The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-22
A FLOATING COFFIN.
Terrible Fate Of Indian Hunt
ers on the Walter Earle.
FOUND IN THE uPTuRNED WRECK
The Hull lowed TO Port Bottom Up
wards I'm Alaska - The brehaa
Wrecked, But Her Crew saved


toria. which was capsize6 April IL. WITH
The LOSE Of every man on board inetSaine
Capt Louis Magnesen and a crew OF seven
men and eleven Indians. Tne lattef ~eI
found IL the forecasrie, decayed ossofiu
vncoanitfou The steamer Francis cutting
foved the wreck 10 Kodiak Island and u
was there that the dead Indians were
discovered after turning the boat rignt
aide upwards The Excelsior also brought
n part OF the crew OF another wreck. me
sealing schooner Brenda went 10 pieces on
an unknown rock on the coast OF snuni-
shu island. of Siberia. but ali OF the men
were saved Those returning On the tx
eeisIor were: Capt. e. +. Locke. seaman
Charles Nelson and Cabin Boy Arthur
Cox.
Lost I'm n Terrific storm.
The Earle was seen within two DAYS be
fore April IA. and on that day a terfihc
storg. swept the seas around Kodiak ISL
and. endaagering every kind OF craft.
April Is. Capt; Mclean, Of the Favorite
saw the npturned vessel and reported that
he was sure that IL WAS the Earle. 1nls
was published in May, but since tnat
tire nothing was ever heard from the iost
ship, IN the middle OF July the steamer
Francis Cutting Capt Thomas bound
toward unaIaska, sighted the upturneo
huh. and attaching a line, towed II IN
IN Kodiak When il was rightsd, the
bodies az The Indians were found 10 DO
decayed beyond recognition. The story
of the awful catastrophe was Tor tho
first time understood by these Northern
nayigators.
How the Indians Perished
In the fearful storm the Indians. be-
coming frightened, had rushed INTO the
forecastle. which is their quarters. The
brave crew outside had tried 10 manage
the helpless vessel, which may have al
ready lost her rudder, as IL was gone
from the wreck. They had been swept
into the sea by the fury of the storm ana
sank without the least chance 10 save
themselves. The imprisoned Indians Were
in greater peril and when the boat turned
completely over they were drowned Win
out even the remote chance allowed 10
those in open air. The ballast was resting
almost against the deck.
The Walter Earle was formerly named
the Silvia Handy. and was well known
among the scaiers. Her home port was
Victoria where a brother of Capt Louis
Nagnesen lives. She was owned by W al
ter Earle. OF Victoria, after whom she
was named She was vessel OF seventy
registered tons.
The Voyage Of the Brenda.
Capt T. s. Locke, OF the Brenda. pre-
served his log book. which gives very
minute account Of the movements of his
vessel since leaving Victoria January 10.
He sailed 10 Honolulu, reaching there
February T. and. landing one passenger,
passed on 10 Yokohama. On the way the
schooner Annie Paint was spoken. Aoko-
hama was reached March II, and ON the
10Th the vessel started north. Near Meta
head on March . one OF the crew ctslo-
Gated his shoulder and the Brenda return
ed him TO "a hospital a Yokohama, and
sailing again March Is the vessel was
soon In the sealing grounds. by the last
OF June nearly 600 skins were secured. The
~ va x
two days Capt. Locke cruised around The
islands trying TO locate supply for his
furnishing crew. He. with a boats crew
rowed to the land twice. at distances or
eight and ten miles, respectively, and Sc
cured but few buckets Of water, which
was only enough for present needs.
She strikes ON the Rocks.
While lacking up the straits of Little
Curili. of 0ttomer bay. the vessel struck
upon rock, which the chart does not
show. She stood solid and both anchors
were dropped and sails lowered BY that
time a gale had sprung up. the weather
having been fine before. \ boat was Iut
out and the crew made two attempts TO
lower the Hedge anchor to windward. but
without success. As the schooner was
pounding very hard the crew resorted 20
shooting of rockets TO attract the atten-
ton OF any passing vessel. \ small light
wac seen over in Ottomler bay. but its
the Brenda was on her beam ends and a
hedge anchor was put out astern 10 pre-
vent swinging around on any other rocks
at high tide.
Again Pounding on the Rocks.
The captain then went ashore 10 a set
Element. which was found 70 consist of
two Japanese In a mud house, to get as
slstsncc. while the hunters and crew
eamped upon the beach. At u p. m, the
vessel Was pulled OF on the tide but was
unable 20 hold up against the swell, and
by July she had struck another ledge.
and was in moro pcrllous position than
before ON beam ends and hroadslde to-
ward the swelis. her port side was
crushed In and the fnrefoot and Keel were
gone 1t Was Impossible n get Of. and
had il been possible she could not have
gene anywhere in deep water. Tho crew
stripped the sails and rigging. saved the
guns. "A part Of the ammunition. food
ciothlns and ~ skins The vessel rolled
with the unceas3ng heavy swclls ~ July
and began leaking.
Rescue comes at Last.
Jnly both thc schoouers Geneva and
Ocean BELLE appeared. and each took a
part Ct the crew "a Alton ISLAND. Two OF
the crew declined 90 leave the camp oi
tho JAMS one was Charles Gibson a
seaman. and the other "a japanese cook
Finding that persuasion bad no effect
Can't Locke left them with a good sup
ply % provisions They expect - SO q
Japan on the first passing schooner.
landing AZ Alton island. eaa miles from
The scene Of the wreck the crew and car
80 were carried hy the schooner Agnes
Mcdonald s0a miles more "a Uusiaska
which was reached July 3. The Brcn
da's crew. excepting thc three who re-
turned went north again on the different
Victoria sealers
latest From tho Nukou'- Mouth.
The ENcelsior. which left here July ?
reached ST Michcis August g TIE steam
er =. Il Weare from Fort Cudahy. fel
miles un the Yukon. was hut thirty min
utcs behind her The cotgnes We're q
changed and the vessels started on tibet
respective Toutes. inst before reachinl
rnafsska the steam schooner Francis Cat
tins was PASSED on the way out and houn,
Tor BocolSovf With party ~ uaturansts
who ARE STUDYING the animal life 81 HeriYl
sea- The brig Geneva left for Gfav's bar
tor August s. sailing from St Michal's
Shc encountered the great }ce foe OF tw,
months since. bar sustained nc damage
The trip 81 the Excelsior VAS a yer,
pleasant one. Can't. ,. +. Higgins Is 81 ~
----------- ---------------------