The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-22
TERRoRS OF THE HURRICANE.
Boats, Sails, Lighthouses, Etc,
Carried Away.
THREE BRAVE LIVES WERE LOST
The EccIeFechan From Astoria and
the j. b. Walker Have Terrible
Experiences at Sea.

The British ship Ecclefechan, in COM
mand of Captain Hind, put into port last
night in distress, with her sails blown
away, her cargo, galleys. cabins and de-
partments flooded and badly damaged.
She had passed through a storm Of mighty
fury and escaped from the fate that it is
fearedsbefell many a gallant ship off the
northwest shore. Though not one or the
nlssing vessels so anxiously looked for at
Point LObas Observatory she may be
elassed with them, as she had terrible
experience with the elements and has been
at sea about the same time as those ships
that are supposed to be lost.
The Ecclefechan left Astoria on Deem
ber in fine weather. She was bound for
Liverpool with a cargo of wheat. AS
usual with ships sailing from the North
west 10 round Cape born she kept close TO
shore in nearly the same course as vessels
coming TO San Francisco followed. So she
must nave shared the same storm that
swept the coast and caught many another
vessel. She dropped anchor off the Powell
street wharf in the bay, sorry semblance
of her former self. nothing but a bruised
and unbalanced hull with rigging still
Rloft.
The cargo consists of 49.72S sacks of
wheat.
After being out at sea two days heavy
southeast gaze was encountered. The
furious winds shifted 10 the southwest,
and then the gale Continued almost with
out cessation for ten days, tearing the
seas asundeT. hurting tremendous waves
hther and tnither with appalling force,
aBd whirling the majestic ship about like
a mere speck of tlotSam that WAS half OF
the time buried beneath mountains of
water. On December and 10 the gale
reached its highest pitch of intensity,
then becoming fearful hurricane before
which 1t seemed nothing on earth could
stand. The Ecclefechan was then IN lon
gitude 127. IS west latitude 1906 north.
The wind kept shifting from southeast to
northeast with terrific high sea that re-
pPatedly threw The snip on her beam ends.
In this tempest the cargo of wheat was
shifted TO starbOard, sails were blown
away and the mariners skill was set at
naught. The ship lay at the mercy Of the
wind and sea-.
a tremendous wave came down upon
the decks. The stanch ship shVeTed and
reeled, and all on board thought the end
had come. Presently she regained her
position, but four of the boats were gone.
The sklds and bridges and stanchiOns
were likewise carried away, and the rail
on the starboard side from the fore TO the
main rigging. Then the ports were shat
tered, and two of the plates on the star
board side were torn of. Next went the
forward Yentilators and mast boats.
In fact, every movable thing on deck
was whirled into the terrible waves. and
the decks themselves were constantly
flooded 10 the rail.
Belnw a great deal of damage was done.
The forward houses were broken and
flooded and Quilted Of their contents.
For TWO days the crew worked with en-
ergy, siren gLhened with feelings next TO
despair. to SGT the ship on an even keel.
Three days the sailors toiled and three
nights. They trimmed" the cargo, that
is shifted it back again 10 port.
This put the ship once more on even
keel, but in the meantime the heavy sea
pitched over her, going down into the sail
lockers and damaging the cargo.
On board tue Ecclefechan the storm was
attended by loss of life. Lauvity Boa. an
able-bodled seaman, was on duty, Drawing
the hurricane, when great wave tum bled
against the ship and fell uDon her deck.
When the mighty sea passed Boa was
looked for at his post, but be was gone.
The wave had carried him far away from
his comrades in an instant. Boa was a
native of Norway and 40 years of age.
The Eceletechan was met several miles
out DIV the tug Monarch and lowed into
sale anchorage. She will have to go on
the dock for repairs, and the cargo Will be
taken out and very likely condemned by
Lloyd's Agency.
Her captain QlQ not S65 any OF the MISS
ing steamers or sailing vessels during the
storm. At midnight last night no tidings
Of them could be had at the Merchants
Exchange, where such news Is awaited
with great anxiety.
The American ship j. 3. Walker az
rived from Baltimore last night and
anchored in Mission Bay. She had en-
cOuntered disastrous hurricanes and was
battered pretty badly by the waves. Be
sides. two of her crew lost their lives at
sea.
The Walker was 10 days out from
Baltimore. All the way exceedingly heavy
weather followed her, and when she was
about 100 miles west of Cape horn she ran
dangerously near an iceberg. LIZ gale off
Cape Horn her main deck and planks
were stove In by seas that crashed down
upon her.
The bay was so rough last night that tina
Merchants Exchange boat could not
reach the Walker. Her captain. however,
Informed tho exchange that one of the
crew, while fUrling sails before rising
storm, lost his hold and fell from the
lnainyard overheard and was drowned.
Later on in another storm another sailor
met similar fate. He was taking In sail.
when the ship gave a sudden lurch and
pitched him from the rigging far into the
ncean. II was impossible to do anything
for him in such a sea and he sank beneath
the waves.
The Walker has cargo nf 1925 tons Of
coal consigned TO Grace d Co. Captain
Wallace, who sailed her through all the
tempestuous seas and round the Horn sue
ceSsfully. Is son Of the recently appoint ted
f'ur "a n Vol nf