The Yacht Idler
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Newspaper Articles On The Sinking Of The Yacht
"Idler"
Taken from the next day's newspaper |
July 8th July
9th July 10th July
11th July 12th July
13th July 16th July
17th July 19th July
20th
July 21st to August 2nd 1900
September 29th to October 17th 1900
Court
Case of Captain Holmes
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THREE BODIES RECOVERED |
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Victims of the Idler Taken From the Yacht's Cabin |
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No Trace Was Found of the Others Who Lost Their Lives. |
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Search Will be Renewed Today and the Boat Raised. |
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Made a Heroic Fight to be Saved
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The Corpses of Mrs. James Corrigan, Mrs. Charles Rieley
and Miss Etta Corrigan Taken From the Cabin of the Ill Fated Vessel -
The Condition of the Boat Shows That No Preparations Were Made for the
Storm |
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Bodies of three of the victims of the Idler
catastrophe were recovered from their watery graves in Lake Erie yesterday
morning. They were the bodies of the following: Mrs. Corrigan, wife
of Capt. James Corrigan, owner of the yacht; Mrs. Charles Rieley, wife of
Charles Rieley, and daughter of Capt. James Corrigan; Miss Etta Corrigan,
daughter of Capt. John Corrigan.
The bodies of the three remaining victims of
the disaster, Miss Ida Corrigan, Miss Jane Corrigan and Baby Rieley, have
not yet been recovered. The divers who recovered the three bodies were
unable to secure those of the other victims. The divers worked all the
morning almost unceasingly, and it was only by dint of the greatest
perseverance that the three bodies were recovered.
After several days of anxious waiting the
conditions yesterday were almost perfect for carrying out the work of
reclaiming the dead. The lake was calm and there was but little wind.
The recovery of the bodies and the fruitless
search for the others were attended by excedinly painful incidents. Capt.
James Corrigan, to whom the accident came as the saddest blow, was on the
tug from which the work was conducted, and was present when the bodies
were brought to the surface. The strain upon him was tremendous, but he
appeared to have nerved himself for the ordeal, and he kept his composure
wonderfully well.
Besides Capt. Corrigan the only immediate
friend of the family present was Mr. M. A. Bradley. When the tug had
reached the wrecked yacht he and Capt. Corrigan discussed the accident as
they stood on the tug's deck. They were agreed that the capsizing of the
yacht had been inevitable in the existing circumstances.
"It was either a question of some of the
sails giving away, or of the boat going over." said Mr. Bradley.
"From the position in which the yacht stands not, it would appear
that as soon as the squall struck the boat the helm was abandoned. It does
not seem credible that the yacht's nose was put in the wind."
Capt. Corrigan was asked if he did not think
an effort had been made hastily to furl the yacht's sails.
"No," he replied emphatically,
"the sails stand fast as they were set. You will notice that the
mainsail is set; the part of it that is missing has been torn away by the
wind and water."
The condition in which the yacht was found by the
divers when they made their descents, It was stated yesterday, tends to
disprove the assertion that preparations had been made for the coming of
the storm. After he had made his first descent Diver Walter G. Metcalf was
asked if the sails were found to be clear of the decks. He stated that all
of them were so. None of them, he said, had been lowered. Diver Frank
Schwab later said that the deadlights were open.
After the recovery of the bodies, they were brought
to Cleveland on the tug Lutz, arriving at the Main street pier at 11:35
O'clock. The return of the tug had been anxiously awaited all the morning,
and there was a crowd of fully 1,000 people on the docks when the tug came
alongside the pier. The excitement was intense for a few moments. All were
curious to know how many bodies had been recovered. the flag of the Lutz
was flying at half-mast, so that it was known that the expedition had been
successful in some degree.
Arrangements had been made for the immediate
removal of the bodies of the victims to the morgue upon the arrival of the
tugs. At the dock were Harris and Saxton's dead wagons. The remains of
Mrs. Rieley and those of Mrs. Corrigan were taken to Harris' morgue, and
those of Miss Corrigan to Saxton's. Coroner Simon had been notified and he
viewed the bodies at both of these places.
It had been decided that weather condition
favorable, the expedition should start from the office of the Great Lakes
Towing Co. as early as practicable Tuesday morning. early Monday evening
there had been a slight sea, but during the night it subsided.
