OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 69C ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 November 14, 2005 ************************************************************************** +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections Of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid Bits -- Part 69C by Darlene E. Kelley Notes by S.Kelly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tide Bits- Part 69C June 29th seems a fateful date for Lake Erie shipping and Island people. On this date occurred several severe stroms in different years, involving wrecks and loss of life. In 1924, occurred the most devasting storm known on Lake Erie's shores. Fortunately for the inhabitants of Kelley's Island, this strom, which consisted of several cyclones, did not strike the Island, but traveled from the West, down the shore of the lake close to the mainland. While over the water, the wind caused waterspouts, one of which if not more, was lifted over the nearby shore and was carried inland, where it broke, deluged and devasted a large area about Erlin, Ohio. The dry cyclones swept inland also and devasted parts of Sandusky, Cedar Point, and various places further inland, such as Bogarts Corners and elsewhere, and then swept on to destroy half of Lorin, Ohio. The lives of many island people were undoubtedly saved on this occasion by the wisdom and courage of Mr. William D. Kelley II, who was one of a large company of people who were in the office building on the dock at the foot of Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, awaiting the arrival of the steamer CHIPPEWA, when the cyclone struck. Mr. Kelley kept the panic stricken people from running out by absolutely closing the door and standing guard over it. The building swayed and trembled, and it seemed to the imprisoned ones as if it would be swept away by the tremendous force of the windas were the buildings on every side of them on nearby docks, some of them were carried bodily up into the air and dashed into fragmants. The little building, held down by the weight of the crowd, was the only one on the docks that survived the storm. People and automobiles standing on the docks were swept into the water, and the lives of those swept away were saved only by the quick and dseperate work of those who remained alive. On June 29th, 1902 occurred a storm of a different character. It was a gale from the northeast, which sprang up during the night and continued with such tremendous force, that even the islanders who were accustomed to storms, were alarmed. Many of them, including men, women, and children went to the east shore to see the enormous waves as they dashed themselves in unheard of fury against the rocky coast. In the meantime, the steamer GEORGE DUNBAR, which had left Cleveland on June 28th, bound for Alpena was strugglying hopelessly for its life and finally floundered a few miles east of Kelley's Island early on the moning of June 29th. Five of its crew of ten took to the raft and were lost. The other five, including Capt. Little, his wife, and grown daughters, escaped from the steamer in the yawl boat, which soon capsized and only the Captain and his family remained alive of the entire crew. They were sustained by life preservers and all those being unusaully large and vigorous, succeeded in keeping alive, although many times were submerged beneath the breaking crests of the huge waves that rolled its fury over their defenseless heads. The wind and the current was carrying them past the island toward Marblehead. As the drifted past, not far from the island, the Captain when being lifted on a crest of a wave could see the people on the shore. He tried to attract their attention by waving his arm. His cries would not be heard over the roar of the wind and the crash of the breakers on the beach. At last, his efforts were rewarded. He was seen by someone, but at first no one could believe that human beings were out there alive in the raging storm. They were taken for drifting wreckage, and it was not until they had been under observation for some time that it was decided that they were human beings in need of rescue. Among the watchers on the shore was Mr. Fred Dishinger, and old an experienced commercal fisherman, his son, a grown man. and Mr. James Hamilton, mayor of the island village, all three stalwart men, and afraid of nothing. These three men when convinced at last, that the floating ones were alive, started in search of a boat, which they found some distance away, and which they dragged with such desperate haste to the water's edge that they were well nigh spent by the time they were ready to attempt to launch it.The boat was a flat bottomed skiff, ill adapted to battle with the sea as ran that day. Nothing daunted those three brave men from launching the boat. They were watched by the little group in which were Miss Hazel Hamilton and her two younger brothers. In writing of the event twenty three years later, Miss Hamilton said: " Myself and two younger brothers watched from the shore, and we'll never forget the awfulness of seeing that little boat tossed about in the heavy sea. It so happened that we all were down to look at the big waves which was fortunate for the shipwrecked people. Dad said ' Come on Fred, we must get those people.' The two and the elder Dishinger carried and dragged the skiff a considerable distance to the bank, so were pretty well used up before even launching the craft, which was a difficult matter. It was perhaps thrilling to read about, but no so to witness and I remember not being able to eat a bite for dinner or lunch that day." One can easily imagine the anxious moments of Miss Hamilton and her brothers as they watched their father and neighbors in their battle with the raging waters. From another source, we learned that two men rowed, while one bailed to keep the boat afloat and from being swamped. It was not thought by some of the older men who watched the attempt, that there was one chance in a hundred that they would reurn alive, much less save the lives of others, for the waves were so huge that the little boat could only be seen when it was tossed up on the crest of a wave. But the men who manned the skiff were experienced oarsmen, who had strong arms and brave hearts, and they finally succeded in reaching the castaways. In some way the men in the boat succeeded in getting a rope to the Captain, who tied it to his life preserver, undoubtedly a circular affair, and then attached it to his wife and daughter. They were then towed toward the shore by the men in the skiff, for it was impossible to get them into it. When the surf was reached, the men leaped into the water and each seized one of the shipwrecked ones, who were so far overcome by the long immersion as to be helpless. One of the women was insenceable. The boat abandoned and the rescuers struggled to prevent the others from being hurled to death against the rocks; and so, the three men, struggling desperately to maintaining their footing against the strong undercurrent and the avalanche of the breakers, dragged their helpless burdens to the beach, where they were tenderly cared for by the crowd that had gathered to render them such help as they required. The castaways had been in the cold water so long they had turned blue. It was thought at first that all three were negroes, but when they warmth of their bodies had been restored, they resumed thir natural color. The three rescuers were almost as bad a plight and were so exhausted by ther exertions as to be hardly able to walk. We are gratified to be able to say that the heroic conduct of these men was brought to the notice of the authorities of the United States Government by some of the island people, of whom Captain Corydon Woodford was one, with the result that, in the words of the account which appeared in the " Sandusky Register "; " The names of Fred Dishinger Sr., Fred Dishinger Jr., and James Hamilton of Kelley's Island will go down in the records of the National Government as heroes who won the highest award provided by the law for herioc deeds in saving lives from the perils of the sea." Each of these men was awarded a gold medal by the Government. On each medal is inscribed the name of the men to whom it was awarded, together with the statement, " For herioc daring in saving life, June 29, 1902." Each medal was accompanied by a letter signed by Leslie M. Shaw, Secretary of Treasury of the United States, in which he recited in minute particulars the facts as given above. We quote the concluding paragraph only: " Your conduct on this occasion was brave and self-sacrificing in the highest degree, involving peril of your own life, and is deemed well worthy the bestowal of the accompanying medal which is the highest award provided by law in testimony of herioc deeds in saving life from the perils of the sea." " Respectively" L.W. Shaw, Secretary December 14, 1904. The medal is a massive gold pendant about the diameter of a twenty dollar gold piece but about double its thickness. This is suspended by a scarlet silk ribbon from a heavy gold bar pin, making a magnificient badge and trophy to treasure. After resting on the island for about a week in the Islanders excellent care, Captain Little and family left, and as far is known, has never been heard from since. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits continued in Part 70.