Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-26
SUPPOSED DROWNING
Tie Captain of One American Vessel and
Three of the Grew of Another.
The Circumstances of Their Disap-
ment by Minister StrObel.

Minister Strobel, in dispatch to the De-
r.artment of State from Santiago, July 13,
transmits q communication from the min
istry of marine of Chile reporting par
ticulars of the disappearance and supposed
drowning of the captain of the American
vessel, Edward Kidder and three Of the
crew of the American vessel w. w. Crapo.
The ministry of marine quotes commune
cation from the marine governor of Tara
paca, dated June "a, in which the latter
says:
The local naval officer Of Junin, in COM
munication No. 0, dated the 18th instant,
reports as follows: II regret to communi-
cate to you the said disappearance of the
captain of the North American vessel Ed
ward kidder and of three OF the crew of
the w. W. Crapo. of the same nationality.
both vessels being anchored in the bay of
this port. The above mentioned persons
are regarded irremediably lost, as there
are wel1-founded reasons for believing that
they were shpwrecked in the midst of the
shoals existing in the Punta de Pichalo,
where the sea is frequently very rough.
The Details.
'The details are as followj: On the 14th
instant the two captains of the American
vessels in port. w. W. HARDY of the Crapo
and Ernest Stegler of the q Kidder, with
three men Of lis crew went out fishing to
the north of the harbor. On the southern
side Of the Punta de PichaIo, Captain Steg-
Ter began to hunt seals, and succeeded in
killing one of great size, which he intend
ed to take to his vessel as a trophy of the
excursion. At this point they met boat
carrying the captains Of the English ves-
sells Loeb Eek and Peterborough who were
returning from PiSagua, where they had
gone on the same date. Captain Hardy,
who thereby, SO to speak, escaped from a
death which could not bes foreSeen, de-
termined to return with theScaptains who
came from Pisagua, and for that purpose
went on board the other boat and left his
companion engaged in hunting seals.
The captain stated to his friends that lie
did not care to continue the excursion be-
cause Capt. Stegler was half crazy, and
had no fear of the fury ofs,the sea in that
place. From that moment absolutely moth
ing further has been heard of the fate of
the captain and the sailors. nor has the
slightest trace been discovered. Both here
and at PiSagua every effort has been made
to find the shipwrecked seamen but I'D to
this date all efforts to do SO have been un-
successful.
Crime May Have Been Commit ed.
Among the various opinions expr ,ssed
Eere regarding this terrible misfortune,
some people doubt whether q crime may
not have been committed by the crew of
the boat against the captain for the pur-
pose of escaping. The seannen are the fol-
lowing Otto de Vries, Dutch tweuty-six
years of age:' Lars Enksen, Norw egian,
twenty-five years of age Edward Onopu,
nineteen years of age. / communicate to
you the above for your information and 1or
any other purpose" 1 copy the above for
you. and may add that the disa opelra1ce
of the men referred to may have been the
result either of a crime for the purpose CT
robbing the captain of his money, or some
accident from the dynamite which they
carried in the boat. In view of the former
supposition, kilograms have been sent as
far Africa, recommending vigilance
along the coast.
(SigneO C. RIVERA JOFRE.
A true copy:
(Signed) EDO. PHILLIPS.