The morning call., 1893-09-27

- ,
,-:.:::: ~. of the voyage and
the wreck of the
zatehoel Pey'a' Burchard is the fact
that the following statement was made
yASter day t0:a CALL reporter by Seaman
Michael Peura aud Cabin Boy Sven
Presto, both NorwegIans and ex-member,
+ of. the Burchard's crew. The German
: Cons III at. Port Angel sent these two men
TO San. Francisco with letters to the local
Geruran consular authorities. The re-
" mainder of the Burchard's crew were re-
tufned to Germany. via Panama
From the cabiG-boy and the seaman
mentioned, who came to this port on the
Pacific Mail steamer Colon few days ago.
the fUliawiDg interesting account Of the
.RUrchaTd'S 5 disaster was elected:
=: TIE Carl Burchard sailed from Liver
pool on January 3 last with 1900 tons of
coal for The mines near CallaO, Peru.
Scarcely bad the bark left the English
Channel when It's troubles began. Howl
! ing gales and heavy seas were encountered
on every tack. Captain, mates and crew
We're nj deck day and night Decks con-
stantlH filed with water, cold weather and
!. sickness combined 10 render life miserable
upon Tire Burchard.
=, On the afternoon OF January %, when
snow ladened breezes from the north
= were rapidly cTuSting the ships rigging
with coat of ice, and rendering it almost
Impossible for the vessels crew to man
the yards or shorten sail, stiff squall
struck the park in succession of increaS ed
violence. keeling her over almost on her
beams end, and for short time rendering
= her unmaD geabla.
About half of the crew were laid up
with cold sores and chiIbiains, and this
win a vessel partly disabled, the skipper
~ Dr. .fN.nr1 frvr "a -r4F
AWKWARD and dangerous ositOn. Luckily
the wind veeTed round and blew warm
breeze from the south, and once more the
sailors were able TO trim ship and tidy up
things alOft Considerable damage had
:: been done TO the rigging. but it was hastily
IApaiIed.
=. \ Fine weather continued for several
weeks, until, when the Horn was reached,
trouble commenced again. Terrific cross
and head seas Kept tile bark from round
ing. the cape for about ten days, and during
that time scarcely a soul on board Of the
=. vessel slept more tnan three or four hours
- out Of every tWenty-fOur. Ii was thought
time and again that the bark would have
:. to.be abandoned, cut to have taken to the
boats in such seas would have meant sure
= death. On April the weather moderated.
:. and steady breeze aStern helped the
-: BuFchard to make several hundred miles
Ito the southwest. On April dense fogs
: covered the face of the sea, and on the
.~eyeninI Of that day at 9 O'Clock the
:. .Burchard had most extraordinary escape
from collision with an unknown iron snip.
=. :. The lookout ahead sang out the first
warning Of the approach Of the stranger.
She lOomed up like a gigantic black rock,
:: with maze OF dark canvas and rigging
: Silhouetted against the black sky and fog
banks.
= Hard portl hard port" shouted the
.rSteersman of the ship in English. The
e. BMTchard was brought up into the wind,
and the iron vessel barely grazed the
formers stern. So close were the two YES
: sells together that their rigging became en-
~taDg1ed and part of the Burchard's main
Stays were cut as with a knife.
- The crew of the Burchard did not notice
:, that the stranger had any sidelghts out.
=. her name was not learned, nor was any
=. clew to her identity obtained, SO dark was
=. the night and so quickly did the coming
- and going of the unknown ship happen
After a tempestuous trip up the South
>: American coast the BurchaTd arrived al
:.lalfao in safety. She left there for Salinas
Cruz, Mexico, on June l.
Four days were spent at Salinas Cruz
:. when" orders were received from the
: >bark's owners 10 proceed TO Colaluta tC
:: take on a cargo,
In. two days after setting sail the
= Bufehard arrived at Port McGee. which
:: was mistaken for COlaluta. The auth Ori-
= Ties of this port camuelled the vessel to re-
: main anchored off the town for four days
waiting an examination Of her papers.
= Port McGee is little more than an open
-, foadstead, and during the four days an i'm.
! :Inense swell was on. and the bark came
:. near being wrecked here
=. The BuTchard finally set sail for Cola.
!. 1uta, and, on arrival there, owing to
:. defect in the papers given by the customs