The Portland daily press., 1881-02-08
LOSS OF THE DANIEL COOS.
Capt. Normans Account of the Disaster

The Galveston News publishes the following
account of the loss of the schooner Daniel
Coos, told by Capt. Norman:
About II o'clock on the morning of the 10Th
of January. just after the Coos had cross ed
the bar here it was observed that she was leak
ing. All hands were turned to and the pump
manned. Efforts were made to keep her free
until she could reach Indianola, as she was
then too far to the westward to attempt to
beat back to Galveston against the strong tide
and east wind which blew at the time. The
mate; Fred. Brock, steward; John Wilson,
John Forshey and Philip Sizer, st ood
manfully by the pumps until it was impossi-
BILE to do so longer. At $50 o'clock, when the
Coos was as.ern of the E. d. Sudbury, the dis
tress signal was hoisted, but evidently was not
understood, rs it was not answered by that yes
sell Later the Sudbury attempted to send a
boat, but it was swamped and the men IN 1t al
most drowned. At o'clock Capt. Norman
squared for the shore, but was struck by
heavy sea. He then saw that he could not
save the vessel. He gave his signal of distress
again, but still the life saving station, although
in full sight, did not answer him. The first
sea that broke took her forward house. He
was at the time standing on the quarter deck
with his child supported on one arm and his
wife held with the other. The same sea which
swept the house away dashed his child from
his arm and swept it overheard. He ,grasped
his wife then and tried to get on the spanker
boom, but another mountain wave dashed over
them and carried her away from him. At the
same instant he received the blow which broke
his leg, and he was swept overheard. Fortu-
nately he grasped the fOot-rope of the hoom.
The mate, seeing the after house loosening,
jumped upon and was washed into the sea with
IT.. Passing the captain, he grasped him by the
hair of his head and drew him upon it, and
thus the two foated to land. By this time the
crew mad all been washed into the sea, each
cllnglng as best he could to portions of tho
wreck, The last seen of Philip Sizer, the sea-
man who was lost, he was clinging to piece
OF timber. Capt Norman says the vessel went
to the bottom in q few minutes after she be-
gan to founder. He says, also, that after the
vessel was wreck, (about half past o'clock
man rode down the beach from the life saw
ing station, but not only did nothing to relieve
the distress but actually rode back toward the
station. An old ranchero Mr.. Wilkins living
near, however, sent his servants to the suffer-,
ers, and took them all to his house where they
wer.' kindly cared for At half-past O'Clock
in the evening, three hours after the disaster,
a horse was sent down for Capt. Norman to
ride to the station. In his condition. he could
not have done so, and Mr.. Wilkins declined to
allow such thought to be entertain ed. The
next day Dr. Rosencrans came down and set
ms leg, charging him therefor the sum of $50,
but Offering, on account of his helpless condi-
ton, to deduct $l0 sit took the last cent I
had, said Capt. Norman to the reporter, "but
L could not accept of such generosity and [
paid his BILL" The captain says that as fast
as the wreck would come on shore, the chests,
boxes, &c, were broken open and robbed of
every article of value In them. Out of full
supply of clothing he recovered hardly full
suit and others of the crew were in as bad
condition. Every article but one of his wife's
clothing was stolen. The body of the chi Id
was recovered and buried the day after the
wreck.