Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-09-27
Wrecked Off Fort CanhY.


ASTORIA, Sept. 20.-The pilot schooner
Governor Moody went ashore at North
Head at 4:30 o'clock this morning dur
ing fog. The vessel is total wreck.
P. Cordiner, the master, Louis Olsen
and Gustave McCorda of the crew were
slightly injured. The wreck of the
Governor Moody lies at the base of the
cliff at Wills Prairie, three miles north
of Fort Candy. George Solvely, the
colored cook, who was reported drowned,
was discovered by the ife-saving crew
on rock under the cliff and was rescued.
The life crew boarded the vessel and
saved nearly all of the clothing of the
men, and also the books and sextant.
1t is thought there is not the slightest
chance of saving the vessel.
The schooner has a big hole in her
port side, aft, and is resting on four
huge rocks. Her amidmast is broken
in three pieces. Her stern from below
the water line is torn off. Captain
Peter CordIner had terrible cut on the
forehead, his arm was bruised and his
hand cut and bruised. He gave the
following account of the disaster: ave
left Astoria at o'clock Friday morning
in tow of the Wallowa, and crossed the
bar at $50 o'clock. The crew consisted
of myself, Louis Olsen, Gustav McCorda
and the cook, George Solvely (colored).
There was no wind outside all day, and
we drifted down to the southwark until
o'clock. When nearly abreast of
Tillamook light the wind came up and
we tackled ship. At 4:15 o'clock this
morning Louis Olsen called me sudden
ly, and hurried on deck. 1t was foggy
but thought we were very near shore,
and instantly put the wheel hard down.
She started to come around, but as the
wind was very light, before she could
get around another sea struck us and
whisked her back, and a moment later
she struck, but raised again until the
next breaker hit her and banged her
against the cliff The sea broke over
her and we all ran for the main rigging
and climbed up above the reach of the
waves, and were hanging on for dear
life, while each successive breaker was
shaking the craft to pieces.
In one OF these lurches the mainmast
came down with fearful crash, carrying
US with it. When l struck the deck [
received cut on the head which stunned
me for moment, and when [ recovered
myself I ran for the forerigging, which
was still standing. We could now see
that the schooner was close up against
the cliff l climbed to the masthead to
be out of reach of the waves. She was
rolling considerably, and in some way 1
got between the mast and the cliff and
got my arm and shoulder bruised and
was knocked Off my feet, but in falling
managed to strike in the crotch of the
jib- halyards and slid down the jib-stay
Il then climbed up the mast and man
aged to reach the overhanging rocks
and pulled myself up to place of safety,
and Gustav McCorda, who was with me
in the forerigging, followed me. Louis
Olsen, who had been hurt in the hip,
"dS CllASluS W tuo IOChS D6IOW us, uu-
able to get up or down, but before
leaving the fore-rigging we had to cut
the -haIyards, and we lowered one
end of them to him and hauled him up.
All this time the colored cook, George
Salyeley, was nowhere to be seen, and
we thought he had been washed over
board. [ then started for Fort Candy,
and on reaching there notified the life
crew, who promptly went to the scene of
the wreck and saved what they could, a
few clothes and a sextant being all that
could be recovered. While going down
to the wreck, one of the life crew dis
covered the cook hanging to a narrow
shelf of rocks. An overhanging shelf of
rocks prevented his climbing further up
and the waves were boiling beneath him,
he being in this way, with the surf
throwing spray over him for nearly six
hours. He was terribly exhausted when
rescued"
The Governor Moody was built in
1888 and cost $4,000. The insurance
is $1,000 She was owned by the
State of Oregon line of steamers