Rock Island daily Argus., 1886-12-20

Heavy Swell and Goes To Pieces Among
the Breakers-The Crew Half Drunk
Story of the Captain-List os the Vic
Tins.
SAN FRANCIsCo, Cal, Dec 20-kvery one
was amazed Friday to hear that the whaling
bark Atlantic had been wrecked on the
ocean beach some six miles to the west of
this city, and most of the crew drowned.
The night had been wonderfully calm, and
this, it appears, was the cause of the disaster,
which occurred within few hundred yards
of the United States live-saving station, on
smooth, shelving beach The bark was towed
cut to sea at O'Clock Thursday afternoon on
the food tide Not bit of wind was then
stirring. When given what appeared suffi-
cient sea room, she was cast off The sea, as
often happens on the Pacific, was running
very high, though the gir was calm, and the
long swell broke on the sand beach in a
heavy surf. After rolling around disobedi-
ent to the helm for many hours the bark
toated in on the flood tide. An almost i'm
uenetrable mist ohscurred the vision of the
half-drunken crew, and they were only made
aware Of their perils by the thunder of the
surf. Both anchor were let go in seven
fathoms of water, but the sandy bottom
afforded no hold and the bark was in a few
moments among the breakers. The re-
mainder of the story as told by the captain,
is as follows:
The sea commenced sweeping over The
vessels deck at so a. N. The bark was
struck by a wave and Immediately a heavy
sea boarded her, staving in her starboard side
and sweeping off three or four men. | told
the first officer to try and clear away the
boats. The officer succeeded, and lie and a
dozen men got into one boat. The boat was
cleared away and shot under the counter oi
the vessel and capsized That was the last
we saw of the men. Just then another bcat
was made ready and into it the second mate
SIX men, and myself jumped ami cleared
away. A heavy swell came rolling over the
deck of the vessel, and, falling into the boat
was in, swamped it We all struggled ii
the water, and | tried to get hold on the
boat or some other piece of timber, but
failed, end the swell carried M away. As
was beng carried along in the water | wen
TO he bottom once under a heavy swell anC
WIS -olled along in the sand
TIE captain, like the other survivors of
the wreck was finally rolled mp half dead oI
( tins beach where all would have persisted bu
fo: the timely assistance Of hackman and ;
party of early morning reveiers, who wer,
driving along the beach to the Clif house
| The men wrapped the exhausted sailors il
their oyercoats and the women gave then
their wraps Meantime the life saving off
Cials found their services were in demand
| and moving on the scene they shot Il lin
over the wreck, but without any results, am
before daybreak the bark went 10 pieces
| hose left on her being drowned
| The only body washed ashore was that o
Joseph Stedley, seaman. The other vic
| tins were: Anton Perry, Peter Nelson, l.
| A IeJuno, Edgar lee, Antoine Gonzales
| William Thomas, Thomas Ryan, Charlie
| Berdan, W Mansfield, lose BeioS, Ea Tracy
! John Moore, Tom Brown, E. J. Brown, g
NJ Ketanos, Peter Miller, Charles Stedley
J. Henderson, John J. Nye, Charles Indie.
James Antoine, Joha Gardner, Patrick La
vile, Charles Fer5berger, John Anthony,
| G. Carroll, W f. Linn. William j. Colbert
William Hangan, c. II. Chesterton.
The survivors are; Capt. Thomas WarraT
1 Third Mate James Ring, Soamen Andrew W
Look, Louis Tahiti, Edmund Kuhn, IL
| tonic Margaretia. John Lambert, Josep
Antoine, Marue de Ia Rosa l.. IT, Wal
| iuC