The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-08

fhe lass~r vears Of ais life have been spent
ia quiet retirement at Beverly Falls farm.
broken occasionally BY lecture 20 the
Harvard students.
CAPT. CHARLES A. sAwYKH DEAD.
He Commanded the Vessel That sunk
the steamer Pacific.
Poxr TOWNSEND. Oct 7-fspeciai-l-
Capt. Charles A. Sawyer died last night OF
enlargement of the heart. He suffered in
fensesy and Vas conscious TO the last. He
leaves wife and daughter. Mrs. +. Il.
Turpin. Capt. Sawyer was born IN
Gloucester. Mass, aud was IS years Old
He was in command Of the BARK Orpheus
nineteen years ago when that vessel coli
lided with the steamer Pacific of Cape
y.atssry. Capt. Sawyer and the crew
slways contended that the Pacific ran into
the Orpheus, carrying away thu forerig-
ging and temporarily disabling thu man
agement OF the bark. by the force Of the
collision, is wa. contendsd, the Paciiic's
bow was crushed in and she went down
with not less than BIC passengers beside
he crew.
fCbarles n. SAWYER was one of the most
widely known shipmasters calling on the
Pacific ocean. He was noted for being
hard master among the sailors, seldom
coming into port without having more or
less trouble with his crew. Capt Sawyer
was born in Massachusetts,, and had
visited all parts of the world He was re-
sponsible Tor one OF the most terrible
marine disasters that ever occurred on
this coast, which caused widespread sor-
row. and was attended with such terrible
ioss OF lifs that the bare mention of the
loss Of the steamer Pacific, though the ac-
csdent occurred nineteen years ago, Will
bring sorrow and sadness 70 many people
IA the United States and Canada whose
relatives and friends never returned from
that fatal voyage. Al about ii o'clock on
the night OF November 4, 1875. the bark
Orpheus, commanded by Charles II. Saw.
YER bound 10 Burrard Inlet. h. c., coli
iided With the steamer Pacific. J. ID.
Howell, master, who was . nephew Of
Jefferson Davis. Of the Southern Confeder-
scy. of Cape Flstssry: The steamer
ouivered. lungsd forward. and went down
with over 800 human lives. The
bark orpheus. which was damaged.
though not dangerously, as subsequent
investigation proved, did not stop,
alter her course or offer to aid
In rsscuipg ths hundreds OF people that
were struggling In the sea The sailors IN
begged Capt Sawyer TO bring his ship
around and lower . boat and attempt TO
save some Of the drowning passengers.
He would not listen TO their appeals, but
headed his vessel toward the Vancouver
shore and run her on the beach, where her
timbers can Be seen 70 this late day. Saw
yer sworc, and 20 did some Of his crew,
but some OF the men hstly contradicted
their testimony. that they did not hear the
Paeiflo's warning whistle or see her lights,
and for that reason the catastrophe oc-
CURED. Three or four of Sawyers crew
avsrred that the Pacific Was in plain sight
several minutes before the collision oc-
Cured, and that the captain refused 20
order the vessels course changed. The
explanation for this strange conduct Of
fersd At tho time was that the Orpheus was
. very old vessel and vas heavily insured.
The Pacific was an old-fashioued aide
wheeler. built In New York in 1851, of SO
tons burden. 2gS feet long, S3s1 feet beam
and ~ feet depth OF hold. After coming ont
from the East she piled on the San Fran
cisco Portland route for several years in
the service of the North Pacific Transpor-
sation Company. In fs62 she ran aground
ut the entrance Of the Columbia RIVER, and
upon examination Was found To DO very
tender and not able 10 stand q heavy
shock, bat with the apparent intention Of
making her wholesale coffin she was
temporarily repaired aud kept on the
route until 1879 when she was again over.
y
on the southern rontc, whore she re-
manned until is7s. when Goodall a Nelson
became her owners aud placed her on the
San franeisco-Puget sound route. For
long time the vessel Was considered un-
safe, but the heavy passenger trasfie from
tho Sound. and especially from the British
Columbia gold mines, was so profitable that
little attention was given TO the reckless
sacrifice Of hfe that vas inevitable in case
sform or collision should evertaks the
rotten Old craft. In this condition the
Pacific steamed ont Of Victoria November
:. ISIS, with passenger liss that included
many miners from the Fraser river mines.
whose names were never asearsatned, and
q large party OF Puget sound and Victoria
passengers. Against the WIND and heavy
swell the vessel made slow progress AT
nearly Ii o'clock at night. when the social
hall Was crowded snd everybody WAS
making merry and singing. q sudden
shock WAS ielt. OF what followed there is
bat ono living witness. Neil Henley, a
butcher, living AZ Steilacoonl. who Was
ousrsermaster on the vessel. Henley was
rescued by the revenue cutter Oliver Wei
colt. now ., san Diego. after floating
nearly eighty hours on piece Of wreck
age, and Henry r. Jeiiey, a passenger.
Was picked up BIZ the bark Messenger the
second day after the accident Henley
gave the tosr~fsxxiItsEscKa correspond
&nt we tetsos.hs ACCOUNT OF the ca&Ar1ftye
IL was OF watch and down below asleep
when | was suddenly awakened about III
O'clock by a crash. and getting out OF my
hunk found the water rushing into the
vessel at terrible rate. Ga reaching
the deck all sas confusion On the
sssrboard beam leaving Us sas a large
sailing vessel. which shey said bad struck
the steamer. When / nFst sAs her shs
vas showing green light TIE Pacifc,s
officers and sros we're trying so clear the
deck and lower the beats. eUg tie f.ansc-
stricken passengers crowded in against
their Commands and rendered their cflarfs
useless. There were nttssn womea anA
sIx men in the eoaf with me, knt she
ssgaek The ship and filed Instantly. aga
whsn came up caught held Of sky-
itght, which soan capsited. thea ssam
20 = piece OF the hurricane deeG. which
hAd eight persons elsngsnx 20 IL l0eked
around ard tie steamer had gone down
AMI lie sea was alive with struggling
people. whose cries aud screams ~ers agf1l
- hssr. Ia . little while il eas ali ever.
tae eEses had ceased and we wefeSsloGe IA
Size gaft. Which vas part al shs ascN
VITA the whses house bess3e myself the
rat supported tie captain. second mstes
eoek aud ioar passengers. one OF sassn
helng yoGng adv. At l a. a. the sea
MAS Sfsek.nE Gear ever the EatL Al
o'csocA AesFy sea carried away the cap
tain, Enste. sAv laaF Ani one ether passen.
ger. sesylng faar 81 as On TIE raft The
weather vas intensely eosa. A tea hours
later the Cook died and relied ct snso the
sea Late ~ tie afternoon lie mist
cleared aaaT ard xe sax land Egseea Mates
sls;ank We also San . rsees 81 srsSkass