The herald., 1896-01-13
At THE PACIFIC bOAEYARD
Thirteen Sailor Men Sat in
Hopeless Misery
THE TYEE TO THE RESCUE
Brings Joy to the Hearts of Shivsring
Castaways
Jeanette Cowan on Vancouver
Island
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire
SEATTLE, Jan. 12.-Ten days of suffer-
ing from cold and privation on a rocky
bluff, during which time seven of the crew,
including the captain and mate, met their
death, the other mate and a seaman met
with terrible accidents, tells the tale of the
wrecking of the big four-masted English
ship Jeanette Cowan on Vancouver island,
otherwise known as the Boneyard of the
Pacific ocean, This frightful news was
brought to the city this afternoon by the
tug Tyee, which had but few hours before
landed several members of the Inflated
crew at Port Townsend. The officers of
the tug tell a most narrowing story OF the
wreck and of the crew and of it's surround
ings as found by them. The vessel struck
New Years day. Captain Thompson died
several day after the ship struck The reef
and the cook and a seaman and the man
that ran ,he donkey engine died the fol-
lowing day, the latter becoming violently
insane. The other three men that lost
their lives we're the second mate and two
apprentice boys. Nine members of the
crew are left on the shore in cabin about
a mile norih of the place where the ship
went on the reef.
The Tyee first sighted the wrecked ship
on Friday afternoon on releasing a tow.
She was plainly outlined on The shore OF
Vancouver island and could not be mis-
taken. Captain Cove made for the snip
with all possible speed and was soon in
close proXimiy.
No sign of The crew could be seen on the
wreck nor on shore. The sea was running
pretty high at the time the tug hove to. but
two beats were lowered, in charge OF Mate
Hall and Chief Engineer Hawkins, and a
start made for tho ship. which WIS stand
i3t - Cti Inwpr
and head on straight TO the westward.
The stern was high in the air and the rud-
der broken square in two. Hall and Haw-
kins steered their boats toward the bow of
the ship, under which was clear passage
to the port side. Once on that side, a por-
ton of the crew could be seen on top of a
high bluff, ON which tent had been
pitched. A rope ladder had been taken
of the ship and fastened to the top of
this bluff. making stairway by
which the men could clinb b from the shore
to their aoode. A landing was effected
| breaking the force of the waves, and the
rescuera scaled the bluff. sight met
their gaze that will not be forgotten for
wears 10 come. Seated about fire, on
pieces of wood and on the ground, were
thirteen men. all wearing an expression OF
utter hopelessness and misery. At he
sight If she Tyee's men the scene was
transformed into one of hope. The cast
ayays jumped TO their feet and embl aced
their rescuers. First Mate Charles Legal,
who was lashed to a boatswain's chair,
suffering from a fractured leg, received by
falling down scuttie hole a couple Of days
after the ship went ashore. told Mate hall
of the Tyee the story of the disaster
He said hat the Cowan came from Cape
Town, South Africa, for Royal Roads,
British Columbia, and was 1OS days out
when she reached Cape Flattery on Decem-
Der l9th. There was terrible storm oil
the cape and the vessel stood off the cape
TWO days before trying TO come in. Then
she was driven quickly to The northward
by strong southwest wind a d sought
shelter in the treacherous waters OF Bar
clay sound to avoid being driven ashore on
some more exposed point. The sound af-
foreled but little shelter and she was driven
on the rocks at high tide. This was at 2
o'clock on the morning of December 3
and snowstorm was coming on. Inc
ship seemed to be breaking in two and it
was decided to leave her at once and
with the aid of line made fast
| ashore tho entire crew was taken of.
The survivors of the wreck are: Mate
Legal, Hunt (colored). Moran Irish),
| Smyth Germany, Olsen. Kerr, Cox, Cham
! berlain, Curnbertness, Cousin, Heath. Ro-
! sano, carpenter. Wilson.
| Captain Thompson died three days be-
| fore the arrival of the Tyee from exposure
and the three others on the next day from
the same cause. The second mate and
| two apprentice boys met their death while
irving 10 make land in a small boat the
night the ship struck.
A STEAMER FLoATED
| LONDON, Jan. 12.-The Cunard line
steamship Cephaloni4. Captaine Zeccombe.
| has been floated by means of pon,oons and
tugboats. The Cephalonia, which sailed
| from Boston December 2l, struck rock
at South Stack, near Holyhead, early on
| New Years day. A panic eustIed and the
boats were lowered and the passengers put
| into the sea, but the vessel flosted with The
! rising tide and the passengers returned 10
her, when she proceeded to Liverpool. She
was afterwards beached at the upper end
of New Harbor, near Holy yhead, 10 prevent
! her sinking.