The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-24
SEATTLE BOATBURNS.
Steam Schooner J. r. Mcdonald
Lost OF Provost Island.
CREW OF SEVENTEEN MEN SAVED
A Narrow Eseape-The Vessel Belonged
TO the Pennington Transit Co.
and Wa worth o26,ooo.

Seattle, which left the sound city early
Wednesday morning with coal for Van
couver. was totally consumed BY FIRE some
thirty hours after leaving port. The crew
of seventeen saved their lives BY beachinR
the blazing ship on Provost island and
were brought to Victoria by the Princess
Louise last night, :he Inflated ship having
burned to the waters edge and then
turned turtle. Nothing could surpass in
raoidity the work of destruction BY the
fire. and the crew deem themselves fortu-
nate in escaping with their lives. Moth
ing else Was saved.
A few days ago Foster. Of Vancouver.
who IS 1t present fighting tho combine on
the mainland, paid . visit to Seattle and
purchased . quantity of Franklin and
Newcastle coal which the J. r. McDona!d
was chartered to deliver. She loaded 300
tons on Tuesday and shortly after mid
night started for Vancouver in command OF
Capt Frank Worth, who took Capt. Nc
Gregor's place for the trip. Reaching
Active pass about 7 o'clock in the evening,
and knowing that no good could be &C
cemplished by reaching Vancouver before
the custom house opened, the captain de-
cided to anchor inside the pass for the
night, and did 20. Steam was got up and
the anchc- weighed at O'Clock in
the morning, and it was only a
few .minutes' later when the smell
of smoke attracted the attention of
those on watch and q few seconds later
flames burst out.
To arrive at the original cause of the
disaster il difficult, but tho superstition is
that the smokessack became red hot. the
boiler being fired with previously untried
coal, and communicated to the cedar
casing which passed through the
house to the upper deck. What
those on watch saw was a
sheet Of fame which enveloped the smoke
stack ana soon was wrapped around the
entire upper works. The captains call Of
fire brought all hands out. and they man.
fully attacked the enemy with what
buckets were available. So fierce was the
resistance, however, and DO rapid the
spread of the fire, the upper works being
all of dry cedar. that the battle was of
brief duration. At the first hint Of
danger. the engines were stopped and the
whistles sounded the alarm. Five min
utes later access to the hose and to buckets
was shut on by wall Of flame. while the
Kissing of boilers about which the fire
was fiercest warned the workers that an
explosion might ct any moment terminate
the struggle.
Under these circumstances, and seeing
that the ship was doomed. the captain de-
cided to run for the shore, fortunately not
far distant.
This course was followed, and having
got the boats ready for use in any emer-
gency, the Mcdonald was headed for the
dark line which outlined Provost
island. A few moments more and the
crash, as the bow struck the bank, almost
sent the little group aboard from their feet.
Their course had been we'll shaped, how
ever. and all walked ashore safely and I'M
injured. Then from the distance of q few
yards they watched the fire complete the
destruction Of the ship.
No time was lost IN communicating the
news Of the disaster and securing relief
the ships boat with the purser. w. B.
Maxwell, starting for Mayne island. ten
or twelve miles away, by the light of the
burning ship. A messenger arrived in
time to catch the Islander on her way to
this city and to notify the Louis to pick
up their companions Purser Maxwell
said:
II was all up with the ship in i've minutea
tumbtsd out ct the first call of fire. Ny room
was right near where II started and had just
time to get my coat and q pair of pants. lost
fully ESQ worth of clothes Everything was of
dry cedar. oiled, above deck and it burned
fercey. hope may never be in fire 1t sea.
The burning OF the Mcdonald was bad enough
and We were close to laud that We were CON-
paratively safe.
The Mcdonald on her last trip carried
as master Frank Worth, of Seattle, and as
pilot G. w. Donay. c. l.. McGregor was
first officer and w. Is. Maxwell purser
The ship was valued at SIS. 900. insured,
and cargo at $l2, 900 or SIS. 900.
The J. Il. Mcdonald was a trim little
steamer. schooner rugged, Of some 2s6 TONS
She was built in Seattle less than three
years ago, and has since been in various
coasting enterprises. She was a money
maker from the time she left the stocks, to
the satisfaction Of her owners, the PEN