Ever since Tuesday morning, the talk in the city of Duluth had turned from the bad weather, to all of the harrowing drama unfolding at the canal. Reports of some ten thousand people were there to witness the plight of the Mataafa and her crew. Many of the men had gathered driftwood, making piles along the shoreline, and then set them ablaze. The people huddled around the fires for warmth. Many of them had been down there since the first ships had tried to make it back through the canal on Monday evening. All day Tuesday, the crowds watched as the different ships made their way into port. But their eyes would be drawn to the Mataafa, as she foundered just offshore. On through the night, and even after the failed rescue attempts, many of these brave citizens in their own right, stood and watched as best as they could. Straining eyes were peering through the blinding gale force winds and snow, to maybe catch a glimpse of any movement on the Mataafa. Some of the women there were crying, while others prayed for a miracle or merely a glimmer of hope. The buildings in the area had their occupants riveted to their windows, watching and waiting. The night was cold and dark, with temperatures falling below zero. After awhile, the howling snow-laced winds took its toll on the citizens there. Many of them could not take any further exposure to the storm, and they would return to the comfort of their homes or hotels. Yet, there were countless others that would stay throughout the night, determined to see for themselves, the terrible acts of cruelty that the blizzard was handing out. A few of the men on the shoreline began to talk about getting themselves a boat of any kind, to go out and rescue the sailors. Their foolish talk may have been the result of either imbibing a few snorts from their brandy flask hidden secretly in their coat pocket, or they simply had no knowledge of boating, other than doing some fishing on a local pond. Their well meaning but ill-conceived ideas were quickly put to rest by a few of the seasoned men from the other ships that had overheard their ideas. Some of the crew off of the Ellwood and England, as well as other ships, had made their way over to the scene. They were standing there in amongst the others Tuesday evening, as well as Wednesday morning. Among the crowd were also ship captains and engineers. The sailors from those ships stood and watched the awesome power of the lake. Every one of them knew that no man in his right mind was going to launch any boat until the lake had calmed down. They were all feeling helpless, watching the Mataafa as she lay in pieces, all of them knowing, it could have just as easily been them. The second photo is where the Mataafa plaque is going to be erected. From my book "The Luck Of The Draw-The Mataafa Story"
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:27:15 +0000
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