Stormy Evening Sept. 23 1905
Capt. Stewart wasn't pondering inertia
Capt. Stewart old friends with lake storms
Knows as cautious & cool
Well aware of Holland port
2 years earlier the SOO CITY
Run a ground of sifting sands of shoal in channel
swept against north break wall
beaten against rocks
then pushed helplessly north to sand bar & beating surf
Captain eyed shoal as a price fight eyeing his opponent
Boat began to cork screw in the sea
No rain, or snow just ice cold wind shrieking though rigging
The dip from a giant wave & ARGO hit bottom
Though everyone & everything forward
Sir Isaac Newton's law had bankrupt of all momentum built up crossing
the lake
Full ahead, hard a port
grabbed bottom of giant wheel as if to though out window
Could not gain enough momentum to save from rocky teeth of N breakaway
Steamer motionless titled on the breakaway
An other low grown & pivoted toward the open sea
Drifted N toward sand bar
ARGO's full power could keep her from drifting toward the sandbars
200' from beach
The surf threatened to break up the ARGO - loss of 36 souls
Holland Life Saving station prepared breeches buoy
Fired 1st shot - complete miss
Recovered the line, - 36 lives depended on their froze hands
2nd direct hit. Crew pulled thin line which brought the heavy line
for breeches buoy
Know one could tie it! after an hr something had to be done
Capt. Poole of US lifesaving station had a despite plan
Row out & put someone on the ship
- the ship could capsize - all lost
- ARGO could sink with the life saver
Robert Smith took 2 steps forward
Capt. Stewart taking own desperate steps
Ordered water pumped aboard the ARGO
Settle firmly on bottom
No panic because the captain was calm
Kept up fire so passengers wouldn't freeze while ARGO in one piece
Began rowing, moments for hands to become numb
Constantly being swamped from frothing surf
pint-size rescue boat nearly lost a dozen times as wallowed to steamer
Had to get Robert Smith up 20' to ship
Too close & the rescue boat crushed against ARGO
The crew though line.
10 frozen hands grabbed at it
Robert smith wrapped it around self & sprung toward ship
Badly sprang his leg
Desperate crew pulled him up
Painful moments later on the deck.
Sharp crack like a cannon - spar the breeches buoy snapped & began
to tumble overboard
Crowd on beach watched last chance
Crew & passengers dove for it. 1/2 dozen people piled on it
Limping to top Robert smith rigged the breeches buoy
Squeaking & bouncing the breeches buoy took 10 min. reach ship
Women & children 1st
Captain looked at Mrs. Johnson, she shrank back into crowd
Mrs. Niskern stepped boldly forward
Almost dumped out when went over edge
Less than 1/2 way & dunked into an icy wave
the Frigid water slapped Mrs. Niskern = took her breath away - shook
uncontrollably
Between soakings would spring up & was exposed to the stinging
wind
After she proved it could be done 2 woman & 12 yr. old girl
Then men.
Storm blew harder & rescue lines broke
But capt. still calm which calmed the people still left
Life saving crew began to row out but was beaten back less than 50'
2nd try also defeated by the lake & 60 MPH winds
A few hours later it died down & an other line could be shot out
It was quickly re-rigged
Soon all were wrapped in warm blankets on the beach
No one was lost
The only injury was the hero Robert Smith
He spent the night with his sprained leg in a bucket of ice water