The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-19
FRANK BASOFORD.
The Young Seal Hunter Lost in Arctic
Waters.
When Last Seen His Boat Was Drifting
Away, and Then Typhoon
Sprang Up.

Among the visitors at the State Fair on
Saturday was j. NJ. Bassford, Jr., of Va
cav1lle. Solano County, a prominent fruit
grower and one of the best known sports
men in the State. Mr.. Bassford was an
interested spectator at the races and
chatted pleasantly with friends about the
prospects Of the October quail crop, the
next held trials, etc., wholly unconscious
of the fact that vessel had that day ar
rived at San Francisco with the sad news
of the probable death of his younger
brother Frank.
There are five brothers in the Bassford
family and all are keen sportsmen and
good shots. a few years ago Frank be-
came imbued with desire to combine
sport with profit, and decided to go as
hunter IN one of the sealing vessels.
Being splendid shot he was very sue
cessful and becoming infatuated with the
excitement of shooting seals III the Arctic
waters he has regularly visited the
grounds" every summer since. Frank
Is very we'll known in Sacramento and his
many friends will be panied to learn that
there is reason to fear that he has been
lost. He was an intrepid young man and
has been reported lost several times dur
ing the five years he has been sealing,
but the chances are strongly against him
this time.
HIS COMRADES RETURN.
Some Of his fellow-hunters on the
schooner Alice I. Alger of Seattle arrived
in San Francisco on Saturday, and to
them Bassford's case seems hopeless.
The Alger brought in 100 skins. nearly
all of which were taken in Japan waters.
After she sailed on the 10Th of January a
month was spent in hunting along the
coast, and then taking the lower route
she cut across to Japan.
On May 18th the Alger was lS5 miles
Oft shore, about abreast of Gold Mine
Island. 1t was a pleasant, calm day and
great catch was expected. For some
reason, however, not a seal showed his
head for hours, and the five boats of the
schooner made eighteen miles by noon
without any result. At that hour Bass
for was disguised and voted to turn back.
but another hunter persuaded him to keen
on Tor tour or i've miles further.
WHEN LAST SEEN.
A little breeze sprang up, and with the
for the run home to give his tired boat
puller rest, and sailed on the back
track, shooting as he went 1t was
noticed that he Kept much further to the
westward than the rest of the boats, and
when last seen by the lookout at the
masthead of the steam sealer Louis Olsen,
at p. NJ, he was well outside the line of
the returning boats. The Olsen was fif-
teen miles further seaward than the AL
ger, and when her lookout sighted Bass
ford he was steering course that would
cause him to miss the schooner by about
ten miles.
NO ANSWER TO SIGNALS.
At $50 P. NJ. all the Ayers boats were
in but Basstord,s, but no uneasiness was
felt, for the weather continued fine and
his boat was provisioned with q tin of
beef, some hard bread and breaker of
water. BY 10 o'clock the lookout COM
menced to burn flare lights that could be
seen at distance of ten or twelve miles.
These were touched off every half hour.
and between them a big whaling gun was
fired. Nothing was heard or seen of the
boat, however, and the Alger remained in
the same position all that day and the
next night, still keeping up the signals
On the 18th the Alger sailed in close to
the shore and made long search up and
down the coast, but without result. Re-
turning to sea all the sealers in the vicin-
| ity were visited, but they had not picked
up Bassford.
4 TERRIBLE TYPHOON.
Seventy-two hours after he was last
seen by the Olsen's lookout a terrible
typhoon came on and lasted six hours.
IL BaSSf0rQ was not ashore before this
came on there was no hope for him, and
the Alger gave UP the search and resumed
! hunting. The barometer was down to
1886, and even the stanch schooner was
| threatened for a time.
! Bassford's companions in the boat were
| his boat -steerer, Louis Thompson, and a
! boat-puller, who is only known as jim.
The water in which they were lost is far
removed from the track of merchant YES
sells and the Ayers crew think there is
no hope for them. True, they may have
reached the shore, and the coast is lined
with fishing villages and the natives are
| extremely hospitable. Two hunting
crews from the Matte T. Dyer were
| blown ashore near the same latitude and
! the natives not only fed and clothed
| them, but furnished them with a smack
to take them to Yokohama. This was in
! July, nearly two months after Bassford
was lost, and they reached home weeks
ago.
SAD NEWS TO THEM.
| The parents of Frank Bassford reside
at Vacaville, Solano county, where they
are highly respected. Frank was a great
! favorite with his parents and the prob
ability of his having met his death as
above indicated will be sad blow to
them, as well as to the entire community
| in which he lived.