The record-union., 1895-07-27
An American Ship Goes Ashore in
Alaskan Territory.
THE CAPTAIN AND CREW NARROWLY
ESCAPE DROWNING.
She Was Driven High on the Beach in
a Raging Gale-The Crew Expert
ence an Exciting Time-The Old
Beach.

PORT TOWNSEND, July 26.-The Amer
lean ship Raphael is wreck. She went
ashore at Tanglefoot Bay, near harluk.
Alaska, July 7th. Captain Albert Whit
ney and his crew narrowly escaped
drowning, only reaching the shore after
climbing along rope hand over hand,
for 800 feet through the surf and raging
seas. AS the last man reached the beach
heavy sea struck the Raphael and she
fell 10 pieces, one mast going over her
side and taking nearly all the deck with
it. a few moments later scarcely partl-
Gle Of the wreck remained in sight.
Captain Whitney and seven Of the crew
arrived here early this morning on the
steam tender Ella Rohlffs. lie says the
Raphael was at anchor July 4th, about
mile from the shore, when a storm began
10 brew. One hundred aud forty feet of
chain were let out and apparently she
was sale enough TO ride the storm.
The gale steadily increased until the
9th, when it had reached the force OF
hurricane. Early the next morning she
began to drift. a second anchor, secured
by big hawser, was thrown out, but the
hawser parted ilnm edlately, and then the
third anchor was let out with the same
IESuIts oLtauIly SHt OIIltSQ III SAOIcs
Seas washed the ships decks fore and aft
and her masts threatened to give way
each moment.
\ buoy was fastened on q life line and
sent ashore, where IL was caught by some
cannery men who were III readiness to
lend assistance. Then a larger line was
fastened between the shore and the ship.
At that moment the vessel struck the
beach, broadside on, with terrific force,
CHI tar mr., Iar "a M rAIjn
Then Captain Whitney. realizing the
desperate situation and the folly OF re-
maining on board, ordered all hands to
90 ashore on the life line. The crew
slowly lett the doomed vessel and slid
along the rope through the treezlng surf
for more than one hundred yards and
landed more dead than alive. Had not
those on shore waded into the surf and
assisted the men TO land many of them
would doubtlessly have been drowned.
As il was, they reached the shore without
saving any OF their personal effects.
Captain Whitney was the last to leave
the Raphael, and as he reached the shore
and was dragged from the life lino by
anxious hands the ships mast was car
ried away and the line parted. emphasz-
ing his narrow escape from death in the
angry seas.
The fury of the storm quickly battered
the old ship to pieces, and by noon moth
ing except a small portion OF her hull re-
manned in sight. The beach was covered
with wreckage Of no particular value.
Consequently nothing was saved.
The Raphael had on board Z, 100 cases
of salmon representing a value OF $50. 900,
and the vessel had a like value. She was
owned in san Francisco, Captain A. y.
Trask being the managing owner. 1t is
supposed she was fairly well insured.
She was built In 1873, in Camden, Me-,
and was 400 tons burden, 222 feet long,
40 feet beam and "A feet depth of hold.
Captain Whitney and the crew go to
San Francisco tomorrow on the Una
ti!la. The remainder of the crew secured
employment in a cannery at karluk.
In the same gale the steam tender
Annie May was driven ashore and
wrecked. and another small tender was
badly damaged on the rocks. Both
tenders were owned by the Alaska Pack
ing Association.
Reports from down the coast in the vi
cinity of Karluk say that the storm ragged
with great violence, and in some instances
slight damage was done.