“Little ice devils” was an old phrase used by sailors in the early 1900s to refer to the turbulent weather that spans the Great Lakes each winter.
And Michigan author James Oliver Curwood shared that quote in the 1905 issue of the defunct "Woman’s Home Companion" magazine.
Curwood shared stories of these frightening storms and the brazen captains and crews who would challenge the perilous elements.
These trips were often forced upon the crews by greedy owners looking to grease their palms for one last payday before the lakes froze over.
One such story follows Captain McKenzie of the freighter Codorus. McKenzie was making his final trip across Lake Superior when he noticed another vessel called Queen of the West veering off its intended course.
After noticing a signal of distress from the ailing ship, McKenzie gave chase to the vessel. But Queen of the West continued on the wrong path, seemingly oblivious to signals from the pursuing ship.
Both vessels were leaning into the freezing wind, heading toward the Canadian coast rather than Sault Ste. Marie.
When Captain McKenzie caught up to Queen of the West, McKenzie shouted “you’re sinking, you idiot! Why don’t you heave to?”
“I know it — but I can’t” shouted back the other captain. “The ice has got us, and if we stop for an instant, we’ll go down like a chunk of lead!”
The Codorus made it alongside the doomed vessel as the crew clambered to safety. As the Codorus got underway, Queen of the West succumbed to the icy waters and sank.
James Oliver Curwood would write more stories like these in his book "The Great Lakes and the Vessels That Plough Them,” published in 1909.
