Jackson helmed the steamer Yale, making its way to Sault Ste. Marie from Whitefish Point in October, 1903.
Another ship nearby, the bulk freighter William F. Sauber, captained by William Morris, was transporting iron from Duluth, Minnesota when both vessels ran into severe weather.
The ships faced a number of fierce gales in the storm that night, just off Whitefish Point.
The Sauber fared well but by morning it was met with blinding sleet, fierce wind and intense cold — so cold that the spray of the sea froze the surface of the freighter.
Crews worked tirelessly to combat the ice as the ship started to weigh down into Lake Superior.
Captain Jackson, aboard the steamer Yale, noticed the Sauber was starting to sink.
The Sauber’s struggle to stay afloat made it difficult for the ship to launch its lifeboat, but the Yale began to drift closer to the Sauber. That’s when Capt. Jackson decided to risk it.
He led a rescue mission by lifeboat to the Sauber. The crew piled in but there with limited space. Captain Morris of the Sauber decided to stay with the ship.
“Go on, boys! Good luck to you, but I'm going to stay with the old ship.” he shouted to his crew as they made their way to the steamer Yale.
Then the weight of the ice took the Sauber and Capt. Morris down into the depths of Lake Superior. Another sailor aboard the Sauber also died.
By morning, the Yale barely made it to shore, caked in glistening ice.
This story was curated by Michigan author James Oliver Curwood in his 1909 book, ”The Great Lakes and the Vessels That Plough Them.” The article is archived in the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
