The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-01
A SEA DISASTER.
Terrible Voyage of the
POItaIlOch.
ON HER WAY TO THIS CITY.
Had to Put Back and Will Not
Arrive Here for Months.
FULL STORY OF HER TROUBLE.
Captain CanneII Nearly Killed and
Two Seamen Drowned A
Woman's Courage.
On HER WAY TO THIS CITY.
FULL STORY OF HER TROUBLE.

On the Sd of October the following cable
gram was received from London: 1.-The
four-masted ship Poltallocb, Captain Can
nell, put back to Newcastle. Australia,
with her cargo SHIFTED. One thousand
tons will have to be discharged"
The POltalloch was bound TO San Fran
cisco with $500 tons of Seaman coal and is
entered on the Guide as being So days out.
It will be some months, perhaps, before
she reaches here, and the reason for the
delay is told in private letter received in
this city the day before yesterday. The
details of the ship's voyage, embracing an
account OF Captain CannelFs delirium,
resulting from wound received during
terrific gale that nearly foundered the
ship, and his wife's pluck, are herewith
appended.
The vessel left Newcastle for San Fran
cisco On September %. at l o'clock in the
afternoon. After reaching good Ofing,
she was placed on her course, and con-
tnued 10 sail under easy canvas until
o'clock at night. At that time a heavy
south by southeast gale blew up, increas-
ing in fury up TO 9 O'Clock, when orders
were given to shorten sail. Shortly after
o'clock the foresail split. Water was
constantly breaking over the decks and
Sea after sea boarded the Poltalloch.
Not a soul on deck dared move. Nothing
could be done to clear away wreckage that
was rapidly being pounded out OF the sails
and Lighthouses. The continual weight of
the water on deck and rolling OF the ship
caused the cargo TO shift to port, giving
the vessel a heavy list.
The night was pitch black. Mrs. Can
nell, though somewhat accustomed to he
sea, was obliged to remain in her hus-
bands stateroom and cling to the bed
stanchionS TO keep from being thrown
violently about the room. On deck moth
ing could be seen from the puop much
beyond the miZZen-maSt, the lights in the
forward house having been eXtinguish he'd.
August johnson and Gus Smith, two
sailors, were cllnging 10 the ratlines of the
fore rigging and shouting 10 the mate
something that could not be understood BY
the men at the wheel. An immense sea
came over the slOpiDg port side and washed
the vessel fore and aft, smashing boats
and bulwarks.
Captain Cannell and his second officer
were standing near the wheelmen. They
both heard johnson and Smith shrek
when the avalanche of water struck them.
Their cries for Eelp could be heard on the
starb0ard side at some distance from the
ship. That was the last of the two sea-
men.
Scarcely had the sound of the mems
arose, washing over the ship as high as the
boat-davits. Four men who were in the
fore rigging were carried against the break
OF the poop, narrowly aplng going over
board. 1t was a miracle that they were
not killed or washed into the sea during
their sweep aft.
The gale continued through the night
and all of the following day. No attempt
was made to clear awav the wreckage, as
no one could work on the decks AT IL 80
O'clock Captain Cannell was standing by
the cabin companion way when big wave
boarded the vessel and threw him head
long down the companion stairway, at the
bottom of which he lay cut and bleed
ing from IN ugly wound in the skull. He
was carried to his room, and throughout
the remainder of the trip was delirious.
Mrs. CAMEL forgot her fear of the
storm. She turned TO and stood watch by
her husbands side, catching only q few
hours of sleep for six days and nights. At
times the skipper was a raving maniac
and had to be held down by strong men 10
prevent his killing himself or bis wife.
He swere that he heard voices coming out
of the darkness crying to him for help,
and he thought that people were prevent
ing him from TescuiDg his drowning sea-
men.
The first officer held the vessel before
the storm for several days until the
weather moderated. She was in terrible
down it was decided to put back 10 New
castle. 10 the meanwhile blue lights were
burned nightly and signal OF distress
raj ed at the peak during the day.
On September 80 the ship arrived off
Newcastle and tug came to her assist
ance. Size was towed into port, and none
too soon, for Captain Canneil's life was
fast ebbing. He was carried 10 the Ma
rine Hospital, where he now is, and there
are grave fears that be will never recover.
The PoltalOch's port side was stove in.
her decks were Uttered with wreckage
and her boats stove 10. The coal cargo
had shifted so much that it is said that
very little more of list would have cap
sized her.
In speaking of the story of the PoltsI-
loch's adventures the captain of an Eng
lish ship remarked that the lost Senegal
must have had an experience almost sim
liar. The Poltalloch would probably have
disappeared as mysteriously as the Senegal
had she listed just few degrees more to
port.
That's the way ships are mysteriousIy
lost" said the speaker