The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-15
loss Or THE PORT GORDON.
Va Blame Attaches to the Cap
tain or Officers
7. strsng carrest Bore the Vessel
sauth-Tt was Very Dark and The
Reckoning InseeurAfe.

Port townsend AsEus-
naval court was held AZ the British
accommodate IN Port Townsend
March IS 10 investigate the loss OF the
pors GORDON and 10 inquire into the
CONDUCT OF the master and ceTtiHczfesi
est mate. second mate ard crew of
aid vessel. The Port Gordon w&s =
sailing vessel, bark rugged, OF los
ton. registered tonnage. official num-
her e-.,g, built at Port Glasgow and be
louged 70 the port OF Giasgog.
II appears from the evidence given
,,pfere this court that she sailed from
ardrossan ON or about the I'd day Of
f,ctober. bound for Puget Sound with
! cargo Of general merchandise and q
crew al . hands all told and a. pzssen-
gers
The court, having regard 20 the cir
eumstascss as above stated, finds ~
follows.
That the master. William Glib. appears
IN have nasixzteG bis vessel In seaman
Ike. careful and proper nnznnef, she lead
hsviur teen frequently used, and the
ter1sr 81 fke com pass taken ~ every op Ys--
fur,isy and good lookout kept, and that
sre atfrfbuse the lose of the vessel 70 3 n an
rsuslIy strong current setting 20 the south
wsra uith probable error Of the chro-
aonseter. making hsr further west than
~ really was, and that no blame or neg
1jreuce can be sttribufed 20 the master.
0Scers or erew, aud the court recon- mend
ne Beard OF Trade Of London to grant u
william Glib. master. a1d Edward rrn1fh,
arsf mate, duplicate 81 their certificates.
the originals hsFinz been lost w5th the
vessel: aud that great psaise Is csse in the
manner ia which they stood By the ship
and saved the crew.
Eev. j. Is. ALEXANDER.
GEO. n. TozER.
Master British Barr KEef
]. H. SfETS0S. Merchant.
STATEMENT BY gnE OFFICERS.
We set sail in the ship from Ar
drossan on the 9th dag Of october.
1855. bound on voyage from thence
10 Puget Sound, laden with a cargo OF
general goods, the vessel being then
light, staunca and strong. virtaaIied
and sound and in every respect TT 20
perform her said intended voyage.
We proceeded on our VOYAGE via Ne7tis
Channel and meeting with heavy gales
and storlny weather caused part OF
the cargo 70 shit, consequently the
ship was pat back 90 the Tail OF the
Bank, where she arrived on the 3isf
Of October, where the cargo was re-
slowed under the supervision of the
surveyor proceeding BY South Channel.
No untogard event occurred dnring
the voyage. At noon, on the 18th day
OF February, 1859, the ship. by eoserya-
lion, was found to be in q position
with Cape Fiattery on the bearing Of
north 81 deg. e., s9i miles. The error
OF the compass. variation and devia.
ton combined, was found to he 80
deg. easterly and course y NE was
set by compass, the ship running Oh
a. NE " X time was allowed. the
weather in the meantime having got
very dark and dirty with a fresh gale
from Sc. The course was continued
up till noon OF the following day, the
18th. when the patent log indicated
ZIG miles.
The course was then altered 20 y
NE Il f and sail reduced to topsails
and courses. At 4 p, M. the weather
still worse the course was altered NE
by y at 6 p m, the mainsail and up
per topsails were taken In and at 3 ..
M. the ship was reduced TO two lower
topsails and fore topniast staysail.
The weather during the night was
very dark and stormy with strong
gale Sc and heavy rain az intervals.
Several casts OF the lead were taken,
bat no bottom was found At n. m.
tie log registered 3iS miles from the
last observation. the weather being
now 20 thick, dark and foggy that IL
Was impossible To see ships length
away. The main topsail was hraceei
aback SO ~ to make sure OF correct
soundings. No bottom was found.
the register indicating - fathoms.
The ship was still kept abaek. when
about 5:lo a. N. breakers were re-
ported ahead. The helm was iInuse-
diately put up and the yards trimmed. |
but within fave minutes she vas
within the midst Of the breakers. The
third sea swept away the wheel binna-
clcs and two OF the boats; the next
onesswept everything from the decks.
the ship bumped heavily aud gradu-
ally settled down, the matches being
blown oil in about half an hoar after
hrst striking.
The possibility of doing anything 10
save the ship being hopeless, every At
tention was turned 20 saving the lives
OF the crew, which was duly effected.
with the exception OF two. Who were
drowned, aud two who subsequently
succuuIlsed from the effects al the ex-
posture. After remaining in the yiein-
ity Of the wreck t0ar days and finding
Il impossible 20 do anything In the way
OF property. the ship having com
psesesy broken up and nothing what
ever having come ashore or been
saved, on Saturday, March ., the
mester resolved TO establish commuui-
cation with ali the agents and under
writers, and proceeded 10 Tacoma via
Trays Harbor, thence overland TO
Tacoma. where be daily arrived on the
9Th day OF March, and arrived In Port
Townsend on the nth inst, in the
afternoon. where tbs rest OF the sur.
yisoss were assembled.
WILLIAM Gina, master
EDWARD SMITH, mate
w, c. LAMONT. "a mate.
W. MORTIMER, A. II. :.
ARraug HALL. apprentice.