The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-16
LOST AT SEA.
Three Men Missing From the
Sophia Sutherland.
One Of Them Was the Captain Of the Vessel
and Another the Owners son-Ten Days
Search Made Without Avail.

The American sealing schooner Sophia
Sutherland arrived in port yesterday after
noon after passage of twelve days from
Sand Point, Alaska. with 1888 seal-skins,
consigned to Lynde 81 HOIgh The vessel
came down in charge of the chief officer A.
NJ. Scott. As soon as the vessel was boarded
by the Merchants Exchange reporter. off
Meigg Wharf, Captain Scott sent word
ashore that Charles Haritwen, the master,
and two Of the crew of the vessel had been
lost from her while hunting seals in the
Behring Sea. Soon after the schooner came
to an anchor she was boarded by CALL
reporter, to whom CAPTAIN Scott made the
following statement regarding the cruise OF
the Sutherland and the mishars encoun-
tered:
LOST ONE BOAT AND CREW.
We left here" said the captain, sin
February last on a sealing and hunting
cruise. On March 21st. when wewere forty
miles west of Grays Harbor. we lost one
boat and crew, or rather the crew stole
away with the boat, two guns, one compass,
sails, oars, water keg and quantity Of am
munition and eatables enough to last them
for four days at least All the boats were
cut that day and every one came back in the
evening with seals. The day was clear and
there was no fog whatever
LAS soon as we missed them we examined
their hunks and found all their effects gone
with the exception of small empty valise
belonging to the hunter. The names OF the
crew OF the boat were: Harry Kraft, hunter;
Charles j. Lee, seaman; August Ehl0rt,
seaman. We heard that they were picked
up by the schooner }. Hamilton Lewis and
transferred to the British bark Archer and
landed at Astoria.
ANOTHER BOAT MISSING.
"On August 18th we lost in the Behring
Sea boat containing our captain. who also
acted as hunter, and two seamen. The
names of the boats crew are: Charles
Hartwen, William A. Sutherland and
George Chapman. 1t is t0 be hoped that
this last boat will turn up all right, as the
day was the most beautiful one ever seen in
that sea. There was not a breath of wind
up to noon the next day. The boats crew
must have lost the bearings Of the vessel on
account of her drifting sixteen miles during
the Day Day sailed to and fro for ton o,vs think
ing we might meet with schooner that
picked them up, but were unsuccessful. 1t
is possible, however, that they have been
picked up or made for land
WHAT THE OWNER SAID.
Captain Sutherland, the owner of the
Sophia Sutherland. who made the cruise in
the vessel, was seen on board. He said:
"Captain Haritwen and a crew of TWO boat
pullers left the vessel nAugust 1lth, when we
were in latitude 55o 10 north, longitude 1100
So west, to hunt seal They were lost sight
of by the other hunters at o'clock in the
afternoon of the same day. All the boats
returned except the captains, and OF course
we can only conjecture what has become OF
it. Captain Hartwen was an old trader in
the Behring and probably made for the land
as he had a compass in the boat and pr0vi-
sions and water for four days.
While the cantain is hoping for the best.
he has his doubts as to the safety OF the
crew. He says that although the schooner
cruised around for ten days she saw nothing
of them, and it is possible that the men may
have overloaded the boat with skins and it
might then have been capslZed by heavy
swell or sea. as JacObson'S boat was, or. he
says, it may have been seized by big bull
seal and stove in, as occasionally happens.
He thinks however, that Haritwen was too
active and smart seaman to let that hap
pen.
WHERE IT OCCURRED.
The place where the boat was missed is
in the Behring Sea to the southwark OF the
Prybioff Islands. At the time the schooner
was about eighty miles from st. George
Island, and there is no doubt if Haritwen's
boat foated he made for that point. Ii so,
and he arrived there safely, 1t is not In
probable that the steamer Bertha, which is
due here now at any time may bring him
down or at least bring news of him.
Captain Charles Haritwen is married
man He was married last year, and his
wife resides in Alameda. William Suther-
land, one of the boat pullerS, is son of the
owner of the schooner and single man, %
years of age. Chapman, the otler missing
man, is Single man. His relatives reside
in Santa Cruz 1t is learned that his father
died some time ago. and that since lie left
on the cruise his mother has died and left a
fortune, his share of which Is So, 600.
WANTED DOUBLE PAY.
CAPTAIN Sutherland says that after leav-
ing here, two of the crew were sick until
the vessel got in the Behring. After the
boat spoken of was lost he says the crew
growled and demanded double pay. He
did not feel inclined to ;accede to their de-
mand, as he was sure of the good catch he
had, but did not know Tor certain what
success he might meet with 10 warrant him
in staying up. He thinks, though, that If
everything had gone along smoothly he
could have got al least 5000 skins.
The Sutherland brings word that the
sailing schooner Lily l. was at Sand Point
while she WAS there and sailed the day pre-
vious. The Lily l. had captured 1895 skins.
She is owned by c. ID. Ladd Of this city.
The skins are said by ieliable authority TO
be worth in the market now S11 90 each,
which would make the value of her catch
nearly S14,G00.
HER CREW MUTINIED.
After the Lily l. left here in the early
part OF the year she encountered heavy
snow squalls and put into Neal Bay for
shelter Then the crew mutinied and the
captain had considerable trouble
The J. Hamilton Lewis was in Neah Bay !
at the same time. When she left she went |
sealing off the north of the Columbia, and |
there, at 2 o'clock in the morning of March |
21st. she picked up the three men who had |
deserted from the Sophia Sutherland. Two |
days later she placed them OF board the ship |
Archer, bound for Astoria.
Among those who came down here on the |
Sutherland were four hunters and two sail
Ors belonging to the sealing schooner Mary |
Ellen, which ran ashore on UnSa Reef, !
Alaska, on July 2Sth last. The names of
the men are; Al Gehrmg, Lorenzo Higuero,
T. Dougherty, George Roberts, hunters;
William Ewing, John Sleyinsky, sailors.
The waterfront man who always has a |
yarn ready to spin for the edfication of |
gullible reporters concoctel long fairy |
story yesterday about the steamer Alexan-
der III chasing, catching and overhauling the |
j. Hamilton Lewis in the BehriDg Sea. The |
Alexander left here on May Sth. 1t is prob
able that before the day was over the man
caught one gullible fish in his fake" net.