The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-31
THE MARTHUR SINKS.
Lists While Loading Coal and
Water BUSHES in.
THE DAMAGE WILL BE SERIOUS.
Recent Charters on the sound-Notes
on Revenue Marine Service
Water Front Notes.

The coast survey steamer Macarthur suddenly
sank at the Oregon improvement Companys
bunkers about $50 o'clock last evening BY
rush of water through the air-ports when the
loading OF coal on the vessel Caused 1t to List
slightly. Tug Sea Lion flowed her out until she
rested on the bottom before filling with water.
She was then made fast with hawsers to the
wharf 10 keep her from rolling over, and can
probably be pumped out at low tide today ana
raised without much trouble.
Lieutenant W. p. Ray said he did not know
Just how the accident occurred, for when the
alarm was given him the vessel was too far gone
to prevent her from sinking, and he busted him
self in getting the tug attached to push her
ashore. Lieutenant George made an attempt to
stop the water from rushing III by sinking
mattress outside, but ali to no use The
fires were down under her boilers, so
she had rot steam enough to run ashore
herself. and had it not been that the
Sea Lion close by, abe would have gone
down in deep water and probably have been al
most total loss. As it is, the loss will be con-
siderable, the instruments, records, supplies
and furnishings all being greatly damaged. IL
is impossible to estimate the damage at present.
Lieutenant George and number of his men
worked in the water for over an hour fastening
hawsers and making the vessel secure SO she
could not roll oyer.
As to the exact cause OF the accident Captain
spriggs of the Sea Lion, and several others who
noticed the boat from the wharves, said
she was considerably listed at the
time. 1t is quite probable, as she
was not very large boat, that the coal ran in
more rapidly than tho sailors who were loading
her realized, and listed her SO quickly that they
had no time to close the air-ports Then. as
the water kept coming in, she kept listing and
sinking more, and inside Of fifteen minutes
from the time it was discovered that the water
was pouring in she was filed
The Macarthur was q wooden vessel OF liz tons
register, l21 feet long. 20 feet beam, and was
built at Mare island navy yard in 1876. She was
just taking on twenty-five tons of coal to make
atrip among the islands in the lower sound be-
fore going to Alaska to do some photographic
surveying along the coast
When the tide was ont at l o'clock this
morning, the entire deck of the vessel
and her whole starboard side from the
boiler up were above the water. The
strain was all on the small ropes with which
she was lashed TO the wharf, the big hawsers be-
ing slack. There seemed to be sone danger OF the
small ropes breaking, II the water got much
lower and the strain increased, and
this would let her roll over con-
siderable more before the hawsers would
hold her. The tide was not low enough to leave
the sir-?or,s. through which the water
entered on the port side, above the sur
face, but there will be very low water
this afternoon when the tide runs out, and ap
parently little difficulty will be experienced in
getting her atloat
Captain Ryan will be sent down to examine
the side on which she is resting and stop the
holes. she will then be pumped out by the fire
boat
The officers went to hotel last night to take
up their abode on shore until the vessel is got
ten in shape again.