Shippingmaster Al Rumsey of the Lake
Carriers association was to be in charge of the expedition and he was
ready with his men long before daylight. At 2 o'clock Capt. James Corrigan
arrived. Shortly afterward Diver Walter G. Metcalf and his assistant,
Frank Schwab, put in an appearance. Some delay was experienced in getting
the necessary apparatus aboard, but all was ready for the start at 2:37 a.
m.
A stop was made at the life saving station
where Capt. Charles E. Motley and Surfman John McGillvary were picked up.
A surfboat and life saving paraphernalia were also taken aboard. Opposite
the life saving station Mr. Frank Rieley, father of the husband of Mrs.
Charles Rieley was also picked up.
By the time the tug was well on her way to her
destination it was growing light in the east. The lake was somewhat
choppy, and the sky was clear save for some clouds in the west. A light
northwest breeze was blowing, but this was expected to subside. The
conditions were pronounced to be most favorable for the success of the
expedition.
The first indication that the vicinity of the
disaster was being neared was when pieces of wreckage were seen flotation
shorward. These included remnants of household goods and broken planks.
Capt. Corrigan's anxious eyes were the first to
catch sight of the spars of the sunken yacht, while they were yet mere
specks in the distance. The place was reached at exactly 4 o'clock. It was
just sunrise. The yacht, Capt. Corrigan said had not changed her position
in the least. The danger lights were still burning at the mastheads and
the bedraggled sails were furled about the spars. The lake had grown calm
by now and diver Metcalf said that he anticipated the success of his
attempt at recovering the bodies. |
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MADE A FRANTIC STRUGGLE.
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Mrs. Corrigan Evidently Was Trying to Get on Deck When
Death Came. |
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Considerable difficulty was experienced in bringing
the tug to anchor close enough to the yacht to permit the diver to
descend. Mr. Rumsey said that the anchors were scarcely heavy enough for
the work required of them. However, by fastening a line to one of the
yacht's spars an anchorage was at length secured. Diver Metcalf had donned
his suit and prepared to descend.
While these preparations had been going on
Capt. Corrigan and Mr. Bradley discussed the accident as they stood on the
tug's deck. They were agreed that the capsizing of the yacht had been
inevitable in the existing circumstances.
"It was either a question of some of the sails
giving away or of the boat's going over," said Mr. Bradley
Capt. Corrigan was asked if he did not think an
attempt had been made hastily to furl the yacht's sails.
"No," he replied, emphatically, "the
sails stand fast as they were set. You will notice the mainsail is set;
the part of it that is missing has been torn away by the wind and
water."
At 4:56 a. m. Diver Metcalf made his first descent.
Anxious moments followed, Capt. Corrigan waited eagerly for the sign from
the diver which should indicate that he had made a discovery. He kept his
nerve in a wonderful way, however, under this tragic and painful phase of
his great calamity.
Presently signs appeared that Metcalf was making
progress. Pieces of boards which apparently had impeded his progress and
which he had torn away floated to the surface of the lake.
At exactly 5:43 o'clock he gave a signal to pull up
on the rope which he had taken below with him. The line was immediately
hauled in. In a moment a woman's form appeared on the surface. It proved
to be that of Mrs. James Corrigan, the wife of Capt. Corrigan, who stood
on the deck above.
Capt. Corrigan's friends led him away from the
painful sight. He did not, however, lose his composure. He went forward
and waited for the body of his wife to be brought there.
Mrs. Corrigan's face was badly bloated and
discolored. Her eyes were drawn as if she had died in great pain. Her left
hand was across her eyes; her right arm was extended as if to shield
herself. when she was brought up she wore no life preserver , but Diver
Metcalf said that she had had one on., but that he had been compelled to
cut it away in order to get a rope about her waist. Mrs. Corrigan was
attired in a silk shirt waist and a black skirt. She wore no hat. She had
jewels on her finger and in her ears.
The body was taken forward where Capt.
Corrigan was waiting. There it was laid on the deck, covered with a quilt
and a canvas sail. Capt. Corrigan sat quietly beside his dead wife.
He had uttered no word.
