The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-11-23
A STEAMER STRANDED
The Bandorille Wrecked on
the Umpqua Bar.
CAPTAIN wINANr IS DROWNED
caught by a Heavy Sea and Swept
OTerboard--Crew and cne Pass
enger Saved.

PORTLAND, Nov. 22.-Ihe steamer
Bandorille, owned by Edward Fl. Hab-
inhorst, of this city, became disabled
while crossing over the Umpqua river
bar yesterday morning, and, drifting in
to the breakers, stranded on the bar. Her
commander, J. ]. WiDant, was caught by
- sea, swept overheard and drowned.
No other lives were lost, the crew, nine
in number, and one passenger, being
rescued by the life-saving crew.
The Bandorille left Portland a month
ago for San Francisco and way ports,
heavily loaded, and was due to arrive
back about December 10. From her be-
ing wrecked at Umpqua, it is evident
Captain Winant had been offered con-
siderable way freight, and was steaming
back and forth between Yaquina, Ump-
qua and Coos bay. The steamer passed
in over the Umpqua bar on Tuesday and
tied up at Gardiner, a town seven miles
above the mouth of the river, the same
day. Wednesday afternoon Captain
Winant started for sea, but, finding the
bar breaking heavily, abandoned the at
tempt and returned to the dock at
Gardiner.
Yesterday morning, the weather hav-
ing moderated somewhat, another at
tempt was made to put the Bandorille
oyer the bar. although tremendous sea
was running.
No bar pilot on the Pacific coast was
better fitted for the undertaking than
Captain Winant, and he had perfect
confidence in the stanchness of his ves-
sci, for twice he had struck on the bars
of the northwest coast with the Bando-
rille and got over without the steamer
showing sign OF strain or making a
drop of water. One instance was 1S
months ago when he took the Bandorille
into the Siuslaw during q southwest
gale. Right in the middle of the bar the
steamer raised on the crest Of a mount
ainous sea and dropping into the trough
struck on the 'ihog back" with force
that shattered the glass in the cabin
Windows. The next oncoming sea lifted
her forward and dropped her again on
the bottom. This was repeated three
times, when the lead showed the ship to
be in deep water. As Captain Winant
expressed it, in relating the incident:
EWe just walked over the Siuslaw barr
With this confidence in his ship and
his own ability Captain Winant yester-
day morning headed the Bandorile into
the tumbling seas of the Umpqua bar.
One lowering wave after another the
steamer rode in safety and the crew
were congratulating themselves that
few moments more would carry them
into the safety of the open ocean, when
suddenly the wheel was wrenched from
the hands of the quartermaster steering,
.spokes had spun hardover to port allow
ing the steamer to fall off into the trough
Of the sea.
The starboard rudder chain had parted
leaving the BandorilIe helpless rolling in
the awful muck of the breaking bar.
Sea after sea broke over the doomed
steamer as she drifted toward the line of
breakers on the south shore, but Cap
tain Winant held to his post on the
bridge and it was this devotion to duty
that cost him mis- life. Taking every ad-
vantage of the steamers drift he kept
the engines going ahead or astern in a
vain effort TO get into deep water.
After half hour of terrible pounding
from the seas, during which Captain
Winant was submerged time and again,
the Bandorille struck the beach half