The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-24
FELL TO PIECES At SEA-
Ancient Bark Southern Chief
Collapses in a Storm.
The CREW TAKEN OFF SAFELY.
She Was Forty Years Old and eene-.
alis Considered Unseaworthy.
she HAD Carried Coal. Inst~na oy
Iusnbsr, the rvanhae,s Fate ya,,a
Nave Bsea Hers-So Tiafnx. or th.
"eenaws Nonfserrat and cosumb,.

'@aohsseFraf and Columbia
Port Townssna. Dec. ss-SsaesaY
faFs ot iass weeks STERN sAafe8 - -
o. another Old coasting coFn--, ,.a..-,
"hAen Has So Insecure tha. .rs,..E
COMPANIES weusa NOT insure hsr -.
loss at sea. Tee bark s.u,tns-n .-htn.
nearly ftrty years OIL. co,nr,,r,,s-, =.
aapfasn ". ". Plum. .urnarix- - - L..
oaFk James Cheston, was unable - ~.9.a
stand the Fnosierafe gale az la.s vr..4...
gay ana literally fell 20 pieces Fsrs,,r-
atels' OF arcoCol Of the storm naaaeratgr-
aha tAe pus7ant character Of the earys
~tEe lost. In the midst OF the
kaie tie nArk's stern quarters were ear
@"ay Then her seams opened fore
a. art and the decks bulged up capsfz-
- 'te donkey engine and boiler Thar
"As tAe condition Of the bark when tha
sse~ We're rescued hy a passing Qvzsef
he southern Chief sailed from Tacoma
last uesday fer Port Adelaide. Australia
Win siaep feet Of lumber. In tow Of the
tug "anaereF. The following afternoon
~ , O'Clock the tug cast the bark adrsft
ave miles outside tne cape anf she
SQUARED away before fresh east-s5uth-
"asl wind Under easy sail urs to midi
hisht ihs bark made gooa progrssS ana
Vas about fifty miles southwest Of Tat
oosn island The wlRi freshened. and bv
: O'Clock Thursday morning a moderate
gale vas blowing. All sail was shortened
except two lower .opsaIis Two hours
later the gale mad increased considerably.
Win heavy cross sea. The Southern
shier was iasoring very heavily and
stFaanlng every tsn2her IN her frame
SHORTY after O'Clock a big leak vas dis
covered. and the pumps. which had been
started short time before, were shut
down because Of the useiessness Of the
operation. Captain Plum ordered the deck
load Jettisoned- About 3o.oeo feet vas
heavcd overheard
At o'ci2ck, without moments warn
Ing the stera quarters we're carried away.
Every seam in the vessel appeared To
open. tlnd the water poured into the ship
witfsnt hiuarance The decks hulged up.
c<psizng the donkey engine and boiler
Heavy seas swept the decks fore and aft
The steering gear got adr1ft. and the YES
sci vas perfectly helpless. Toward noon
the wind and sea moderated sufficiently
for the crew 10 wear ship around TO the
~
nfty-two miles dissans Il was Impossible
TO give her headway. and she lay helpless
in the trough OF filsagreeahle sea. The
officers and crew laborsd hard to save the
derelict. hut their Efforts were futile All
Thursday afternoon and well into the
ni9ht the men drenchsd to the sain. hum
gry and cold. watched In vain FOR sail
About daylight a big ship. which Cap
geant, PASSED. and. notwithstanding
torches were burned and signals dis
played. she moved silently By. A few
hours later the barkeatine Skaglt David
Robinson, master, from san Pedro for
PoFs Gamble. hove in sight and. after
much sailing and wearing ship. got near
enough 70 launch a boat and take the
crew or the sinking vessel The sea vas
50 high that the officers and men we're
unable % 10 more than save themselves
That day the storm sfaSided and the sea
went down and there has been good
weather out there ever since. TIE ska<.t
got up as FAR as the cape when the tug
Sea Lien took her in tow for Port Gam
ble, calling here long enough 10 land the
crew.
Captain Plum had considerable trouble
3 a
houses, aa SAYS. combining 10 bleed him
out og bic blood money" lie went out
among the sailors and secured a good
crowd * eoasting men. who Gil excellent
service
The bark Southern Chief was buiit In
Bath. Maine. in 1857. and became PacIfc
eoastne vessea about fifteen years ago.
when. during heavy gale in Royal
-
other vessels she vas badly damaged
and after undergoing repairs WIS par-
chased hv Frank Bernard. q san Fran
cl~a. and Captain Ross lately o. the
steamer Hayiian Republic Fer many
years after that she was used as c2al
carrier IL California ports. ABOUT flvs
years ago she was seld a her present
owners. as follows W H. Taihot. oBe-
shird Rentoa. Iiolnses & Co. one-salr8.
" n Booze tva-ulnths an3 IRE lattar's
former partner Mla8leuas. one-Dlafh. She
was worth about S5.Nsa. Her owners Feal-
ixed that her DAYS we're numbered and
had Instructed Captain Plum 20 sell her
Il p1ssIb3e down Ia t3e colonies. she was
uos insured. for 10 company Wogld take
the risk size was of ISIS 66 net foas. lST
feet lonE $ feet wide and = - feet seep.
SAe carried 4 cargo of a000 feet oF iaa-
Der. valued az s1an0. vhjca was. strange
q say. insured. The first and second cfgf-
Gers Were tosn J. C~aat AM George IAn-
der.
Captala J. L. I.lhby. of the ruge, Sound
Tueoeat Company, tosiay sent ouz the
: tugs Wan3erey, H7lyoke ard Pioneer 70
search far the defegscE. whica. # found.
VIII ea toweS sre Tire Auik wou.d he a
great menace 10 navigation Captain T~sl-u
+ is ef tbe oainaan that L another gale
conses oa 20 blow the vessel aad cargo
wtB break up ana So t. pieces.
Cauta8n Robinson. os The Skag5f twenty
Eays frcm San pe5rn. said that be made
THE trip ~ making half circle well osls 70
the westward. he eneo0reere3 no storms.
an8 experienced naETher7y winds al tire
way Tbs information Increases hapes
far eae safety e the Missing caIisers. ana
mere especially fo- she luess'er laden bark
Celarsa u Is Thought that ere vessels
rog aG Eo tEe westward cf tafe STORM sud
a-e rev batting w4tA leug period ~
caIea asathe~ - reaca peril Fears fr
the NIaatserrat arai kevgee1av nave
merged .nfa general belief khat both ye8-
segs. asa lhesr crews. have eepe agssn 30
tse ne, Is ~ tAe sea- 7seT Aave hat
afagls ssass - veaas ssne part ~ thn
s-oaas a~ wasas8 aaEe sn1ken eae - tae
.sssax ssssa~ steamers IL aaeat
The ~eveasze caWe~ f;raaf. vhssh was