The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-13
THE NETWORKS LOG.
Story of the Accident as Told
by the Captain.
BUFFERS CREW STILL MISSING
Not Likely That They Have Been Picked
Up-Cslifornia Orange Groves and
Churches Smashed by Wind.

ASTORIA, Dec. l2-The whaleback steamer
Wetmore was brought up to the city today aud
docked. Captain Grifiths, of Port Townsend.
representing the owners, made a contract this
afternoon with the Astoria Iron Works to build
a ruGder and place the vessel in satisfactory
shape to resume her voyage.
Captain Hastings, OF the whaleback steamer
Charles W. wetmore, furnished the following
report from the ships log tonight:
ON Sunday morning, December 6, the barom-
eter commenced 10 fall rapidly with increas-
ing wind from the southwest the sea rising
with heavy westerly swell. During the fore
noon we had no difficulty in steering a good
the vessel steered badly until 7:30
p m, when the vessel refused TO answer her
helm. BY this time 1t was blowing gale, but
we experienced no difficulty in heaving the
ship to and bringing her head to sea, W hich po-
sitiol was maintained during the night, the
steamer riding the sea easily. The wind in
creased to a hurricane, the sea became so heavy
that the steamer fell OFF into the trough of il,
and while between the seas the sails would be
becaimed. By daylight on the morning of the
9TH succeeded i'll bending a starboard
anchor to the harbor tow line to try aud club
haul her off shore, but in consequence of the
force of wind and sea it had no effect We kept
the engines going astsrn all Monday night and
thus prevented the snip driving on lee shore,
which at this time was less than two miles dis
tant. By a. m. on the morning of the Sth, the
weather and the sea moderated some. At 8 a.
m. We stopped the engines and tried TO
bring the vessels head to the
sea and this time succeeded In doing
so, and when she headed off shore we
hauled in our anchor, started our engines ahead
and kept her going Oft shore During the night
had all hands working on a temporary rudder,
which we attached to the rudder chains. At 6
Il. m we had this working and the ship under
control, the first time since Sunday night. At
10 a. m. the British steamer Zambesi was sighted
heading for US; the weather was moderating,
but as the barometer was lower than
IL had been at any time during the gale, / de-
cided to have the vessel towed into the nearest
signals signifying that the steamers rudder
was damaged and that the ship could not be
steered and asking the Zambesi If they would
tow us into Astoria, where she was bound, to
which the captain of the Zambesi signaled
"fes." We then lowered the Wetmore's
boat and passed our hawser to the Zambesi
when she commenced TO wing on us, our
engines working ahead After towing for about
two hours We arrived off the Columbia river bar
when the Zambesi displayed the signals: "Bar
cannot be crossed until daylight" and she hove
to until morning At daybreak the captain of
the Zambesi made a start and before fair strain
could be got on our hawser, a nine
inch manila, it parted in our towing chock
boat out again and got a tow line attached. The
Zambesi kept towing us around while waiting
for pilot. The pilot boarded the Zambesi from
pilot schooner before starting in over the bar.
AT $3.50 D. m. We started to cross the bar. the
Zambesi steering us and the Wetmore working
her engines. At p. IN. the warp parted, which
made no pereeptib.e difference in our progress
or steering. We crossed the bar safely, and at 9
D. m anchored at Astoria