Diver Metcalf said that he
had found Mrs. Corrigan's body in the cabin, where it was reported she had
been when the storm broke over the yacht. The body was fifteen feet from
the stairway leading into the cabin. It had floated to the roof. The diver
did not discover its proximity until he ran against it. Then it was only
with great difficulty that he was able to get the body on deck. The
cabin, was of course, full of water and the diver was otherwise impeded by
the furniture in the room. He said bedding and furniture were floating
about so that his progress was very slow.
The distance which Metcalf had been under
water was about sixty feet. He said the great pressure did not tell upon
him until he was within the cabin. When he came to the surface he was
greatly agitated and almost exhausted.
Metcalf was of the opinion that Mrs.
Corrigan was making a frantic effort to reach the upper deck when death
overtook her. He thought that the cabin had filled so suddenly with water,
however, that she had been swept from her feet. The fact that she was
floating against the cabin ceiling when found was explained by her having
a life preserver about her waist to buoy her up.
While Metcalf had been beneath the
surface the yacht had shifted somewhat so that the diver was alarmed lest
it should begin to drift while he was down and thus foul his lines and
shut off the air supply. The anchors seemed not to take firm hold. However,
an anchor was secured from a passing fishing tug and this it was thought
would check the drift
It was then decided that Metcalf and
Schwab should make the second descent together, Metcalf went down at 6:50,
Schwab following him five minutes later. Again the torturing suspense of
previous wait was to be endured. From the bubbles which arose it could be
seen that the divers were making their way to the cabin door with
difficulty. Presently bedding and wreckage floated up. Later the life
preserver cut from Mrs. Corrigan's body came to the surface. Presently the
signal was given on both lines for the divers to be hauled to the surface.
Schwab came up at 7:22 and Metcalf an instant later. Their
second search through the ill fated yacht had been fruitless. They
had been able to locate any of the bodies supposed to be imprisoned
in the cabin. Metcalf said that he had penetrated almost to the rear
of the room, but had been unable longer to stand the suffocation pressure.
In the center of the room, he said, was a table which could not be
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LEFT TO THEIR FATE |
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Belief That Crew Devoted Their Energies to Saving
Themselves. |
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Not discouraged by their failure
the divers determined upon a third descent. It was decided this time to
let Schwab take the initiative. He went down at 7:40.
Twenty minutes later he gave
the signal to haul in the line. Slowly its burden was raised to the
surface. It proved to be the body of Mrs. Charles Rieley. The
attitude of the body and the position of the arms indicated how
pitiful had been the struggle which had ended in Mrs. Rieley's death. Her
arms were held exactly as if she had died with her baby clasped
to her breast and as if the infant had slipped from her grasp after
death had come. As if to mock its ineffectiveness, a life preserver
dangled from Mrs. Rieley's waist.
Like Mrs. Corrigan, Mrs. Rieley's face
was badly bloated and discolored by the long immersion of the body. On her
face was a look of the of the intensest agony and despair. She was attired
similary to Mrs. Corrigan and wore no hat.
Diver Schwab said that he had found
Mrs. Rieley's body in the top birth in the starboard room. He had
great difficulty in removing the body as it was wedged tightly in its
place.
The opinion was advanced that
after her death the woman's body might have floated in the birth where it
was found.
Mr Frank Rieley was greatly
disappointed at the divers failure to find the child. The divers then
prepared for another descent to search in the vicinity where the mother
had been found. This descent was made at 9:23, Schwab again taking the
initiative.
At 9:40 the signal was given that
the divers search had be4en rewarded. Capt. Corrigan left his place beside
his wife's body and came forward. It was expected that the baby had been
found, but this proved not to be so. The body was that of a young girl. It
was that of Miss Etta Corrigan, the daughter of Capt. John Corrigan. The
young girl presented a most pitiful appearance. One arm shielded her face
and the other was clinched in her disheveled hair, which mercifully
covered her face.
This body, the diver said, was in
the second berth in the starboard room. There was a life preserver about
the girl's waist. Miss Corrigan wore a shirt waist of colored material and
a black skirt. She was also without headwear.
How Miss Etta Corrigan came to be
where she was is a mystery to Capt. Corrigan and to Mr. Rumsey. Etta was
supposed to have been with her mother, Mrs. John Corrigan, who was saved.
