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. =========================================================================== The Harbor Beach Times Friday, November 14, 1913 GREAT LAKE STORM LEFT A $300,000 WRECKAGE HERE Harbor Superstructure Tattered and Torn, Breaking Three Hundred Ton Concrete Blocks and Undermining the Main Breakwater. Resort Association Casino and Contents Ruined. Shore Line Washed Away and Buildings Crushed Into Splinters. Local Fishermen Lose Fish Houses, Boats, Nets and Other Property. One of the worst, if not the worst, storm that ever visted this city, was ushered in on a 70 mile gale last Sunday, accompanied by ice and snow. The weather circus with numerous rings, commenced early in the day and as the eventide approached, things around the harbor were jingling with all kinds of gym- nastics. Uncle Sam had instructed his weather men to hoist the alarm signals Saturday, and when the gale struck here the harbor was sheltering a number of steam and sailing crafts, this fact re- sulting in saving boat property and human lives. The report to The Port Huron Times-Herald that our harbor furnished no pro- tection, being misleading. When the blow struck, mountains of snow and ice laden water came over the main pier with such a force that the captains of the boats, tied to the pier, found it impossible to hang on and the boats were cut loose from their fastenings, and many brought to safe anchorage, while the steamers Rhoda, Emling, Edward Buckley, and the barge Dorcas Pendell, one of the consorts of the Wyoming, dragged their anchors and drifted on bottom, south of the dock and off the resort inside of 700 feet of good water, and when the fuss was over, it was found that the three crafts are in only six feet of water. With the exception of being aground, no great damage was done, and during the troublesome time no lives were at stake. One Life Lost. In getting her lines from the pier fastenings, the captain of the tow barge, Arthur, sent the first mate, Mr. Thomas Porter, whose home is on the Atlantic coast, on the pier and the poor fellow was washed into the lake and drowned. He was single and about 30 years of age. His body has not been recovered and some think it is drifting down lake. Breakwater Piers Damaged. The big concrete superstructure that was completed a few years ago, was damaged by the wind and water so badly that it will re- quire a budget of $300,000.00 to repair the 45 sections, weighing 300 tons each. Some idea of the force of the storm can be formed from the damage to this harbor protection, which was supposed to be weather proof. $10,000.00 Damage at the Resort. The storm raised sad havoc in the vicinity of the Resort, carry- ing away the dock, demolishing the casino, bowling alley, boat house and bath house buildings and covering the shore front of the whole property with wreckage. The shore line has been cut into, trees blown down, private docks and boat houses ruined, sadly changing the appearance of this once beautiful summer spot. In the large boat house were 24 row boats, several private canoes and a large amount of personal property, and nothing is now left of the whole property but wreckage, to tell the tale. It will re- quire a small army of men and months of time to rebuild and repair the damage. At the McVittie property a large two story boat house was picked up and carried to the lawn of the Gleed property several rods away. Local Fishermen Heavy Losers. None of the persons, who lost property in the storm, will feel the sudden jolt more than the local fishermen. The storm simply put them all out of commission. The fish plants, nets, personal belongings and other property of Wright Bros., was blown into the lake and nothing can be found of what was the necessary equipment for successfully carrying on their business. These people had been hit hard upon several occasions in years past, and were just nicely squared away and could see no financial breakers ahead, when the 70 mile per hour gale cleaned them out of everything they owned in the fishing line. Their loss is $1500. George and Wm. Roberts lost everything they owned including their gasoline fish boats, fish house, gill and trap nets and other property used in their business, suffering a loss of several hundred dollars. Wm. Roberts had just returned from an eleven week's experience in St. Marys' hospital in Detroit, and is still without the use of his right arm, the result of a recent horrible accident. Alfred Roberts reported the loss of his fishing plant, in- cluding his house, ice house, one boat, nets and other property. George L. Brown lost his fish house and nets, being nothing but a tattered mass and worthless with the possible exception of the corks and leads. Levi and Albert Brown, are among the heavy losers. Their fine large fish boat, valued at $500.00 was all torn to pieces by the storm, their large fish house blown into the lake to- gether with nets, and other property valued at $1000.00. Ralph Allen's boat house, $45.00 duck boat, fishing tackle, gun, and many articles of value were picked in the wake of the mad and furious storm, and he has looked in