The morning call., 1893-04-26
SEA
The Ship Alaska Lost Off
Trinidad.
HER CREWS TIMELY RESCUE.
The Schooner MeIanctlion Picks Them
Up in the Teeth of a HowIing
Southwest Gale.

Shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday MORN
ing the three-masted schooner Melancthon
dropped anchor off POwell-street wharf
and a few minutes later a boat pulled
ashore, bringing Captain Brannan Of the
ship Alaska, who conveyed the intelligen ce
that his vessel had gone down on the night
of April % off the coast of Northern Califor-
mia, Notwithstanding the heroic efforts of
! her crew of fifteen men and three officers to
| save her.
! Fortunately for the survivors of the
! Alaska, the Melancthon, commanded by
| Captain Forrest, to whose record as a
savior OF crews of distressed vessels is
| added still more well-earned praise, was
within signaling distance, and observed the
! inverted stars and stripes fluttering from
! the halyards OF the fated ship, hove to until
the Alaska's crew had forsaken their float
/ ing deathtrap. pulled alongside and were
! safely aboard
Immediately after the rescue the Melanc-
! thun squared away on her regular, course,
| leaving the sinking ship rolling and plung-
| Ing about IN the angry sea, which grew
more and more tempestuous as the strong
southwest gale which blew increased, each
laOorlng struggle threatening 10 be her last
effort to keep her canTas-ShrOuded head
above a watery grave.
Smoke was issuing from her forward
utCh as lDG IeSCuiuS sCHOOEtE Sdileu away
for Captain Brannan Lad applied the torch
10 his sinking snip.
In the gathering storm the Alaska van
ished quickly from the Yiew Of those on the
MelancthOns deck, and Is no doubt at the
bottom OF the ocean by this time, striking
from the list of ting vessels the name
OF one of the most sturdy pioneers.
According to Captain Brannan's story,
which that hardy seaman related IN the
tffce Of Husband 81 Brooks, 10 whom the
I 81, Nyu daxra Ftar Tim
Alaska left Bellingham Bay, 1t was dis
covered that she WAS leaking.
The pumps were worked, and the water
kept down until the morning OF the 22d.
An inspection of the we'll showed that
there was twenty-fOur inches of water in
the hold. This was a decided increase over
the volume OF the lluid which had been find
lug Its way through the seams Of the ships
bottom heretofore.
Both pumps were set to work, and all sail
crowded aluit. with the hopes of being able
10 make port before the water got too high
below.
The weather was threatening, and the
sea ran high, causing the Alaska 10 labor
heavily ana ship water on her deck, inter-
fering greatly with the work OF the sailors.
The captain remained on duty all the
morning and at 4 A. NJ another inVestiga-
ton OF the pumps revealed the fact that
there was IS inches OF water over the keel.
Steam was gotten up In the donkey engine
and the pumps worked to their full ca
paclty. but still the flood did not subside.
The ship thumped heavily in the rough
sea and staggered like a drunken man;
then in keeling over she Tighted SO slowly
thar, in addition TO the fears of her sinking,
it was thought that she might be thrown On
her beams end.
The leak was opening so badly that by
noon there was five feet of wateriu the hold,
and one of the pumps had become unman-
ageabe The officers advised that the ship
be abandoned, but the captain still had
hopes Of saving her, worked the remaining
pump and encouraged his men TO stand by
the ship.
At o'clock 2. NJ there was seven feet
of water in the well, the gale was freshen-
ing and the Alaska would not answer TO her
helm. The crisis had come and as the
Melancthon had hoye-to as close to the sink
Jug craft as safety would permit il was
decided to take to the boats.
The crew took such few tTinkets from
their kits as they could conveniently carry
in their pockets and lett all the balance of
their effects on board.
Captain Brannan was the last TO leave.
just prior 10 doing so, which was about
O'clock P. NJ. he had another look at the
pumps, and there was eight feet Of water
registered.
He knew that the ship must sink, so left
her to her fate. There was no small
amount of danger connected with boarding
the MelancthOn. a heavy sea was rolling
and the little lifeboats would disappear in
the trough of the waves as completely as If
swallowed by the sea. ii was hard strug-
gle to keep track of the schooner and pull
toward her In the teeth OF the gale. The crew
bent to the oars with a Will, but 1t seemed
for awhile as though the schooner would
never be reached.
Once heavy sea was shipped and the cap
tain's boat nearly capsiZed.
For fully an hour and half the two life
boats struggled desperately with the wind
and waves. y light had come on and the
MelancthUn's lights only served 10 cast her
outlines into deeper blacknesS.
just as the mates boat reached her side
a great wave dashed it against the schooner.
smashing the little fabric and throwing tina
crew into the angry waters.
by dint Of hard work its passengers were
rescued and then the captains boatload
was brought safely on deck.
Six cans OF coal oil had been used to sat
rate the woodwork of the Alaska's cabin
just before the crew abandoned her and the
match had been applied.
Flames were licking the f0rerigging and
bursting from the skylght, lighting the
fOaming ocean within radius Of a mile.
1t was a beautiful but awe-nspiring
sight and as the Melancthon sailed away
from ii feeling of regret for the sad fate
of the old ship which had seen so many
years Of valuable service settled over her
crew.
The tempest increased to such violence
that the MelancthOn had some difficulty in
making port.
Captain Brannan was not much given to
details in his description of the abandon
ment Of the ship, nor were the majority of
his crew.
There were only one or two among the
latter who cared to be at all explicit on the
subject, and even these showed considerable
modesty about getting their names into
print
They stood about the decks of the Melanc-
thon like men enjoying a few hours of de-
Of Of
human beings who had only few days
before narrowly escaped an awful death
and grave at the bottom of the Pacific.
u have had many narrow escapes at sea"
finally one veutured to remark, as he
c0olly fickei the ashes from cigar and
pulled cloud OF smoke in an absent
minded way toward the skies, "but this
has been the nearest that l have ever come
to death.
You landsmen do not realize that we
seamen live lives that are constantly filed
with adventure, and therefore you may
think 1t strange that we are so Indifferent
regarding seeing our names in print as
heroes and unfortunate survivors
You know" said he, "that the Alaska
is an old vessel. She has been in the coast
ing trade since the seventies, and Ia my
opinion was not seawOrthy.
almost as soon as we left Flattery She
commenced leaking, but did not cause us
any alarm until the morning of the 22d,
when it was whispered about forward that
the captain had discovered that the water
was gaining rapidly.
There were two feet in the we'll and all
hands were set to the pumps We worked
with 4 will, but the old ship seemed doomed
The wind freshened up bit from the
southwest and was sent aloft to help trim
sail Once clear Of the decks and in the
rigging l could feel her tremble as she
plunged heavily into the seas, which occa-
sonally broke over her.
think it was about o'clock when the
Melancthon hove to in answer to our signals
OF distress. The men wanted to leave the
ship. but the captain urged US to stand by
n little while longer.
THE pumps had been worked by the
donkey-engne part of the time. but did not
have any effect on the leak, and II was a
foregore conclusion that the ship was lost