The morning call., 1894-03-31
TWO WERE LOST.
The Archer's Boat Picked
Up at Sea.
A NIGHT FULL OF TERROR.
Clinging to the Rail of the
Overturned Bark.
CAPTAIN DAWSON'S STORY.
He Tells How the Carpenter and a
Seaman Were Drowned and
the Rest Saved.
A NIGHT FULL OF TERROR
CAPTAIN DAwsON's STORY

1.-TWO lives lost and fourteen saved after
desperate struggle"
This is the memorandum Captain Daw-
son of the British bark Archer made in his
| notebook when he got on board of the
American ship John c. Potter.
The Potter arrived yesterday afternoon
and turned the following report into the
Merchants Exchange, which is self
explanatory:
ION Sunday. March 1S. at 6:30 A. NJ,
when wearing ship, noticed a vessel bot
tom up about one and a half miles to the
eastward. and a boat full OF men standing
away from her. Picked up the boats crew
| of fourteen men from the British bark
Archer of Liverpool"
Captain John Dawson furnished a de-
tailed report of the wreck of the Archer,
the loss of Carpenter Andrew Anderson
and Seaman A. ID. Evans. dwelling upon
the terrible battle for life that the crew
had wien they were attempting to leave
the capsized bark to reach the lfeboat.
I'VE left V ictoria for Portland, Or, on
the 18th of March," said he. ''but had to
put into Port Angeles through stress of
weather. On the 18th we started again.
AT 1 P. NJ. we were eff Cape Flattery
when heavy snowstorm set in, and 1t
continued to blow from the southeast.
1--WE set lower topsails and lower stay
sails and stood to the southwark.
AT 1880 p. NJ. IL was blowing harder. We
carried away the maln-topmast staysail.
Il ordered the foretOpsail TO be goose
winged. and while the weather side was
being hauled up the lee sheet carried away.
"A heavy squall struck the bark that
heeled her over and caused the ballast to
shift, giving her such bad list that
ordered all hands TO come down from aloft
to wear ship, thinking that by so doing she
might be righted.
Scarcely had the men reached the deck
when she went clean over on her side, with
all of her mastS touching the water.
with the greatest difficulty an ak was
secured from the forecastle and the three
mastS cut away, but this had no effect in
righting the vessel in the least The sea
was still running high and breaking over
the wreck.
"We continued to crawl along the up
turned rail to the poop deck, where we
clung to the poop rail. Our carpenter was
washed away before he could reach that
place of comparative safety and went down
before our eyes.
Muster was called and Seaman Evans
was also found to be missing, though no
one saw him 90 over. He was at the wheel |
when the vessel capsized and must have |
been thrown over the stern rail.
1.-THE main matches on the port side had |
been washed away, and we momentarily |
expected TO see the bark go to the bottom. |
A fire broke out in the cabin that added to |
horror, but succeeded in putting il |
out before it could menace the hulk.
wilbur RCydeD. a sailor, was the man |
who subdued the flames. He was lowered |
through the companiOnway by rope.
The boats were our next thought, but I
there seemed lit le prospect of getting one |
of them off the chocks, and it was not |
until o'clock on Sunday morning that we |
succeeded in lowering the lifeboat.
There were only three oars in il, the |
others having been thrown out when the |
Archer listed.
-Four men jumped into the boat and
pulled it away from the wreck as quickly
as possible. for it was our only chance of |
saving it from being crushed against the
bark's side by the heavy seas that were
running.
"a long line was paid out with buoy
fastened to the end of it so that the four
men IN the boat could secure a hold on it,
liz was picked uD and a lifeline was i'm
provised by fastening two lines to the
buoy and working it backward and for
ward between the wreck and the lifeboat
in the manner of lifecar.
''One by one the men took their turn al |
crossing the chasm of water. A rope was
fastened about their waist and then tied |
to the boat. AS the boat ould rise on the
men in her to commence hauling in. Once |
or twice man was lost from view for sew
eral minutes in the breaking rollers.
There were many narrow escapes from |
drowning. but we all managed TO get |
safely in the boat. though drenched TO the |
skin and nearly frozen. We did not save |
stitch OF clothing nor any provisions.
1t was remarkable luck for us that the |
Potter was sighted about a half hour after |
we left the wreck. We saw that she had |
sighted us and was standing toward us.
'On board the Potter we were received |
with the greatest kindness; clothing was |
provided for us and plenty of good food. |
and Captain Meyer and his men have our
heartfelt thanks for their generosity"
The following is the list of the survivors
OF the Archer: John Dawson, master:
Ciaus 4. Matzen. mate; William Mansen.
second mate; Ernest Foster, third mate:
Seamen John Spring. William Reydeb'
Joseph Davy. William Moore, John Null
caster. Harry Roberts. F. S. Cooper. f. j.
Shee. Harry Champlain and Robert Car
michael.