The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-08-09
RUSSIAN R0OKERIEs
An Interesting Account of the Cop.
per Island Tragedy Four
Years Ago.
The Whites DisasterOus Trip to the
Behring Sea.

Nearly everyone especially those peo-
pie who are interested in maritime
matters, remember the story of the dis
astrous trip of the sealing schooner
C. C. White which left San Francisco
early in January 1890, for a cruise
in Behring Sea; how her boats were
all lost and she returned to San Fran
cisco with only the cantain, cabin boy
and cook. 1t created considerable
sensation at the time, from the fact
that one of the crew was killed by the
Russian Guards on Copper Island, and
two seriously wounded.
Mr. Frank Morrow, one of the Kate
and AIMS crew, tells very interest
ing story of the Copper Island outrage,
he being one Of the Whites crew on
that eventful trip. A reporter for
the Astorian found him yesterday even
ing on board the little schooner which
is now alongside the Union Pacific
wharf, and in reply to question, said
Eyes, l was on the White that year,
and was one of the crew of three boats
that were fired upon by the rookery
guards at Copper Island, resulting inI
the death Of poor Jimmie Kerr, and
wounding of Jackson and Romaine, onel
q hunter and the other boat puller.
Copper Island lies in 54 degrees SOl
minutes north by 16S degrees east lon-
gitude, and is a rugged, desolate place.
Of q
dense fog. There are two seal rook>
cries on the island, and on this, as on
other islands where the fur seals have
their home Russian guards are sta
toned
"One day early in August, all Of the
six boats belonging to the schooner
started out to hunt seals. The weather
was unusually thick and stiff sou'-
wester coming up soon after, we short
ly lost sight of the vessel. Then the
boats began to scatter, and when night
set in three of them were lost sight Of
The one l was in, together with two
others, managed to keep within speak
ing distance, and late the next day
we sighted through Ithe heavy fog
bank, the dark outlines OF Copper Is
land. Coasting around awhile, we fin
ally made landing on the eastern
shore and remained there until the next
morning, when we took the boats again
and went around to the southwark
end, where we attempted to land in a
little bay. The two boats were in ad-
vance of us, just far enough so that
their occupants loomed up like fantas-
tic shadows against the black walls
of the cliff ahead. We were. going in
leisurely, taking our time, and specu-
lating on what sort of camping grounds
we would find upon landing, when,
without any warning, the sharp crack
of a rifle was heard, followed quickly
by a dozen others. Then from one of
the boats ahead we saw hunter nam {
ed Harry Romano pick up his rifle and
shoot. He leaned forward, and taking
his shot gun, fired twice in quick sue
cession. That was q call for help and +,
we all knew It, and bending to our /
oars with all the strength we had, were t
soon alongside Of the boat. Here we !
found Romaine with bullet wound in {
his breast, Jackson, one of the boat d
pullers, with his leg broken, and Kerr 9
another boat puller, dead, in the bot r
tom of the boat. The boat was riddled Il
with the Russians bullets.
1--WE lost no time in getting away
from there, and taking the dead and +
wounded in our boat, made for the 2
open sea- We beat about the point
Of the island and landed in q little :.
cove on the west side, protected from O
shore by great, high cliffs, that 1t o
would be impossible for the guards to u
get down, had there been any around. n
Here we buried the body of our COM f,
rade, and again put to sea, beating P
about for three days, when we were -
picked up by the Hamilton, which af- G.
conveyed us to San Francisco. o.
She had already picked up the other "
1oats. 1t was a narrow escape for the a
est of us, and since then have steer ci
ID pretty clear of all Russian seal rt
ool1eries." 81