The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-05-16
The Waters Claim
Another Victim.

Between two and three o'clock yes
terday morning another name was ad
ded to the list Of victims of the fisl
trap, and another devoted wife am
three helpless children bemoan the los
$ of kind husband and loving father
The unfortunate man was P. w. Lar
: sen, a Norwegian by birth, and a resi-
dent of this city for about fifteen years
He was aged about AZ years, and 6
: highly respected member of Beaye,
Lodge, No. 30, l. o. o. F. He was fish,
q ing for the Scandinavian Packing Co.
and, briefly, the circumstances attend.
ing his death are as follows: Larson
and his boat-puller, Andrew Wilson
were picking up their net outside Point
Ellis, and when this was done, they
pulled in toward McGowan's cannery to
come to anchor, the tide being strong.
Not knowing the location of the trap,
on account of there being no light on
it, they pulled in on the upper side of
it and the boat drifted down against
the trap piles, Immediately upsetting,
with the result as above stated. The
story in detail together with the mirac-
ulous escape of the boat-puller, is found
in the evidence Of the witnesses ex-
amined by Coroner Pohl at the inquest
yesterday. The body was brought over
to this city about 9 yesterday morn
ing, and the inquest held in the after
noon.
The following jury was sworn: Geo.
Kaboth, j. M. Hughes, T. S. Cornelius,
S. Arndt, w. Book, e. Wesche.
The first witness called was DIR. A. L.
Fulton, who testified that death was
caused by drowning.
Andrew Wilson deposed that he knew
deceased, having been his boat-puller
for a week past. We picked up our
nets outside of Point Ellis; the tide was
strong and there was much driftwood;
was rowing in toward the cannery
(McGowan's), and got in above it, but
the drift compelled us to go below it
pile-driver was standing between the |
trap and the canneIy and we got on
the upper side of it; were looking for a |
light on the trap, but saw none; pulled |
further down, and got so close to the
trap that we could not pull out; told |
Larsen to throw the anchor out, which |
was done: the tide swung the boat
against the piles and it capsized; both
got in the water, but did not see my
captain again; saw his body this
morning; was under the boat, hanging
meath some drift logs between the piles;
did not see any chance to get up;
thought the mast would float, but saw
no chance to get up let go of mast to
get hold of net, and get my head above
water; the boat was turned edgeways;
then got on the boat, which turned
bottom-side up, but got on top until we
reached the trap; began to holler and
Charles Dahl picked me up; Dahl is
working for the North Shore cannery,
boat No. 2; we did not see Larson and
did not look for him; this happened
after 2 o'clock; was probably in the
water a minute; if they had looked for
Larson they might have found him
alive; they did not want to look for
him; do not know the number of the
trap, nor who it belongs to- there was
no light on it, and there was no NOON
light; we might have seen the trap
five or six fathoms before we came to
it; saw Larsons body when they pick
ed it up at about 5 a. m. Charles Dahl,
and another man picked it up; there
were several boats around. Charles
not have anything like that in the boat;
we then found the body of Larson, the
shirt being on it; we pulled the body
upon log near the trap; did not take
It in the boat; did not try to revive
him, as we supposed he was dead, be-
ng cold and stiff and had been in the s
water for about three hours, from 2
ill a. m; satisfied there was no light
on the trap, and the men from the
North Shore said it had no light show l
ng; think we could have avoided the
rap If there had been light; the
1oat capsized when it struck the piles Z
n the trap; do not know if there was a 9
light in the cannery; there was light
IN shore; knew the trap was there, but
hought we were far enough out to v
lear it; the trap is in use now; the a
lccident happened in the lead of the 0
rap; we never had whisky or liquor c
If any kind aboard.
P. ]. MCGOWAN was the next witness i
worn and deposed as follows: Own =
raps in Columbia river, but do not &
lnow where they are situated; own
lone near Point Ellis; it is the law,
'esides being customary, to have lights Z
IN fish traps; we direct our men, u
whose business it is, to always put 4
lights on the traps and have them 4
'urning before dark; the nearest trap n
below the canneTy is distant from q
900 to 1900 feet the pot might be 1000 n
eet; this trap belongs to the company T
# P. ]. MCGOWAN G. Sons; know who n
.ttends to 1t; his first name is Louis, q
Dut do not know his surname; he has Z,
'een with us several years; there was
IN accident happened in that trap
bout seven or eight years ago; man
vas picked up in the water there, but a
10 not know if he drifted in or got h
rowned there; could not say If that z.
nan Louis put light on the trap last O
Iight have not seen Louis since and