aim (sic) for the property. Another total loss. The Miblethaler Co., dock was badly damaged and will have to be repaired in many places where the wind and water tore it to pieces. John DeNike lost a fine gasoline yacht that he valued at $400.00. It was blown all to pieces. Frank Hunter is another of the local fishermen to lose his outfit. His loss is $100.00. During the blow Burt Frame bravely wended his way to the scene of sea troubles and rescued his boats, and succeeded in saving two boats for Alfred Roberts. The City Visited. The city was lightless Sunday afternoon and night, the storm having broken several of the wires of the lighting system, some being laden with a coating of six inches of ice. The necessary repairs were made Monday and we are again seeing more light. The large plate glass front in the Miblethaler hardware store was blown in Sunday evening and people worked until two o'clock Monday morning bracing the whole glass front of the store to keep the big windows from following the fate of the hardware window. When Mr. and Mrs. J. Clayton Davis returned from the country, Monday morning, to their home in the city, they discovered that the large plate glass in the parlor had blown in and the floor and furniture, including a piano, covered with about four feet of snow. The front door and one of the large windows in the M. E. church were broken by the wind. Two leaded glass windows in the Baptist church were ruined. After the decks had been nicely cleared and the Times reporter had about completed his list of storm damages, he discovered that the whole east end wall of the Kinch creamery had been blown in and the building completely filled with snow. A portion of the front of the new Rexall store, being without glass, the storm took advantage of the open invi- tation and when the proprietors stepped in Monday morning they found tons of the white beautiful carefully packed away in the big basement. Manager Harry Ryan reports but very little damage done to the telephone system. The wires of the Western Union were down between here and Port Huron for several days. When Captain Ferris and his crew of life savers, in the large power life boat, were outside Monday morning, the boat in sliding from a high wave stuck (sic) the water so hard that a large hole was made in the bottom, but her air compartments kept the craft afloat and she was brought in and temporary repairs made, but the government will be asked for a new boat as the craft is getting rather ripe for active duty. During the gale the blowing of the whistles on the boats sheltered in the harbor was a continuous performance and one would think every craft on the lake was asking for the life savers. The trouble was caused by the icing of the whistle cords. During the storm the light house keepers were compelled to be on continuous duty for 21 hours, keeping fog whistles blowing, the lights lighted and attending to numerous other duties such as wading in water knee deep in and about the engine house and light house. During Captain Loren J. Trescott's experience of 36 years in the light here, he says he never experienced such a storm, and for several hours he was fearful that the fog whistle house would be blown from its foundation, and the light house undermined. The large plate glass covering of the light was coated with 12 inches of solid ice, and with water and ice shooting over the light, 90 feet above water level, it was impossible to go outside and they simply had to make the best of the situation. While adjusting the fire in the kitchen range in the light house, Assistant George E. Mahan was struck with a volume of water that forced its way through a window, driving the man one way, the coal hod another and the house cat another. Siftings. Only 900 feet are knocked out of the south pier. The damage to the Buckley is estimated at $2,000.00. The boat sailed by R. J. Reid of this city was sheltered at Fort William, Ontario, during the gale. Sheltered in the harbor - Steamers Wawatam, Wallace, Plummer, Sicken, Wyoming, Manola and Gladwin. A message from Capt. Pierce to Mrs. Pierce, which she received Monday, stated that his boat was sheltered at Buffalo. Col. Patrick telegraphed Harbor Master Jos. Reynolds, to render all assistance possible with the harbor fog, to the storm damaged crafts in the harbor. And that is being done. When the City of Alpena pulled out from here Sunday morning her rudder chain broke and she started down the lake stern first, being guided by her prow rudder. Repairs were made enroute and the craft reached Port Huron safely. When the storm broke, Monday morning, the H. O. Mills, a 600 footer, was discovered in shallow water just outside the north harbor entrance. It looked like a case of a big boat being here for several months, but Tuesday morning she was gone. Simply a case of pumping out her ballast water and floating away. ========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ For more on this historic storm, the likes of which has never been equaled go to: http://us-data.org/mi/glm/storm/1913/index.html ==========================================================================