The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-02-06
Particulars Of the Loss of the Fern
dale.


ABERDEEN, WASH, Jan. 31-.Your Ho.
quiam correspondent visited the wrecked
ship FeIndale today. The vessel lies
fourteen miles north of the entrance to
Gray's Harbor and two miles from the
wreck of the A6ercorn, lost there three
years ago. She is about 400 yards out
at low tide. Everything movable on the
ship has been washed ashore and the
beach is Uttered with the wreckage.
The vessel struck at 3:15 Friday morn
ing. The weather was thick and heavy,
and gale was blowing from the south
west. Peter Peterson, one of the sailors
rescued, tells the following story of the
wreck: ut was the captains watch.
Eric Sunberg was at the wheel. The
vessel grated on the sand, and the captain
thought she had struck a reef. He
ordered her wheel hard port. and the ship
went on her broadsIde. The breakers
rolled clear oyer her, smashing the wheel
and throwing Sunberg across the vessel.
The men scarcely knew where the life
preservers were. The captain told them,
but added they would be of no use as
they were too far from shore. The ship
rested on her port side and efforts were
make TO get out the boats. When she
rested on her other side the boats were
torn away. The men then gave up all
hope and took to the rigging Nine men
were on the foremast together. The
captain alone was ON the mIzzen rig.
Five others were on the malDmast, and
one in the cabin. 1t IS not known where
the other four were. The five on the
mainmast had procured llfepreservers.
THEIR ONLY HOPE.
"When daylight came they determined
to try and swim ashore, distance of
about half mile. They came down,
dropped into the water, and struck for
shore. Carlson was the last man to go.
He saw the captain come part of the way
down the mizzsn rig and then go up
again. This was the last he saw of him.
The first mast to 60 overheard was the
fo-emast, on which were nine men.
They all disappeared forever. Of the
five, Enc 5unberg, Charles Carlson and
myself, reached the shore almost dead.
We were pulled out by woman, whom
We dIt6rWdTQS l6arneQ was MrS. GQWdTu
White, who, with her husband, live near.
She was the only person on the beach at
the time of the wreck. Had it not been
for her it is doubtful If we would have
been able to crawl out of the water"
1t has been Mrs. Whites custom to go
to the beach after every storm. She did
not know of the wreck till she reached
the beach. The men were taken to the
home of Edward White and kindly cared
for. To-Day they were taken to Hoquiam
in charge OF John Soule, who was in
structed by the British consul of Astoria
TO care for them. Sunberg and Carlson
tell substantially the same tale. The
The captain had lost his reckoning, but
the day before the vessel struck he saw
land and though. it was the highland at
the mouth of the Columbia, which it
much resembles. He had supposed he
bad struck an unknown reef, and that
there was no chance to save the lives of
any of the crew. A strong ocean current
was running southwark, something un-
known to him. The sailors think
number of the men are still in the riggin.
The vessel is not yet out of sight at high |
tide. The jibboom and part of the bow
are Visible.