows: The elegant side-wheel passenger steamers, SHEBOYGAN and MANITOWOC, for the daily line on the west shore, running as far north as Two Rivers. The fine side-wheel passenger steamers, MUSKEGON and ALPENA, form the daily line to Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Fruitport and Muskegon. The favorite side-wheel steamer CORONA forms the daily line to the great fruit region, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. The staunch upper-cabin propellers, MENOMINEE, OCONTO, TRUESDELL and ST. JOSEPH, form the tri-weekly line to Green Bay, Menominee, Escanaba, etc. The company are also building, at their shipyard in Manitowoc, another first-class propeller, which will be added to their lines in July. -- Chicago Post. The Ice Bound Steamers MANISTEE and MESSENGER have both safely reached Milwaukee. The Manistee Standard says: Considerable diffi- culty was experienced in obtaining teams with which to furnish slabs for the MANISTEE, owners requiring the payment of $15 per cord for hauling and the depositing of a sufficient sum to pay for all teams which might be lost in the work. The MESSENGER Afloat. The steamer MESSENGER arrived at a point 3/4 of a mile N. W. of the pier at Benona, Sunday night, at 10 o'clock p.m., and on Monday morn- ing she received from shore 15 cords of seasoned wood and plenty of provisions, the same being conveyed to the steamer by teams over the bridge of ice, which seemed to be perfectly safe. Citizens of Benona, who visited the steamer, found the crew in good spirits, and with a fair prospect of soon gaining Milwaukee, for which place they started as soon as loaded, amid the cheers of those on board as well as those on shore. R. Sabin. ==========================================================================