Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 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. =========================================================================== St. Joseph Herald Saturday, August 4, 1888 [extracts of marine news] The steamer MAY GRAHAM was delayed on a bar up the river Friday night, and did not get down until the next morning between 8 and 9 o'clock. The Graham & Morton Transportation Co., with their usual prompt- ness, took her load of fruit, etc., to Chicago at once, leaving here about 9:30. A year ago the Graham & Morton Line, running be- tween Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and Chicago, sold the steamer CITY OF ST. JOSEPH and put in its place the PURITAN, which was built for speed and large passenger accommodations. The experiment of a steamer which can be driven sixteen and seventeen miles an hour has proved so successful that Graham & Morton will probably build another boat of the same pattern as the PURITAN, but much larger, and have her ready for business next spring. If this is done the steamer LORA, the companion boat of the PURITAN on the Benton Harbor run, will be sold. Where the speed of the PURITAN has told most is in the Sunday excursions to St. Joseph. Her limit of 500 passengers is filled on these excursions, and the traffic has proved highly profitable. The new boat will be put on the same run, as it is believed there is business enough for two boats if accommo- dations could be furnished. The work of the PURITAN from 11:30 Saturday night until 10 o'clock Sunday night is seldom excelled by any craft on the chain of lakes. In that time she covers the course from Chicago to St. Joseph four times - an aggregate of 260 miles - takes on and lets off a total of nearly 1,500 passengers, and lies at her dock at St. Joseph four hours - Chicago Tribune. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, August 11, 1888 [extracts of marine news] The steambarge MAUD PRESTON is now engaged in the fruit trade between Saugatuck and Milwaukee. WRECKED - On Thursday morning of last week Robert Ricaby, his son Bert, Stewart Myers and a sailor left St. Joseph in Mr. Ricaby's schooner RAMBLER for Chi- cago. Late in the afternoon when within about 15 miles of that city they encountered a severe storm. The boat bore up well under the gale for awhile, but finally, while Mr. Ricaby was at the wheel, she gave a sudden lurch under the increas- ing northwester and over she went. All but the cook, Myers, clung to the rigging and soon got back to and on top of the hull of the schooner; Myers, who was cooking in the cabin, and it was thought had drowned, finally appeared above the water, and was pulled in by means of a rope thrown to him by young Ricaby. Although boats were passing and repassing the wrecked sailors failed to attract attention and aid until the next morning, when an early-rising passenger on the steamer A. B. TAYLOR, bound from Sauga- tuck to Chicago, discovered the wreck some miles to the north of the TAYLOR'S route. After further investigation through glasses the steamer was headed for it and in a short time all the suffer- ing men were transferred to that steamer's deck. Of course they were overjoyed at their narrow escape from a watery grave. They had clung to the wreck about 12 hours. Robt. Ricaby and Mr. Myers came home on Fri- day's boat and the former's son arrived here Saturday morning. The RAMBLER was found on Saturday about twenty miles off Chicago, righted and towed into that port. She was in fair shape and will be repaired. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, August 18, 1888 [extracts of marine news] The LORA towed the RAMBLER over from Chicago on Monday night. F. Herrick was on his way from Ludington to St. Joseph with a raft of logs - 250,000 feet - for A. W. Wells & Co's basket factory. On Sun- day off South Haven a heavy sea was encountered and the raft broke away from the tug RAY. Messrs. Wells & Co., on receiving news of the condition of things, sent aid there and it is expected nearly all the logs will be saved and brought here. Lafayette Farr, known about here as a dock and boat hand, by the name of Davenport, fell from a box in the rear of the Gartley House, Benton Harbor, into the canal, on Wednesday afternoon, and was drowned. He was drunk at the time. The St. Joseph Life-Saving crew responded promptly to the telephone call for help and soon recovered the body, and made efforts to resuscitate the man but without success. His home is not known. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, August 25, 1888 [extracts of marine news] The revenue cutter ANDY JOHNSON was in port on Monday. The schooner CORA came in through the heavy sea on Tuesday afternoon, but lost a part of her deck- load in the breakers. The ferry BELLE, aided by the LORA for a few miles on the last end of the trip, towed Herrick's disabled raft of logs, for Wells & Co., from South Haven to St. Joseph on Sunday morning. Capt. Geo. Hammer, of Highland Park, Ill., who sailed the iron-ore schooner CHRISTINA NILSON into St. Joseph a few years ago, was one of the lost on the Swedish steamer GELSER, which was sunk by collision last week. Soon after midnight Sunday as the PURITAN was on the way over from Chicago Ben. Stines saw one of the deck hands, John Elliott, apparently asleep, going toward the rear of the boat. Soon afterwards Elliott was found by Stines hanging on the outside of the steamer by a rail. Before Stines could take hold of the man he dropped into the lake. Stines aroused his father, the Captain, who, in short order, was up and had the PURITAN turned about and directed toward the man's voice, which was the only guide in the darkness. The life-boat was lowered and contain- ing the mates, Bert and Neal Simons, Steward Tibbetts and Ben. Stines, soon reached Elliott, who was found with just his face and hands above the water. He probably could not have held out a minute longer. He was soon pulled into the boat and transferred to the PURITAN, which then proceeded on her way to this port. The prompt rescue reflects great credit upon Captain Stines and all who took part in it. Elliott since informed The Herald representative that it was lively work for him to keep afloat during the time - about twenty minutes - that he was in the water. A regular northwester set in Tuesday afternoon, and caused Lake Michigan to tumble about in great fury. Several craft made St. Joseph harbor for shelter. The PURITAN arrived about her usual time and the LORA departed for Chicago at 1:30 p.m., her regular hour, pushing through in about eight hours. The rough weather continuing the PURITAN did not leave here until about 5:30 a.m. Wednes- day. The weather was so cold that overcoats were brought into use. ==========================================================================