Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-08
-rrrR PARTICULARS OF TEE
CzAPPLEg's Loss.
rr.om the Victoria Post.

From the Victoria Post
- interview with one of the sur
-. = ~ the burned steamer Grapp.er
s,,IIou;np particulars were obtained:
s.. she Are WAS first discovered Cap
~ Iscars directed Engineer Steele to
S-sicw and connect the hose with the
.ssv engine. The engineer complied,
-. sbe dense smoke soon compelled
S;m E to return TO the deck. he being al
~. s,oss suffocated in the attempt. The
- snread rapidly. and In q very few
.;rctes the do, med vessel Was wrapped
!. asmes. In the meantime the capttin
= sa.@ hlogipc the whistle for assistance
~, ~, tha rops was burned through. He
sn.' -. hnsied himself in throwing every
sS:nr "yfrbo.rd that would float, even
ss.7.binc the doors and windows of
~ -hsel house, and in getting out the
w. w. nreseryers. Mr.. Steele fastened
nas Ins IN Captain Jagers, which was the
rs olD ~ saving his life. The matches,
- and aft. were then fastened TO keep
~ 6,a under as much AZ possible.
Th,se Of the coa.-passers were be.ow at
a. sime. and being unable TO escape.
-. literally entombed and roasted TO
ss.th IN their prison. Efforts we're thea
80 n get The boats l1unehsd but
I~;rc N the confusion amongst tho Chi
nsrtn nothing could be done.
when the fire broke ont the Chinese
vere psnic-stricken. They acted like
Ssmons, screaming. shouting. jabber-
- aud iostlin2 each other. They
,sshed for the boats snadiy, knocking
~ mate. John Smith, clean overheard,
M tsampling aud bruising others of
~ srev. They filed the boats with
sk.ir effects. and then crowded in them
ssi.es. No efforts could dislodge them,
~ the attsmpt had to be abandoned.
Ths osrs we're under the thwarts, and
- Chinamen in their fright f0rgo: 10
,ss.noye them, bundling themselves and
sle;f ohatsels peli-mell into each bost,
vhefe they remained screaming and
ssIlino until tue heat forced them to
80 y, the water. Mr.. McAllister sue
ssedel in launching one Of his boats,
~;th that success is already known. The
v.sseI had been headed for the shore,
is,f shs had not proceeded far when the
fiIIer.roocs burned through and the
aesmer became unmanageable. Sgd
~ Franklin was at the wheel until
ihst time; but when the steering-gear
- burned Capt. Jagers ordered him
Is leave tae wheel-house. He obeyed,
s.d shortly afterwards was seen strug-
sIiuQ in the water. Very little hopes
- sutsrtained OF his recovery, as he
- have gone down shortly after be-
hin The water.
~ saptain was the last man to leave
h6hnL In company with two others
k4oi on the bow of the burning
G6emfr until the decks fell in. He
imnibss the scene hs the most awful he
6uw uisuesscd. The flames made every
1kine visible for some distance around,
and be ouuld SEQ at least forty people
Struggling and battling for life in the
pstef, filing tho air with their drowning
ajG A quantity of cartridges CON-
lnsnoed 70 explode, and the bullets fy-
i1g IN all directions made it dangerous
- lsmain on tho burning steamer any
ln9er. Having made the two raen
bave the captain lowered himself into
ths vater and struck out for shore.
After swimming until h0 was exhausted
tebecame insensible. and remembered
= more until picked mp sometime ON
Monday by some white men, who were
q 4 prospecting expedition. He had
iyifted ON to a boulder near the shore,
nd there he remained until discovered.
Captain Jager's noble oonduo. Is spoken
Il everywhere In the highest terms. He
Bns the last man 10 leave the vessel. and
lndes tho most trying circumstances did
oyeryihing possible 10 save tho lives Of
hh passengers and crew. He even en-
Favored to take of tho life presorver
hatened on him by the engineer, with
~ Intention of giving il TO some ono
llDe. and his courage and coolness In
~ midst Of danger with death staring
him In the face, is worthy Of the great
~ encoimums, and shoald meet with
! Substantial recognition. As gentle
|nxn remarked today, the "v. Cs." are
lpund all over tho world.
ASornER..AocouNr.
George Bowel, deckhand, states that
4 Sunday night l went 10 the wheel at
o'clock, and about quartz. past ten
aGked sydney Franklyn to go and call
- siwash TO give me a spell at the
uheel. Mr.. FTanklyn, not knowing
ukete be alept, took the wheel. and
Vont for him. As ] was going down
~ forehatch the captain and engineer
0ogs looking for the fire. The engineer
Nd me TO haul mp the tarpaultn and
- where the fire was. put my hand
I'm und u was vsry hot. Mr.. McA
N1les sent me Tor the hose, which ! gave
y tho mate. BY this time the steamer
~ In flames. The captain ordered me
y shove the boat Of the deckh0use. aud
living obtained others to assist me, we
1A0ved her of, some one cot the fore
~. aud tho after fail b ing foul, she
III down head first; the altar fall was
N e1t and chs sank out Of sight. The
Qltee Of the Cinnamon were terrific. IL
ltve9 thous md years | should never
sRct tho dreadful noiae of them. The
~ yard WAS pushed overheard and l
~ on to it. The rope holding il was
taway and l was adrift. Henry Mo
laky, Mr.. Steele, the engineer, Ken
Henderson and a Chinaman man.
1ooo y get ON to il also. Shortly After
e!s II. 4oAllister picked us all up
M took "a ashore.
ADDITIONAL.
When The Are was first discovered
- were no flames; but in q few
!, .,1usee the breeze famed tho iire and
names shot up through the sky
elak u . short time cutting off al
auunioAtion between the fore and
pese q the vessel. Tho Iawer deck
1lled with coal, and the men who
Neso imptisonsd there were hesrd
geoR away with thar hands in their
su g obtain sgreas. It was rumored
10y NAT = yonng man named CAld-
III ves % board and vas among the
sea.ne, bat nothing positive Is known.
"a uspeain states that the Indians on
heard The steamer whistlinp, but
o attention, thinking Il Was an
eeeamer passing. Had they
ss nslf canoes and como 70 tho
many more lives would havs
md Altar Captain Jacpers had
sesed coosoiousncss he vcnt 10 the
s,sa - camp and employed siwaahes to
~ ep and down the coast for : dis
g nxty miles each day, in the
y g piaking mp survivors, bus the
- vas fruitlses. Some OF the Grew
y e.uiaed and maimed, from the way
s;namen hustled and showed them
s.sae mad terror, and one OF the
! ~. s ~ = voald not 60 through the
Z again Tor all the money IN Vic