1942 – May 31, Drownings of fishermen, large Lake Erie Wave hits north coast of OH– 7

1942 – May 31, Lake Erie Large Wave, Cleveland (Bay Village on W to Geneva E), OH–  7                        

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 7-8-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–7  New York Times. “Giant Wave Kills 7 on Lake Erie Shore.” 6-1-1942, p. 15.

Narrative Information

June 1, AP/NYT: “By the Associated Press. Cleveland, May 31 — A huge wave catapulted shoreward along a sixty-mile stretch of Lake Erie before dawn today, caught holiday fishermen unawares, drowned seven persons, injured at least seven and cast numerous small boats against the beaches. Variously described by eye-witnesses as from four to twenty feet high, with a second crest of smaller proportions, the wave struck from Bay Village on the west of Cleveland to the vicinity of Geneva on the east.

“The dead:

“Mrs. Esther Allen, 48, and George H. Forrler, 44, both of Berea, bear by. They were fishing from a pier at Bay Village.

“Robert Michaels, 14, of Cleveland, who had been fishing from a jetty here.

“Merrill F. Riley, 50, of Cleveland;

“Merle Edward Diehl, 45, of Cortland, Ohio;

“Orly Lenney, 29, and his wife, Esther, 25, also of Cortland. They were fishing from small boats offshore between Fairport Harbor and Geneva.

“The Cleveland Weather Bureau reported a sudden change in wind direction was the major cause of the disaster. Dr. J. J. Nassau, director of the observatory at the Case School of Applied Science, said the wave probably was caused by wind. The Rev. Joseph S. Joliat, S. J. seismologist at John Carroll University, said no earth disturbances were registered.

“Describing the scene at which four were drowned, Edward Anderson, 26, and Joseph Lozar, 31, both of Cleveland, said they had been fishing from a boat all of Saturday night, in choppy water and shifting winds. Fearful of a storm, they worked their 14-foot craft toward shore as they noticed a dark streak in the sky. Their boat was picked up by the wave and flung past another, which capsized. They were able to reach two of the three occupants, but Riley was drowned before aid could reach him….”

Source

New York Times. “Giant Wave Kills 7 on Lake Erie Shore; Wall of Water 60 Miles Long and 4 to 20 Feet Hight Piles Boats on Ohio Beaches…” 6-1-1942, p. 15. Accessed 7-8-2024 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1942/06/01/archives/giant-wave-kills-7-on-lake-erie-shore-wall-of-water-60-miles-long.html