Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-08-16
COAST ADVICES.
The Mint Tnvestigation-Arrival of
the Alaska Commercial COmpa-
ny's Steamer St. Paul-DiseOvery
of Wrecked WhaIers-The Whaler
VigiIant Probably Wrecked.
Special to the sEsrrsrrl

SAN FRAScIsco, Aug. 15.-In the Mint
investigation to-day, a telegram from A.
E. Preston, Acting Director at Washing
ton, to Director Burchard was read, to the
effect that the Auditor states that he did
not tell Page that he was delaying the set
ting Of Dodge's accounts to investigate.
but on account Of the loss Of the coin
vouchers by the Auditors clerks; that
Page did request him not to settle the &C
count till an investigation could be had.
Page objected to the telegram as evidence.
The matter was allowed to pass. E. O..
Leech, Adjuster of Accounts at the Mint,
was examined, and testified that the allow
ance by Congress for the expenses Of the
Mint has been gradually decreasing since
1876.
The Alaska Commercial Company's
steamer st. Paul arrived this morning.
She brings the following intelligence I:
Capt. Hooper, OF the Revenue cutter Cor
win, received the intelligence of the dis
covery Of wrecked whalers by Indians on
May 20, and at once sent out a sledge par
ty under Lieutenant Herring to investigate
it. They landed on Keolutchin Island on
June 2, and made their way over the ice
westward to the mouth of the Waukerem
River, about o hundred miles from Cape
Serdze; they fell in with a party of ma
tives, in whose possession was found arti-
cles taken from the wreck. The Corwin
party also saw and talked with the natives
who had boarded the wreck. They exhib-
tied two piles Of articles, which they said
they had taken from her. They consisted
principally Of carpenters tools, etc. The
following articles were recovered, andhave
been brought to San Francisco, to be for
warded to the q. s. Treasury Department:
One whaling iron, marked b. K, possibly
the initials Of the owner of the vigilant,
with five dots, supposed to be boat No. 8;
n pair OF silver-bowed spectacles; one
pair OF marine glasses, and one knife
marked "V." on the handle. The natives
said the wrecked vessel carried q pair Of
reindeer horns on her jib-boom. The Wig
liant is known to have carried such an or
nament, and is said to be the only one in
the whaling feet having such, which leads
to the conclusion that the wreck was that
vessel. Her cabin was full Of water, and
four dead bodies were found in her; one in
q berth and the others on the floor. The
natives said they looked like they had been
dead many moons; that the skin on their
faces was witLered and drawn tight. From
this description it was surmised that the
vessel was wrecked as far bach as 1879
Oh 1880, the first Winter out, and
that the wreck subsequently, drifted out to
sea-, and was lost sight Of. The sledge
party being unable to go further westward
on account OF the melting snow, proceeded
to Cape Serdze, and were picked up by the
Corwin june 30. They travelled $50 or 14O
miles. The cutter had her rudder carried
away by the ice June /, but repaired it in
st. Lawrence Bay with materials obtained
from the wreck Of an old whisky smuggler
ashore there. Later she made a second
landing on this island, and sent parties
ashore to visit the scene OF the destructive
famine of 1889. In the Indian villages
few changes were discovered. The dead
bodies we're still lying about in numbers.
The surviving natives appeared to be in no
want. They were abundantly supplied
with arms and ammunition, and also with
goods plundered from the wreck Of the
schooner Leolita. The latest intelligence
OF the cutters movements is up to July 8,
when she sailed from Norton Sound for
Golovin Bay. Thence she was to proceed
10 Katzebue Sound and Point
Burrow, to look after revenue matters.
thence westward to Wrangel Island, before
the ice closed in, to search for the jean
The mildness Of the previous win
ter and the lightness Of the ice encoun-
tered by the Corwin, gave Captain Hooper
strong hopes Of being able to reach aud ex- |
plore that land. Whalers who were inter- |
considered the prospect favorable. |
are entertained that some whalers |
have been lost, as early in July a large
quantity Of whale oil was reported seen by
the natives and other hunters on the sea. |
About Suak Island four casks OF whale oil
1rifted ashore there about the same time.
rhe signs give rise to the apprehension
that some returning whaler was wrecked
n q fog on an outlying reef about that
sland. The fact that the packages of oil
we're found unbroken. Is thought to indi-
that possibly one entire side az the
unfortunate vessel was broken In. letting
he cargo out. No further details OF the
imposed wreck had reached Onalaska up
o August 4. when the st. Paul left ct Seal
The sealing season closed success
ully on July 80.
Judge Sawyer OF the U. 8. Circuit Court
las rendered q decision in the case OF
huntington ct. al. vs.. G. E. Palmer, Tax
Of Alameda county, in one of so
uits brought throughout the State by the
p. Railroad Company in relation to as
upon railroad property. The
udge dismissed the bill in this particular
nit, but stated that he would not render
u immediate decision In the other cases.