Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-05
TERRIBLE MARINE DISASTER.
Tho Steamer Grappler De-
stroyed by Fire
Awfai Destruction OF ""ma" I'e'''
Vessel aud GarS" Utterly
Consumed.

MA
90, arrived in this city today from Sey.
.,anr Narrows. He reports the burning
- the steamer Grappier within f1u,
.n;Ies of Seymour Narrows OH Sunday
r;nht at 10 O'Clock. The fire was FRS,
snsneeted by the engineer, from .he
s,ssenca of smoke and smell. He re-
,,orfed Immediately to the l.5.ain. Al
tha nasseupers. about 100 in number,
srd principally Cinnamon. wers III bed.
Immediate search was made beiDY by
,he cautalu. assisted by the engineer.
tha pnrser and John AeAliis.er. lie
,a;ng satisfied that the fire was at the
bsck of the boiler connections. the en-
o;neer started the donkey and connected
tho bose.
Nv this time the passengers we're get
fins out of bed. and the excitement
'rss intense. Hr. McAllister remained
,,slow until he saw the fire, which had
,skep hold of the ouil;held aud C tnyas
Ha then ran on deck and called for
bnckets. aud advised the captain to
beach the vessel at once. Tho captain
ordered Pilot Franklyn tn head the ves-
seI for the Vancouver shore. The pas
senoers we're 50 excited that they began
crowdine into the boats, which were sn-
v.,onad in cloud of smoke. TIE
sbrieks of the Cinnamon wee terrible.
NcAIlister then went aft To clear four
skifTs of his own, which were also being
crowded by the Chinamen, who were
etilj Yelling like demons. The staafIier
beiuo uuderw way, and the smoke passing
aft. caused SO much excitement in the
stern that it WAS difficult if not impos-
sible TO launch the boats, One boat
la,p,t,..I and fktn
and n whiteman got into it, McAiister
;nmpinp into the water aud climbing
into his boat Immediately afterwards.
There we're no oars in the boat. but
Valdez Island beiug the nearest shore
McAllister sculled his boat by means of
broom and q bamboo cane towards it.
BY the timo they had got halfway to
the island they saw that the steamer
had become unmauageable, bv the
burning Of her wheel-ropes, and had
chinged her course Tor the Valdez side
She pissel McAIiister in his boat At a
short distance an. turned again when
near the Valdez shore. where a number
Of passengers plunged overheard. Me
Alister picked up five or six men, the
parser and a Lsan named Rowe being OF
the number, aud two or three China
men. Oae of the Cinnamon was sup
porting himself on u board. This board
McAllister split in two and made into
paddles, which were used by himself
and another man to good advantage
afterwards. In the meantime the
steamer kept going backwards aud for
wards in An erratic manner, the passen-
gers shrieking aud yelling for assist
ance, and the flames spreading rapidly
over the vessel. Having landed those
picked up, McAllister then proceeded,
guided by the lights, towards where the
steamer had made her last turn ON the
Valdez side. They picked up n China
man, n siwash, Stsel the engineer, and
several other white men, M ,kIng about
a boat-loAd, aud alth ,u1h MdAilistrr
was 10th to go ashore from the sarieks
that were being incessantly given from
those around. discretion compelled him.
his boat being full, TO pat to shore
again.
As he had terrible hard work to land
this time, being exceedingly close ta the
narrows and the tide increasing rapidly,
he did not consider il safs To venture
out again, but lighted fire to warm
those who we're half dead with the cold,
some having been upwards OF an hour
in the water.
By this time the steamers engine had
stopped. and catching in an eddy she
grounded at n point near Duncan Bay,
close to the Vancouver shore. She was
wrapped up in flames from stem to
stern, several slight explosions taking
place at intervals. She burned for sew
eral hours. and Mt daylight no signs OF
the steamer could be seen.
h.a boat thrnwn frnut tha etaa mar
turned bottom up. and the ships largest
boat filed in launching, from some
bungling in the Stacking of the forward
tackle. The steamers small boat WAS
successfully launched aud picked up
the mate and several others, all white
men, whose names were uuknown tn
MoAliister. Smith, the mate, had fall
On overheard, haying been knocked
over.
Al break OF day Smith, in the ships
boat, proceeded to the Vancouver shore
in search Of any who might have been
saved. In the meantime McAllister
proceeded to Uclatawa camp. at Cape
Nudge, to procure paddles, oars anu
provisions. Here he met John Dick,
A. Mayer, of Nanaimo, and McPhie, a
trader from Comox. They immedi-
0tcly S6Ilt illutthklo IL 0iAVSr w osshk
the survivors to the camp, McPhie pre-
pairing food for them ON theis arrival.
NcAllister then left for Nanaimo, a
strong southeast wind preventing his
arrival here before Wednesday night.
The captain was last seen in the water
In mid current with n life preserver on.
Poor Franklyn was not seen except IN
the pilot house, where he was herolcaiiy
doing his duty. He might have escaped
TO the Vancouver side, but dcAllister
entertains very little hope OF any having
been saved on that side. He left for
Cape Nudge before the ships boat re-
turned. He puts the loss down at fifty
lives, the lowest figure.
The calamity which occurred near
Seymour Narrows at 10 o'clock Sunday
night u the most serious disaster affect
ing this country that has occurred since
november 4th. 1875. when the steamship
faclnc sank OF Cape Flattery with oeU
souia The screw steamer Grappier,
vnose destruction has involved SO IL any
nves and much valuable property, was
owned by II. Saunders 4 CO., OF this
port She was originally an Imperial
Gunooat and sister ship OF the Forward.
notn vessels were stationed III these
vasers for many years, aud both were
gisposed OF here to private parties. The
Forward went to San Francisco, where
sne was sold to Mexican pirates. They
oombarded Mexican port and the
vessel was sunk. The Grappler has run
Iof many years TO Wrangcl and other
northwest coast points. She sailed hence
on her last and fatal trip Saturday
evening last at N O'Clock for Wran0el
and way ports. She had on board about
q white men and IS Chinese for the
nsneries. besides her captain (Jaggersl, },
omcers and crew of some eight or ten
nen-the people on board numbering in
~ about 81 souls. She had also a good
freight, among other articles fifty ke0s
~ ~ powder for the Vancouver Company.
Tue Grappler reached Nanaimo early
sunday morning, discharged the powder.
scaled and sailed again for the north
sne same morning. She must have made
excelisnt time, as the schooner Grace.
cominR south. met the Grappler On
Vomox at I o'clock Sunday night and
stSnsferred her pilot, Mr.. Sidney Frank
ln. 10 the Grappler, both vessels then
proceeding on thoir way. The Grappler
~ tnat time seemed in excellent trim,
sne Weather was fine, and all things
Oey0k0n0d nrnapayaus trim