The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-12
TUG PRICE BURNED.
Spontaneous Combustion Eats
Her Near Port Gamble.
After . Brave Fight They Give Her Up
and She Drifts Ashore Loss.
$4,000: Insurance. %, 900.

The ting Virgil T. Price wa. burned to
the waters edge Wednesday evening abou.
three miles from Port Gamble, and later
80 the night driftsd ashore before sta
breeze and sunk ia shalIos water.
The ting was. as usual. commanded by
Capt =. y. Price. the principal owner.
and had last arrived 81 Port Gamble wiih
the schooner Meteor. which had been
taken in tow near Protection island
After dropping the tow tbs tug started for
Edmonds, Capt Prices home. but about
three miles cut strap in the crank broke.
To repair this the engineer. fireman and
mate put of in the small boat for Port
Gamble. leaving Capt Price and the cook
on board the tag, which Was anchored.
The two were sitting in the pilot houss
when they heard steam blowing oil IN the
engine room, and looking In saw IRE
creeping up between the boiler aud the
coal hunkers. Capt. Price tried 10 reach
the pumps. bat the flames spread so
RAPIDLY that it was impossible to enter the
engine room. BY this time the IRE pre-
vented again entering the pilo. house
and the captain broke Ia a window and
blew the whistle TO attract the attention
of his crew with the small boat. The two
then went aft and launched the grating.
but the flames blew on them with such
force that they were compelled to abandon
that end Of the boat. They succeeded in
getting forward and once on the wind
ward aide of the flames prepared 10 save
themselves ss best they could. The only
thing they had 70 cling 10. il compelled to
take 20 the water. was ladder. With
this they rugged a couple Of lines on the
bow ready for the emergency and waited.
The tug was anchored in thirty fathoms
OF water about n mile from shore, and
Capt. Price said 10 seemed as IL they waited
four hours. when In reality it was only
half an hour The boys in the small boat
had got nearly 20 Gamble when they heard
the whistle and then saw the fire. They
put about and pulled for dear life towards
the burning tug. when the captain and his
companion were taken of
The crew stood by in the boat until II
O'Clock. when they went ashore on Whisky
spit. built ire and passed the night as
best they could. About I o'clock the
burning tug driftcd in shore and sank IN
shallow water. The crew remained on the
spit until picked up by the George r. Starr,
fed, and brought 10 this city yesterday.
They saved nothing but the clothes they
wore. and the cook had no coat. vest nor
hat, but secured the captains overcoat to
keep him warm.
The tug Virgil T. Price was built in 1897
at Eagle Harbor by Capt. Price and T. G.
Pendleton. 1t was ~ feet long, ia feet
beam, "a feet depth Of hold, and 81 n tons
register. She was valued at $4,000 and
insured for 81. 600. When burned the crew
consisted of Capt. Il. n. Price; A. Kerr.
engineer; Charles Stewart mate; Samuel
Trapr cook, and John Bleam, fireman.
Capt. Price stated last evening that he
had not the least idea as To the cause of
the fire, but the bunkers were iull OF coal.
which might possibly have become ig-
nlted. although IL was hardly possible.
The following letter was received last
evening from a member Of the Prices
crew:
"To TIRE EpIroR: Would you kindly al.
low the writer To trespass on your space
60 ask question? You have an account
of the burning OF the tug v. T. Price on
TIE night OF January 10. three miles from
Fort Gamble. The loss that the captain
and owner sustained il equal to double the
amount he was insured for, yet the owners
OF the George T.. Starr, or their servant.
THE officers of the said boatl saw fit To
charge the captain of the burned tug ST. for
their fare from Foulweather bay 20 Seattle
Their aid was given unsolicited, and was
accepted as proof of the proverb that "a
fellow-teeiing makes us wondrous kind
The crew lost their little all, and deeply
sympathize with the captain in his severe
loss. They helped TO put fourteen cords
OF wood on board the Starr at Kingston.
and would have done anything in their
power TO prevent further pecunlary los.
for their captain. Is not this action on
their part violation of the foregoing quo
tation2 ONk OF ruy CHFwU