The morning call., 1894-06-23
FORTY-ONE MEN MISSING.
In the Thick Weather the Bark
Struck a Reef,
STORIES TOLD BY SURVIVORS
Terrible Privations From Hunger and
Cold Experienced After the
WhaIer Went Down.

barkentine John Wooster, eleven days
from Unalaska, arrived to-day with five of
the crew of the lately wrecked whaling
bark James Allen. F0rty-one men, In
cluding Captain Huntley. first and second
officers are missing. The vessel is total
wreck.
Two men-of-war visited the scene of the
disaster two weeks later and found not a
vestige of the wreck. Joseph Dewatt. third
officer of the Allen. came down on the
Wooster, and tonight gave the Associated
rress correspondent the following ac-
count:
THE accident occurred at about 1:3O
o'clock on the morning OF May IL. l
was on watch. the weather being very
thick. foggy and cold and drilling rain
was falling. The sun had been hidden
four or five days and we lost our exact
reckoning and believed we were further
east than we really were. Suddenly while
lying 10 the vessel struck a hidden reef
which Jared the bark from stem to stern
and brought all hands on deck.
"a few seconds later she struck another
reef with an awful crash, tearing the keel
TO pieces. Before the pumps could be
started the water began coming in through
the lower matches. The first two boats
lowered were smashed to pieces against
the side OF the ship. The first mates boat
was first TO go, and he changed off into
the second mates boat.
Captain Huntley had charge of the deck
and was busily engaged in launching
boats and getting the crew off the sinking
ship. All hands had got into four boats
and was ready TO embark. when Captain
Huntley went into the cabin. Everywhere
it was pitch dark and the only way TO dis
tinguish a person was by the voice. I
went to the cabin and found it full of
water and with floating debris. called
the captain loudly three times and got no
answer. The ship began to bsave and
lurch and hastily embarked and pulled
away. when the ship lurched forward and
sank.
'.Itis barely possible the captain might
have gotten to one of the boats, although
our cook says the captain did not come out
OF the cabin. My boat was partly stove
in, and by great effort we kept 1t free of
water. We sailed thirty miles west, landed
on a barren island without food, and
waited for the weather to moderate. We
patched up the boat and proceeded to an
other island, where we found some natives
who assisted us to repair our boat and gave
Us plenty of food.
1.-The storm, which had been blowing in
cessantly for ten days, moderated slightly
and the natives started to pilot us to the
North American Commercial Company's
station. After going a short distance we
met the steam schooner Dora and she took
e. Las Aicfa Mt RI m 0F
Petrol. The disaster occurred On the
reef at the end of Emily Island. near
Seventy-two Pass. three miles from shore.
The Petrol went Immediately in search of
the crew. We cruised in the vicinity for
several days among the islands and the
only trace we found was crushed skiff.
1.-THE. day following the wreck three
miles distant we saw a boat under full
sail, but were unable to ascertain which
one of our boats it was. AS my boat was
making water we were unable to catch up
with the other boat, and the thick weather
soon obscured her from sight, 1t may be
possible that she landed on some of the
western islands and a part of the crew
thereby saved"
The following members Of the crew
were saved: Joseph Dewatt, third officer
Charles Mcintyre, fourth officer; John
Roath, boat steerer; Tom Gorduge. cook
Peter Peterson. seaman; Max Gohore,
seaman; Fred Hill, seaman. and one other,
name unknown, boat steerer. Three OF
the men remained In Unalaska and the
others came down on the Wooster. The
men who arrived here tonight are foreign
born and have told several conflicting
stories on the passage down. At one time
they averred the mate and captain were
drowned iu the cabin. This they low deny,
and state that the mate got into the second
mates boat. Stories about the captains
disappearance In the cabin are also contra.
dictory.
The survivors tell dreadful tales of the
privations from hunger and cold expe.
rienced after the accident They sub
sisted on fish caught ON the beach eight
days after tie wreck. Three or four
revenue cutters and men-of-war left
Unalaska for Emily Island and vicinity tC
thoroughly search for the missing men
The general opinion prevails that all the
missing men are drowned. Tue stormiest
weather ever experienced on the coast pre-
vailed at the time of the wreck. The rev.
enue cutter Bear came into Unalaska and
took the news of the wreck of the Allen,
which carried whaling supplies, to Point
Barrow, the rendezvous of the fleet
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