The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-19
LOG OF THE WETMORE.
The Disaster Of the Whaleb ,ck as
Reported by Capt. Hastings.

The following is the first and only report
made by Captain Hastings of the C. w.
Wetmore to the press, and is published as
an interesting and authentic contribution
On Sunday morning, December 9th, the
barometer commenced to fall rapidly, with
increasing wind from south southwest and
Dad LOOKING sky, the sea raising with heavy
westerly swell. During the forenoon hal
no dlfhculty IN steering good courses but as
wind and sea increased vessel steered badly
until 7 80 o'clock in the evening. when YES.
sci refused to answer her helm By thi,
time it was blowing gale, but experienced
no difficulty in heaving ship to and brngin.
her head to sea, which position was main
tanned during the night steamer riding seas
easily. Wind increasing to hurricane force
sea came SO heavy that steamer fell into
trough of IL, and while between the seas
sails would be becalmed. By daylight on
the morning of the 7th inst. we succeeded
In bending starbOard anchor TO harbor tow
line to try and club haul her off shore, but
IN consequence of the force of wind and
sea 1t had no effect. We kept engines 60
Ing astern all Monday night, and thus pre-
vented ship driving on lee shore which was
less than two miles distant. BY O'Clock
on tho morning OF Tuesday, Sth inst, tie
weather aud sea moderated somewhat. At
O'Clock IL the morning we stopped engines
TO try and bring vessels head to sea, and
Shlo tIiHc ouCCteCil8 III uOIHH RDt
when she headed off shore hauled in Oh
anchor, started engines ahead and kept her
going further off shore. During the night
bad all hands working on a temporary TIId-
der, which we attached to rndder chains.
at g O'Clock in the morning had this
working and the ship under control
for the first time since Sunday night
AT 10 O'Clock in the forenoon the British
steamer Zambesl was sighted heading fog
us. The weather was moderating, but the
~ tnf thpsN III
any time during the gale. Captain Hast
lngs decided to get tOwed into nearest port
and have rudder fixed, and hOlSted signals
Slgnifying that rudder was damaged and
could not be steered, and asking Zambesi Ii
they would tow US into Astoria, where She
was bound, to which the captain of thr
Zambesi signaled Yes We then lowered
the Wetmore's boat and passed our hawser
to the Zambesl, when she commenced tow
ing on us, our engines working aheai.
After towing for about two hours we ar
rived off the Columbia River bar, when the
Zambesi displayed signals, Bar cannot be
crossed until daylight and she hove to
until morning.
''At day break the captain of the Zambesi
made start, and before fair strain could
be got on our haWser "a 9-inch manilla) II
parted in our towing-chock. The Zambesi
came around and we put our small boat out
again and got the line attached; the Fam
best kept towing US around while waiting for
pilot boarded the Zambesi from the pilot
schooner. Before starting in over the bar
the Zambes signaled for Captain Hastings
to go on board the ZambeSi to get inslruc-
tons from the pilot Captain Hastings
went aboard and interviewed the captain OF
the Zambesi and the pilot, when it was de-
eided to get an additional warp from the
Zambezi to further help in steering over the
bar. At $50 in the afternoon we started n
cross the bar, the Zambesi steering us and
the Wetmore working her engines. at 4
o'clock the warp parted. which made no
perceptible difference in our progress or
steering. We crossed the bar safely. and al
9 o'clock in the evening anchored off AS
toria.
This gale is said to be the heaviest ex-
perienced on the North Pacific Coast since
1880, ana the Wetmore. living through such
a sea in partially disabled condition, justi-
fies the expectations of her designers and
owners"
Captain Hastings, hs officers and crew
speak in the highest commentator of the
Wetmore's seaworthiness, and say had il
not been for the rudder being disabled she
would have paid no attention to the
weather, severe as it was. The officers of
the ZtnibeSi declared that they never saw
vessel ride the seas SO easily as the Wet
More.-Astorian.