| The body of Baby Rieley was found
yesterday in the cabin of the Ill fated Idler. The body, which was found
about 2;15 o'clock yesterday afternoon, was in a bad state of
decomposition and was brought in on a naphtha launch and removed to
Harris' undertaking rooms. The Idler was towed into port last evening and
was put into the Ship owners' dry-dock.
Work on raising the yacht was resumed again at 6
o'clock yesterday morning and was carried on under the personal
supervision of Capt. James Corrigan. About 5:30 o'clock in the morning the
tugs Chamberlain and Ben Campbell left their docks near the Main street
bridge. The sandsucker Ohio was towed from her dock near the Superior
street viaduct by the tugs. Capt. James Corrigan, John Corrigan and
Charles Rieley, father-in-law of Mrs. Rieley, Submarine Divers Metcalf and
Schwab, with their assistants, were on the Ohio. A tug with a crew of men
had remained near the yacht all night. Upon arriving at the place the
divers donned their diving apparatus and went into the water. They
remained underwater much of the morning. The deadlights were closed by
them. Other entrances, which it was feared water might leak through, were
canvassed. This work consumed nearly all morning. About 1 o'clock lines
were strung from the yacht to the tugs Campbell and Chamberlain. The line
of the former broke and she met with an accident to her steering gear
which put her out of commission. The Dreadnaught was sent to take her
place. Stout lines were attached to the spars of the Idler from the tugs
Dreadnaught and Chanberlain. The yacht was listed at an angle of nearly
forty-five degrees. The tugs pulled on the line carefully, and in about
five minutes succeeded in righting the yacht. She sank in the soft mud on
an even keel. Then commenced the work of pumping her out.
The divers placed the pump from the sandsucker
in position down the companionway. The pump throws a stream ten inches in
diameter and it was not long before the yacht began to respond. The
suction of the pump was so powerful, however, that it drew everything to
itself. Articles of furniture, clothing, jewels and everything movable in
the cabin was drawn about the end of the pump. Within a few minutes it was
observed that the pump was not working properly and Diver Metcalf
descended into the cabin. The first object he sighted was the body of Baby
Rieley. It was circling about in the pool of water resulting from the
suction of the pump. He carried it aboard one of the tugs, The naphtha
launch Thompson, which happened to be near, was summoned. The body of the
unfortunate child was placed aboard her. Mr. Rieley accompanied it to the
city. The discovery of the body affected all.
Diver Metcalf said later he was of the opinion
that when the child floated from its mother's arms it lodged in a
stateroom and was probably hidden from view by some of the furniture.
About 4:30 o'clock with the exception of some minor
details, the yacht was ready to be towed in. All places through which
water might enter were carefully closed. Then a siphon hose operated by
steam from the Chamberlain was put into the yacht.
About 5:45 o'clock the task of towing the idler in
began. The siphon hose was set to pumping out whatever water still
remained in the yacht. At exactly 6:45 o'clock the Chamberlain towing the
boat entered the slip near the Lake Shore bridge. About a half hour later
she was placed in the dry-dock.
The news that the body of the child had been found
spread like wildfire and when the yacht was observed entering the harbor a
big crowd was on hand and hastened to the dock to greet her.
After enough water had been pumped out of the Idler
to permit others than the divers to enter the cabin James Corrigan, John
Corrigan and Mr. Rieley entered. Previously the divers had taken out of
the yacht all the different objects which were drawn about the mouth of
the pump. There remained in the cabin a black cloth shopping bag. Mr.
Rieley picked this up and opened it. The first thing he drew out was a
pair of baby shoes. They had been worn one time by his little grandchild.
He was greatly affected.
The jewels together with the money found in the
pocketbooks were quite valuable and were at once taken ashore in the
naphtha launch which had returned.
The terrible heat which prevailed all day yesterday
was hard on the people accompanying the expedition. But despite this they
worked like beavers. Capt. Corrigan and his brother John Corrigan remained
on the yacht until she was placed in the dry-dock.
Diver Metcalf upon his return from the expedition
said that the Idler was not damaged at all with the exception of her
bowsprit, which was broken Saturday while she was being towed into the
breakwater. In entering shallow water the Idler came up under the lighter
Jumbo. The collision broke the bowsprit and stove a hole in the Jumbo.
Consequently when the latter was released from the yacht the water rushed
in through the aperture and the lighter sank.
All day long curious people visited the yacht while
the men were at work. They persisted in getting in the way of the men and
were censured in a manner distinctive of river men. The ubiquitous memento
hunters were again in evidence and many were the pieces of sail and wood
cut from the yacht. Many people viewed the work from shore with glasses.
Young men and small boys who had the nerve crawled or walked out on the
logs to watch the operations.
Friends of the Corrigan's also went to the yacht in tugs,
naphtha launches or rowboats.
"The Idler is a rattling good boat yet" said
Diver Metcalf, and beyond the damage to her bowsprit she is not much the
worse for the accident. Her bottom is as smooth as your hand."
The oft repeated story that not many if any
preparation had been taken by the captain or his crew in the matter of
taking in the sail appears to have some foundation judging from the
appearance of the canvas.
After the yacht had been floated and her deck was
out of he water it was seen that nearly all of the canvas on the yacht was
spread when the vessel capsized. The yacht presented a sorry spectacle and
while perhaps not much damaged, as Driver Metcalf says, she exhibits
traces of the rough usage of the gale.
There yet remain two more bodies to be recovered.
They are those of Miss Jane Corrigan and Miss Ida May Corrigan, daughter
of Capt. James Corrigan. They are known not to be on the yacht, for every
nook and cranny in the vessel has been searched.
The consensus of opinion seems to be that the bodies
re in the lake in the vicinity of the spot where the yacht sank. An effort
to find them will be made today. Some time this morning a tug will be sent
out. On board the tug will be a cannon and grappling irons. The cannon
will be fired off in the hope of causing the bodies to rise. If this does
not bear fruit the grappling iron will be placed in service. Bodies of
drowned persons are supposed to rise to the surface in from two to nine
days. Yesterday was the ninth day. Other tugs and men will watch the
beaches for bodies.
Up to late last night no arrangements had been made
for the funeral of Baby Rieley. Only intimate friends of the family were
permitted to view the body. |