The morning call., 1890-09-21

ASTORIA, Sept 20.-The pilot schooner
Governor Moody went ashore at North Head
al 4 80 o'clock this morning during fog.
The vessel is a total wreck p. Cordiner,
the master, Louis Olsen and Gustave Nc
Corda 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 life-saving crew on
a rock under the cliff and was rescued. The
life crew boarded the vessel and saved
nearly of the clothing of the men, and also
the books and sextant. 1t is thought there
is not the slightest chance of saving the YES
sci.
News of the disaster reached here at $50
o'clock this morning. and Pilot Commits
sioners Weeks and Montgomery immedi-
ately chartered the steamer Eclipse and left
for the scene. At Fort Candy Captain Peter
Cordiner of the Inflated vessel and his crew
were met just returning from the wreck.
The schooner has 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 ter
rible cut on the forehead, his arm is
bruised and his hand cut and bruised. He
gave the following account of the disaster:
1--WE left Astoria al O'Clock Friday morn
ing in tow of the Wallowa, and crossed the
bar at 30 o'clock The crew consisted of
myself, Louis Olsen. Gustav McCorda and
the cook, George So!vcley (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
suddenly, and l hurried on deck. 1t was
foggy, but L 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 mp above
the reach Of the waves, aud were hanging
On for dear lite, 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 l received
a cut on the head which stunned me for
moment, and when l recovered myself
L ran for The forerigging. which
was still standing. We could now
see that the schooner was close up
against the cliff. Iclimbed to the masthead
to be out of reach of the waves. She was
rolling considerably, and in some way | got
between the mast and the cliff and got my
arm and shoulder bruised and was knocked
off my feet, bat in falling | managed TO
strike in the crotch of the jlb-halyards and
slid down the iib-stay.
- l 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 il the hip, was ciingiDg TO the
rocks below us, unable to get up or
down, but before leaving the fore-rigging
we had to cut the jib-halyards, and we low
cred one end of them to him and hauled him
up. All this time the cOlored cook, George
Salveley, was nowhere to be seen, and We
thought he had been washed overheard. |
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, few clothes and a sex
tant being all that could be recovered. While
going down to the wreck, one OF the life
crew discovered the cook hanging to mar
row shelf of rocks. An overhanging shelf of
rocks prevented his elm bing 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 ter
ribly exhausted when rescued"
The Governor Moody was built In 1888
and cost $4,000. The insurance is S11, 600.
She was owned by the State of Oregon line