Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-08
A SURVIVORS STORY.
Details of the Wreck OF
the AbercOrn.
TWENTY-FIVE SEAMEN LOST
The Vessel Strikes q Sand Bank
and Goes Down in Sight
of Land.
Associated Press Dispatches to theHHRALDl


of Land.
PORTLAND, February AN Ore
gonian's Olympia, w. T., dispatch
says: From Mr.. o. M. Dutton, of
Portland, Or, who arrived this even
ing, the following additional particu-
lars have been received regarding the
bark Abercorn. Mr.. Dutton has seen
three survivors and heard the entire
history of the wreck, and was one OF
those who subscribed a purse t.
wards their immediate needs. While
he cannot recollect the names of the
survivors, his interview otherwise
was very full and extended, and the
information can be relied upon. He
says that one of the survivors was an
Id man So years of age, who told
Dutton
THE FOLLOWING STORY.
They were out 125 days from Glas-
gov with 1000 tons OF steel rails con-
signed to the Oregon Railway and
Navigation Company, took pilot John
son on board and stood out to sea.
The wreck occurred at half past six
on Monday morning by running OH a
sand bank. There was no gale blow
ing whatever, but it w>s somewhat
foggy. Two hours previous to the
striking, johnson sent man into the
cross-ties to keep look out for the
light at the mouth of the Columbia
river, supposlng they were near that
locality. At the time they were steer
ing in a southeasterly course, and car
rying light sail. The old sailor
was on watch. He says that they
took soundings only twice after taking
johnson on board, the first on Satur-
day when they found eighty fathoms,
and again after standing out. On Sun
day they sounded and found l2O. The
survivors agree that they were the
only soundings taken. The vessel
struck seven miles north of Gray's
Harbor near Damon's Point. 1mme.
diately after striking, all hands went
into the after cabin as the sea was
breaking badly forward. While there,
the foremast and mainmast broke and
the deck split. About half-past one
HEAVY SEA
Broke into the cabin. The old sailor
was the first out of the cabin and
could not tell how many were drowned
at the time, hut is satisfied that some
must have been. These who survived
ascended the rigging. The old man
saw filot johnson come out of the
cabin. A wave struck him, upon
which he tried to grasp the bar Of the
companion-w way, but missed it, and a
second wave struck him and carried
HIM into the ocean. The old man
watched him for some time in the
water and says that he swan nobly,
but as he was looking back at the
vessel and swimming parallel with
the coast, he did not appear
to be making for the shore.
The sailor thinks that if he
had had anything to assist him he
could easily have been saved. A little
later the mizzenmast gave way, and
the ship opened and let all itto the
sea. AS the mast was going the old
sailor jumped to the clear side of the
ship and was under water for some
time. AS he came up for the second
time he saw near him a plank about
13 feet long, which he seized and
| sTEERED FOR THE SHORE.
4 As soon as he struck the beach he
let his plank 60, and was on his knees
in the sand when an Indian came tC
his assist nee. The next survivor, a
man of about 25 years of age,
came ashore with a piece oi
plank under each arm. He had
been in the water half an hour.
The boy who is saved is an orphan,
and one of the five boys from the
training ship, all Of whom were max
ing their first voyage. He also came
ashore with two pieces of plank, and
was the last to reach shore, having
been about an hour in the water, and
having drifted two miles up the coast
from where the o hers landed. He
was unconscious when found by Mr.
McEntire aid the Indian. The boy
says he saw several persons in the
walter aItoT ledVlnk INC WT6ck. AT Que
time the captain was within Is feet Of
him, and told him to hang on to hi-
planks and not get scared. Then a
heavy wave struck the lad, and that
was the last he saw of the captain o'
any Of the ships crew. Shortly after
the boy reached shore
Il A BODY WAS SEEN
Floating but a short distance from
4 the shore, but it sank Immediately
after being sighted and although the
Indian, McEntire and A. 0. Damon
rushed into the waves to their necks
il was impossible to recover it. II
was supposed to be that of the
captain. Sixteen bodies were re.
ported found up to Sunday night
including those of Pilot johnson anc
the captain, the former having beer
recogn zed by notebook found in
his pocket All of the bodies were
found from 16 to 19 miles up the
cast. There are still six bodies un
heard from. The ships company
consisted of the captain and twenty
four men.
LABOR IN CALIFORNIA.