The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-12-11
ON BOARD THE FEARLESS.

Captain Dan Haskell, iof the tug
Fearless, gives a graphic account Of
their voyage up from Sam Francisco.
In the main 1t tallies with that Of
Captain Arnesen, and his story Of the
Fearless battle with wind and waves is
filled with thrilling Incidents.
when the hawser parted ON Friday"
said Captain Hasldall, lit was found
necessary to cut it with an axe from the
top OF the house to keep 1t clear of tl,e
propeller. 1t was impossible to re-
main on deck as she was flooded aft
all the time. I never have witnessed
such seas in all my life, and expected
on several occasions to find the Breid-
abhk bottom up, for she rolled and
pitched before the awful hurricane that
Was blowing. Two hours after the
hawser was cut, put the Fearless tc
sea, and soon lost sight Of the ship and
did not sight her again until next
morning. We got hold Of her again on
Saturday. but at o'clock THAT night the
hawser parted near the tugs bits, and
we stood head on to- the sea again,
under slow bell. The seas were run
ming mountains high, and 1t seemed
each succeeded wave would go over
the entire vessel.
Sunday morning dawned with the
furious hurricane blowing even stronger
than the night before. It was impossi-
BILE to see any great distance from the
vessel, as the wind Seemed to catch the
crest of the monster combers and car
ry them In great sheets into the air
All day long the sea was something ter
rible. The rail of the tug was under
water the whole time, making 1t I'M
possible to get out ON deck.
"Once about 10 O'Clock Sunday morn
ing we had morrow escape from be-
ing buried in the sea. We were rum
ming before the sea, and going over
Waves that seemed miles high. The tug
was climbing one of these monsters,
with her head high In the air, when
ssa broke over our stern, crawling clean
up even with the top Of the house. ! !
was standing just aft OF the pilot
house. and I must confess that my
heart was in my mouth at that mo-
ment, for / realized THAT II another sea
like the one just ON US, struck before
the Fearless recovered, 1t would send |
us down stern first. / at once put her
head TO the sea and steamed about a |
knot an hour. 1t was not long before a
big fellow came over her bow, and |
striking the steel house forward, broke
the headlights and washed away every
thing on deck. You can get sn idea OF |
the terrific force Of the blow from the
sea, when I tell you that the front OF
the house was bent In 80 that the water.
,loset frame, which stands free from the
wall fully two inches. was forced from
Its fastenings and smashed into frag-
ments. Water poured through every
Joint, and flooded the whole inside Of
the vessel The sea that took us astern
flooded the private apartments OF Mr..
running the costly uphoI-
5tered furniture and completely demol-
shing the closet in that part Of the
vessel. My room, art Of the pilot house,
vt times had foot OF water in II and
nearly everything / had was drenched.
There was 80 much pressure on the
neIavy teak wood doors Of the house
yhat water was forced through in tor
'ents The galley was flooded and the
grub ruined. She was lealfng badly
through the deck by this time, and
iown below. where the big engines
we're doing their work faithfully, they
we're in a continual rain. When took
/ look at my steamer yesterday morn
ng. she was a sad sight to behold, and
doubt II her owners would have been
lble TO recognize her.
I'VE did not sight the shAp all day