The herald., 1894-12-28
THE LOOT OF A HURRICANE,
Summing up the Vessels Lost
on the North Coast.
War Vessels Sent in Search of
Steam Golfers.
Story Told by Indians ON the Vancouver
Coast of Big Steamer That
Foundered at Sea.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 27.-It is now
81 days since the steam colliers Mont.
serrat and Keeweenaw sailed for San
Francisco from neighboring ports on
Vancouver Island, B. @. Nearly all
Heafsring men believe that the two ves-
sells and their crews, numbering nearly
60 men, were lost in the recent gale
which broke in all it's fury ON the night
that the colliers put to sea. Notwith.
standing that the steamers are so long
out on voyage that should have been
completed in four days, some OF the
owners and consignees, and some Of the
families Of three score OF luckIess marin.
ers still have hopes.
WAR VESSELS TO SEARCH.
In response to their earnest appeals
the government has sent out another
steamer to search for the missing vessels.
The United States gunboat Bennington
went to sea this evening. under instruc.
tions to proceed northward and make
thorough search for the missing ves-
sells. The United States revenue cut
ter Grant. which was dispatched from
Port Townsend on q similar errand sev>
eral Gays ago, is still at sea.
Those most interested in the fate Of
the two colliers were somewhat dis
couraged today by vsgue rumor that
comes from an Indian camp ON Amphri.
trite point, on the west coast of Van
couver island. The Indians say that on
the night OF December 18th, during a
terrible storm. their attention was at
trscted by rockets at sea, and dimly
through the darkness they saw a big
black steamer founder about O mile off
shore. The vessel lay helpless in the
sea and drifted northward out of their
sight. II the story of the Indians be
correct and the disabled craft was either
OF the missing steamers she must have
been drifting offCape Flattery for nearly
week.
The brig Courtney Ford which put in
here in dietress yesterday reports that
on the night OF December 7th she sighted
the KeweenRw near Cape Flattery just
as the storm was coming on. The Ke-
weenaw had slowed down, seemingly
somewhat disabled and was slowly put
ting out to Sea.
THE LOOT OF THE STORM.
Nothing has yet been heard from the
bark Dominion. % days out from this
port for Puget sound. or the bark Co.
lumbia, now out 81 days from Port
Blakeley, with lumber for this port.
The known record of the storm to date
is four sailing vessels wrecked and aband.
oned, one dismantled and several badly
damaged.
The Grew Of six men from the wrecked
schooner Garcia is still missing.
DANGER OF STARVATION.
Anxiety 10 again beginning to be felt
for the safety of the schooner 10 hn F.
Miller and her crew, which left Port
land "a days ago for this port. She was
sighted off Cape Mendocjno few days
after the storm had spent itself. She
was then somewhat disabled but able to
take care Of herself. On Christmas day
she was again seen about ten miles west
OF the Farailones, but she appeared
then ss though she had lost all her
sails. Since then a strong northeast
wind has been blowing and the schooner
has by this time been driven far out at
eea and it is i'm possible to tell whether
she will be able to work back towards
the land in her disabled condition. The
small coasting Bchooners seldom carry
more than fifteen days provisions.
AS soon as word was brought ashore
that the John F. Miller was off the
Farallones the tug Hercules was sent to
her relief with an extra supply of pro :
visions on board. but it was two days
after she had been seen and when the
tug reached the vicinity the schooner
was nowhere in sight. The east winds
had blown her away from the land and
the crew by this time are in all pr0ba-
bility feeling the psngs of hunger.
BLOWN OUT TO SEA.
The coal-laden bark Sea King, which
was also out in the storm, and was sre-
ported on Christmas day as being 15
miles north OF Point Reyes, has also
been driven out to sea by the strong
winds from the east. Tugs have been
out sesrching for her since the news of
her close proximity to port was brought
in, but they have not been able to find
her within 100 miles of the harbor. 1t
is not thought she will be short of pro-
visions. and no uneasiness is felt for the
Sea King on that account.
lu6 snip y. ID. DToWB, huObQ6r Oh the
overdue fleet, was reported as sighted
on Sunday last about 150 miles norths
west of Nendocino, and it was thought
that she, like the schooner John F. Mil
Ter and the bark Sea King, would have
been In port today, but mono have ap-
peared.
TIE COLUMBIA BROKE DOWN.
ASTORIA, Ore, Dec. 27.-The steam
ship Columbia crossed in st 10 80 a. m.
Captsin Bolles states that on Tuesday
evening, when opposite point Reyes, an
eccentric broke OBTAINING them two
hours. The steamer Elder WAS olose
estern, and the whistle WAS blown 80 she
would stand by until the break was re-
paired. The Columbia reached por!
nearly on time. The Elder is not vet in
sight off the heads.
Reward for M urdcrers.
SACRAMENTO, Dec. 27.-Governor
Markham has offered two rewards OF
$500 each, The first is to be paid upon
the conviction OF the person or persons