The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-25

The PosT-lsTELLIGEGCER recently briefly
referred to the failure of the revenue cut
ter to promptly pu. forth TO sea on the
first report of the storm of October and
and the superficial. perfunetory trip made
by the cutter when the friends of the
missing collier Ivanhoe made n request
that a search be made.
This Is not the first time that the reve-
nue. cutter has been negligent of its plain
OF most disastrous storms. which were
destructive TO the shipping of this Coast.
Among the vessels lost were the ST.
Stephen, the Sierra Nevada. Harvey Mills.
Eldorado. Ella :. Thayer. Thomas r.
Foster and Ocean King.
All Of these vessels were overloaded.
and their loss led the underwriters Of
san Francisco 20 agree not to insure any
vessel which had not been loaded under
the eye Of . supervisor. The Eidorado was
lost in a gale which was weathered by the
Ivanhoe. Sixteen of the crew Of the Ella
Thsysr lived IN an open boat sixteen feet
long for forty-eight hours before they were
picked up
In the Posr-ISTEILTGENcER OF May q.
1887. is printed q vigorous editorial criti-
cism concerning the long delay of the
revenue cutter Wolcott. commanded by
Capt Glover. in going to the assistance OF
the crew Of the ST. Stephen or seeking
traces of the lost vessel. Capt. Glover was
exonerated. and the responsibility Of the
shameful inaesion placed on the custom
house Collector Brooks admitted that IL
was his duty to send the cutter on
demands, bat that he was away from
his post and generally expected that Capt.
Glover would look TO such things, although
he had never ordered him to do so: that
he was never officially notified of the loss
OF the st. Stephen. OF course this was q
lame exeuse. for to DO of any service the
cutter should have general orders after
bad weather 10 cruise outside the Straits
and along the shore Of Vancouver island.
The crew of the Austria. which was
wrecked January SO. iSs7, remained on the
rocks near Cape Flattery nine days before
&.
although the wreck was known February
/. Capt. Glover in iSs7 insolently denied
that he WAS subject 10 Collector BROOKS or
aay other officer on Puget sound. aud fur
Their said; i am 20 blame. II ANYBODY
and am willing 80 go forth on search With
my vessel. bat / must be approached in the
rigat Nay. You must rub the fur on my
back the right way; you cans get snv-
thing out Of rae by s.ingias editorial crit
eisns a. me,
Upon the Atlantic coast every precaa-
ton Is taken BY the government When
the weather IS liable 20 bs bad the reyeuus
cutters stationed at Portland. Ne. az
Newport, T. / and Hampton Roads have
xensrA orders 30 20 xhersyeE they deem
necessary 10 render assistance TO vessels IN
distress.
On this Coast in issT no such general
orders had ever been issued. and do not
sppssr to have been to this day. despite
tue fact that the frishsial record OF
wrecks ia oar eo.sting tleet Tor the s.nter
81 1851 "a. made Known TO ihe govern
rasnt. together Sith the protest 81 the be-
reavei community sgainsi toe dilatory
action Of the revenue eutter. For this
ind ference OF nsglect the government u
seems 20 us, : greatly 20 biama
The government has confessed that 1t Is
TIE 3uty Of The revenue cutters TO MAKE
such search in seasons q had weather ~
Is orders 20 TIE revenue cutters snen tas
A..
nation wss reported from this points sas
ths government VAS teArfally warned ia
the winter of Iss-S7 81 the necessity for
piAclre tie eaters On this Coast uadsz
TIE same seaerAi orders wnleh have been
issasf 10 sae revsaus euttsrs On The
Atlantic sesh0art.
The esass. outside tie Straits aa4 along