Her body was thought, therefore, to have been washed overboard. It was for
this reason that the recovered body was supposed at first to be Miss Ida
Corrigan.
This variation in the stories
told by the crew and the results of the investigation stirred up Mr.
Rieley and Mr. Rumsey. They declared that from appearances it would seem
that the women and girls had been left to their fate while the members of
the crew devoted their energy to saving themselves. Capt. Corrigan
expressed the opinion, which he has expressed before, that the crew were
heartless in their actions when the squall struck the yacht.
At 10:05 o'clock the divers made
another descent, but came up at 10:20 without having discovered another
body. Schwab said that he had gone all through the cabin, but had been
unrewarded in his search. It was then decided to return to Cleveland with
the bodies which had been removed.
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FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS MADE
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Burial of Recovered Bodies Will Take Place
Today and Tomorrow. |
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Arrangements were completed
yesterday for the burial of the three women. Services will be held at 3
o'clock this afternoon over the remains of Miss Etta Irene Corrigan, at
the family residence., No. 71 Cutler street. Rev. John W. Malcom,
pastor of the First Congregational church, will officiate. The
internment will be at the Woodland Avenue cemetery.
The funeral of Mrs. James
Corrigan and her daughter, Mrs. Charles Rieley, will be held Thursday.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon.
They will be buried in Lake View cemetery. Rev Dr. S. P. Sprecher will
conduct the services.
At 8 o'clock last evening
the body of Miss Etta Irene Corrigan was taken to the home of her parents
from Saxton's undertaking rooms. None but immediate friends of the family
were permitted to view the body at the undertaking rooms. This was done in
accordance with the wishes of her family.
With the exception of
immediate friends of the family no one was allowed to see the remains of
Mr. Corrigan and Mrs. Rieley at Harris undertaking rooms. The bodies of
the two last named women will not be removed from the undertaking rooms
until late tonight or early Thursday morning.
It was a relief in a
measure for Mrs. John Corrigan to learn that the body of her youngest
daughter had been recovered from the embrace of the lake. Dr. H. F.
Calhoun, the attending physician, expressed the opinion yesterday
that her condition was improved and that she is on the road to recovery.
Admittance to the room of
Capt. Holmes at the Bethel was again denied to reporters yesterday, His
condition is still serious. As far as could be learned he had not been
informed of the recovery of the bodied yesterday. |
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SAVED HER MOTHER'S LIFE |
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Mrs. John Corrigan Gives Her Version of the
Accident. |
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Mrs. Corrigan yesterday related her
version of the accident. She was below, she said, when the squall struck
the Idler, Miss. Etta Irene Corrigan and Miss Jane Corrigan were on deck
in the stern, she said, while the others were below in the cabin. When the
yacht careened on its side a row of skylights dropped and let in water.
They were closed from beneath and Mrs. Corrigan said she tried to fasten
them, but found her strength was unequal to the task. While holding one
cover in place she was drenched by the water flowing in. Mrs. Corrigan
said Mate Biggam appeared and closed the skylights. Mrs Corrigan then went
on deck. Meantime the two girls had climbed to the upper side at the stern
and stood facing death. They made no outcry. Mrs Corrigan endeavored to
but did not succeed in climbing up to them. Her daughter, Etta, she said,
finally puller her up. The couch floated up and Etta placed her mother on
it and then went back into the cabin. Etta was without doubt the means of
saving her mother's life.
Capt. Corrigan yesterday again
criticized the manner in which the yacht was handled. Had the mainsheets
and foresheets been cut away, he remarked, the sail would have swung
around in the wind and the vessel would have righted itself. "The
execution of this would have consumed but a few minutes, he said. Capt.
Corrigan also said that all could have been saved probably had a rope been
tied from the rigging to the companionway, which would have assisted the
passengers in climbing into the rigging. |
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SEARCH TO BE RENEWED
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Wreckers Will Raise Yacht and Search for Dead. |
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It was decided yesterday afternoon that the Idler should be
raised today. Another effort will also be made to locate the bodies of the
remaining victims. At 4 o'clock this morning three and perhaps more
of the tugs of the Great Lakes Towing Co., will leave for the wreck. Two
submarine divers, Walter G. Metcalf and Frank Schwab, and members of the
lifesaving crew will accompany the expedition. A wrecking raft will be
towed along with which to raise the yacht. divers Metcalf and Schwab will
first make a thorough search of the wreck for more bodies. They will also
search the bottom of the lake for some distance for bodies. If their
efforts are not attended with success they will confine themselves towards
preparing the yacht to be raised. She will first be hoisted enough to
permit her being towed to shallow water. Then the pumps will be placed in
service and the yacht cleared of water. This will take some hours and
perhaps nearly all day.
