The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-12

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thing above decks was swept away by .
huge wave, which boarded the vessel when
nobody was prepared for it. The following
were swept overheard:
JOHN Cook. second phicer.
JOHN HAMILTON. fourth o61ee4.
JAMES PRIrCHARD steWara
FRED WEsTRaBURYs steward
JAMES GIBSON, passenger.
LILLIAN GIBSON, paaeengeI.
JANE CAFYRHY, passsngef.
JOHN STEWART. passsngef.
PETER kORBRs, passenger.
CAPT. OALzIEL4 dashed against the bulwaYkS
and severely hurt. diel soon after.
The vessel was then put about and
started back under the command of the
first officer. The Pomeranian encoun.
tered boisterous weather Immediately af-
ter leaving port. It was thought the wind
would soon blow itself out, but instead Of
abating the gale increased in severity un-
til the day of the disaster. February
dawned with frightful gale raging and
tremendously high sea running. The
matches were battened down and covered
with tarpaulins. the ventilators turned
leeward and every precaution dictated by
good seamanship had been taken to pre-
vent the water from getting below. Sew
eral seas were shipped, but they did no
damage. Suddenly atremendous sea reared
its crest . short distance ahead Of tie
steamer. ~ she plunged down the wave.
Before she could rise the sea came over
her starboard bow and tons of green water
swept over her aft. Almost at the same
time falling wave astsrn came aboard.
The result almost defes description.
The deck saloon, chart house, bridge Snd
boats were smashed to rieces and partly
washed overheard. The dsck. was covered
with an almost inextricable mass of wreck
age and the utmost confusion reigned.
At first the full extent of the disaster was
not known. The steamer began to pay
off before the wind and sea. and It was at
once seen that the quartermasser had
been carried overheard. Two sailors
sprang to the wheel and soon put the
steamer on her course. Then it was found
that Capt. Dalziel was missing. He was
last seen standing on the lee side of the
steamer, aft the saloon, in conversation
with saloon passengerpamedJ J. Stewart
They were bott Ssaih1t against the deck
house and then carried with terrific force
and jammed beneath the steam winches.
Capt. Dalziers legs were broken and he
sustained internal injuries. He was care
fully removed to his room. but died the
next morning. Mr.. Stewart's legs were
also broken and he sustained other injuries
from the effects of which he died in few
hours. At the time Of the accident the
second officer, John Cook, was on the
bridge with John Hamilton, the fourth
officer, and both of them were earned
overheard and drowned. In the saloon
deckhouse when the sea broke over the
steamer were James Gibson and Lillian
Gibson, of Dalkeith, and Jane Caffeyy, of
Londonderry. ali cabin passengers. They
were carried over the side aud were not
sfterward seen. David Forbes, of Dundee,
q second-cabin passenger. and James
Pritchard and Fred Westerbury, stewards,
were also lost in the same manner.
When the sea boarded the steamer every
man about the deck who saw it coming
grabbed hold of stanchions or anything
else convenient, and it is due to this that
the loss of life was not much larger. For
time the utmost CONSERVATION prevailed,
but this gave way to feeling of sadness
when 1t was found that so many lives had
been lost. With Capt. Dalziel fatally in.
jured and unconscious in the cabin, the
command of the steamer devolved upon
the first officer. When the chart room was
carried away the charts, sextants and
quadrants. in fact everything absolutely
necessary to the navigation of the ship.
went with it. The pinnacle box and COM
pass on the bridge had also gone overheard,
and had it not been tina; the after-compass
remained, it is dc=btful if the steamer
would have reached port for many DAYS
yet. The situation Of affairs was terrible.
The first officer of the steamer called the
remaining officers Of the steamer to con-
sultation, and it was decided to put about
and return to Greenock. This was at once
done, and, without any instruments with
which to take observations, tho voyage
had to be made entirely by dead reckoning
and it was necessarily slow. The first
officer is highly commended for his skill
fui seamanship in navigating the Pomer-
anian under such adverse circumstances.
The scene at the burial of Capt. Daizel
was one of the saddest ever witnessed at
sea. The crew and passengers stood
weeping during the simple and mournful
ceremony. The waves were running
mountain high and all felt that they, too,
might soon be with the departed captain
The veteran sailors who were on board
declared that during an experience of
thirty years the storm was the worst they
had ever encountered. 1t the ship had
not been staunch and the discipline good
they would have foundered. Although
the discomfort endured was very great.
nobody complained. Everybody looked
forward with eagerness to a safe arrival on
land aud were only too lad to be alive to
complain OF lack OF accommodations. The
interior of the Pomeranian is badly dam
nd yClIi