The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-13
Fatal Venture of q Party
Of COlOnists.
They Started Out to Found an
Arcadia,
And Met q Terrible Fate in San
Juan Straits.
One Man Returns Alive to Tell the
Sad Story.

TACOMA, Wash, May 10.-The schooner
Lucy Lowe is reported to have foundered
and sunk with party of fifty-tve colon
lists aboard in the Straits of San Juan de
Fuca, near where Cape Flattery. the
furthest western point of Washington,
projects into the Pacific ocean. John n.
Grant, OF Tacoma, who was a member OF
the party, is supposed to be the only sur
vivor. He arrived here today from Neah
Bay, the first inlet in from the ocean,
where the frail schooner was last seen.
The Lucy Lowe left Tacoma on the 2lst of
last April, with fif;y-six people on board,
bound for the Queetshe valley, fertile
and unsettled district in Clallam county,
this state. 1t was happy party that left
Tacoma that bright morning.
The locators who organized the party
for purposes of colonization had told them
of rich Black river lands, of a soil mar
velous in its productive capabilities, Of
grazing land unparalleled within the con-
fines OF the whole state, of wonderful TIM
Der lands and surprising fruit lands. It
was to be a new Arcadia. A pleasing
picture it was, but little did they know the
hardships and privations then. They
were due at Destruction island, at the
mouth of the Queetshe river in thirty-siS
hours. The departure seemed auspicious
and the weather was perfect for the peril
GUS journey that was being undertaken
by the little schooner of scarcely one
hundred tons burden. Weeks went by,
i.
had friends in the party. heard nothing
from them. Still stranger was the TACT
that no incoming or outgoing vessels had
sighted them. The very last word which
had been received from the party before
Mr. Grants arrival was dated Neah bay,
on the shores of the Makat Indian reser-
vation, and arrived in Tacoma few days
ago. This was q letter written by Mrs.
Hartsell, one of the party, to Mrs. deg
man. friend. She said:
ave were driven into Neah bay by the.
terrible winds. We have made three at
tempts to go out on the ocean since last
Thursday, TO try TO get TO the Queetshe,
and had to return, the last time on Sab
bath morning in high sea at the rlsk or
life and freight"
Yesterday the feeling of doubt and
anxiety lurking in the breasts of many OF
by a telegram received from Dillingham;.
stating that during the furious gale about
ten DAYS before tine schooner Lucy Lowe.
with about fifty colOnists on board, had
attempted to get out of the straits of Juan
de Fuca and had been blown back; that
some of the freight had been ruined, and,
further, that nothing could thereafter be
learned as to the situation OF the vessel
and it was feared she was lost.
1t is well known that the fierce winds
and gales which swept down from the
coast range of mountains upon that part
of the Pacific in the neighbOrhOod of De-
struction island and the Queetshe river
are the terror of all shipwrecked mariners
Many vessels have been wrecked there and
many lives lost. What hope, then, for a
small boat like the Lucy Lowe If she
should become disabled. Mr.. Grants re-
turn TODAY confirmed the worst fears OF
relatives OF those on board.
He says that once the vessel got within
sight of the promised land. To the left
was the mouth of the Queetsbe river
with foaming seas running mountains
high; on the right hand were the sheer
dread rocks of Destruction island to the
front they were beaten by lusty head
winds and strong adverse currents, against
which they could make no progress, and
so were driven DICK lOf lulIu lluo AhtO
Neah bay, at the entrance OF the straits.
Food was getting low and he resolved TO
return TO Tacoma overland to get help.
The night after he left the gales were
fiercer than ever. He went nearly back,
but could get no sight of the schooner and
then hurried homeward, believing her to
have foundered. This was six days ago.
A searching party has been instructed TO
to 90 out from Port Townsend to get some
tidings of the missing party.
This morning Mr.. +. h. Grimes, whose
son was one of the party, set out for the
Queetshe by land. 1t is a long and ardu-
Gus trip, and displays the intense anxiety
of the man. Mr.. Grimes goes by rail to
Montana, thence by boat TO Damon's
Point. From Damon's Point he will be
conveyed by stage TO the Quinanilt Indian
reservation agency, distance of forty
miles. From the agency he must make
the remainder of his journey on foot. The
result of his trip is awaited with the ut
most anxiety. Most of the colonists were
former residents of Tacoma. Their des-
tination is miles from any telegraph Office.
SHE BROKE THE RECORD.