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September 14, 1882: The steamship Asia sank in a storm on Lake Huron. Asia, under the command of John Savage, departed Collingwood, Ontario bound for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan with passengers and cargo. The Asia was a wooden hulled single screw ship which had actually sunk once before in 1881. On her last voyage the weather was bad from the start, choppy water and strong headwinds. This caused excessive fuel consumption. In this case the fuel was wood. The crew were even put ashore once to cut additional wood so they could make it to their destination. However this was not meant to be. The storm turned into a gale and the ship foundered. Eighteen people, including the captain, made it into a life boat but, the seas overturned it several times eventually killing all but two, those were the only two who survived the disaster. One hundred and twenty three others died in the water. The two who survived, Christena Ann Morrison and Duncan Tinkiss, held fast to the ends of the life boat and crawled back into it every time it capsized. They finally made it to shore and were found by an Indian man who guided them to a settlement at Perry Sound. |
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