Capt. Corrigan wishes never again to see the
vessel. It was his intention to blow her up with powder. Later he decided
to give the vessel to A. R. Rumsey. The latter, however, does not
care, he says, if she were to be blown up. Diver Metcalf said yesterday
that the yacht had settled probably into about four feet of mud. He said
she stands perfectly straight. He expressed the opinion that she is
practically undamaged and that it would be an easy task to raise her.
The Theory was advanced yesterday that none of
the other victims bodies are on the yacht. It is believed that they have
been washed overboard and swept away. With this view in mind, Capt Motley
of the life saving station yesterday ordered the beach of the lake
patrolled as far east and west as his men could be stationed. No bodies,
however, washed ashore. |
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FIXING THE BLAME
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Inquiry Being Made Into the Cause of the Idler Disaster |
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An investigation into the cause of the
Idler disaster was commenced Tuesday morning at the office of Goulder,
Holding & Masten. attorneys for Mr. James Corrigan. All the yacht's
crew with the exception of Capt. Holmes, who is still at the Bethel hotel
threatened with brain fever, were present.
The examination was private and was held in
one of the inner rooms of the office suite. Mr. Goulder conducted the
examination of the men, all of whom were rigidly questioned concerning the
capsizing of the yacht. |
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CORONER'S INQUEST |
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Question as to Whether It Will be Held Here. |
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Coroner Simon said last evening
that although he viewed the bodies of Mrs. Corrigan, Mrs. Rieley and Mess
Corrigan., which were taken from the wreck of the yacht Idler yesterday,
he did not know whether or not he would conduct an inquest in the cause of
death. The coroner said that inasmuch as the wreck is outside of the
limits of the county, which extends four miles into the lake, he would
today consult with Solicitor Kaiser as to whether or not he had
jurisdiction to conduct the inquest. If her finds that he has jurisdiction
in this case the coroner said he would probably not begin the inquest
until the other bodies have been recovered or efforts to recover them
made. Then he will probably subpoena the crew of the Idler, the crew of
the fishing tug which came to the rescue and the divers. He said that Mrs.
Corrigan would certainly not be summoned unless she is greatly improved. |
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CLEVELAND'S LIFE SAVERS |
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Their Work Has Been Remarkably Well Done |
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The misfortune of the Idler
disaster is only increased by the fact that the boat was outside of the
jurisdiction of the local United Stats life saving station. The Cleveland
life saving station is the best equipped of any in the country, according
to the annual report of the life saving service, which has just been
issued. Cleveland is a very prominent port and Old Erie is most
treacherous.
From July 1 to Dec. 15 last year
there were ten surfmen stationed at the local station and from April 15 to
this time there have been eight surfmen on duty. Most of the other
stations in the country are provided with but six or seven surfmen. The
annual report gives the Cleveland life savers high praise for their work
at the time of the sinking of the tug L. P. Smith. When the boat was
launched and away in sixty seconds and reached the scene of disaster a
mile away in eight minutes. The life saving crew did not know at the first
alarm that Fireman McCarthy was beyond aid and he drowned. Capt. Motley
said that in good weather such a trip is an easy matter with the crew, the
members of which are always ready.
The local station is well equipped
ad when the new station farther out on the pier and in a better location
is finished the results will probably even be better. There is one thing,
however, which the captain has long and earnestly applied to the
government for, and that is a new and larger boat. The present boat is
twenty six feet long by six feet beam. The new boats in the service are
thirty-five feet from end to end and eight feet beam.
Capt. Motley said that the lake steamers are
now being built so large and carry such large crews that the small boat
would be unable to hold all that might be taken from a sinking vessel,
while the larger one would have some room to spare. The larger boat could
also be easily towed behind the largest tug or steamer on the lake without
inconvience. |
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