The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-03-06
Drowning Of Lyman p. Hall.
LITTER FROM CAPT. Won HELMS.

steamer Alex. Duncan:
SAN FRANCI>Co. Feb. u. 1851.
MADAM: Providence has select
ed me the medium To appuse YOU
of the one great loss that loving
wife and mother Justly deems
greater than all other miscortuaes
in life. Little did ] think last
Sunday morning, Feb. 20thl, when
we all sat down a. usual TO the
breakfast table that before another
hour, one Of us, and that one, your
good husband, and our faithful,
true shipmate, and a careful able
engineer, should be gone from
amongst us TO the mysterious
other world. To him no doubt a
place of everlasting bliss and sub
lime rest. Yes, while engaged
with the chief engineer, Mr.. Wyn-
ME, the purser, Mr.. Bradshaw, and
a fireman named John Roach, in
gathering black mussels on Moro
rock, entrance to Moro bay, San
Luis Obispo county, California,
Mr.. Lyman II. Hall, our assistant
engineer. ventmed on an outlying
rock, and was swept of by a heavy
sea and drowned. His compan-
ions did all that was possible for
them to do; they ventured ia
small boat through a swift danger
ous current, out over the bar, and
/ finally succeeded in finding the re-
mains about twenty minutes after
the accident. The current being
very strong, they could not enter
the harbor until three hours later,
when the tide changed. They
could not be seen from the vessel
or town, as 1t is about one and
half miles from the landing TO the
scene of the accisent. About y
o'clock, noon, they came 10 the
wharf, bearing with them the body.
All efforts 10 revive proved un-
availing;we only desisted when the
Doctor, A. II. Smiley, pronounced
OH examination OF the remains, the
case hopeless, as the backbone was
fractured, probably by the force of
the waves against the rocks. AT
four In the afternoon the coroner
held the inquest and verdict was
rendered Of accidental drowning,
precipitated by the hurt in the
back. The eye witnesses stated
that Mr.. Hall never uttered word
or shrek, while in the water, and
the doctors opinion Is, that the
hurt I'M the back was sufficient 10
paralyze him, thus preventing any
efforts of his own TO save himself.
Any ordinary swimmer would have
been able to float, and await the
coming of the boat, which was tied
to rock only hundred yards of.
The burial took plack at $50
P. NJ, accompanied by the resi-
dents Of the village, to whom we
are greatly indebted for their kind
ness and accommodation IN this
case. We, the whole crew of the
Alex. Duncan, carried the remains
to its last resting place, and never
was nan buried that had 50 en-
tirely the respect and affection Of
his shipmates. Mr.. Hall was bur
ried in a grave dug by his own
companions, IN a place on the
north side of the Moro Lumber
company's land. There is no reg
ular cemetry there, and we are
indebted to Mr.. j. VI. Jordan, of
More city, for the site. Doctor
Smiley declined any fee, and all
the residents assisted with a good
will, Mrs. +. B. Stocking furnished
a beautiful boquet OF flowers. The
grave is fenced I'm, and we will
have head-beard painted to grace
| its site; ladies from Moro city
have volunteered to plant flowers
on the grave, and so we must leave
all that is earthly of l.. p. Hall
rest till the day when we all are
to be called again by our God.
May the Lord seRd consolation
to you and your children, as you
have the Sympathy of
JoHN Won HELMS.
Master OF 4. 4. :. :. Cos. str. Alex. Duncan.