The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-01
FREAKS OF THE WIND
One Schooner Ashore, Another
Was Sent Adrift.
MUCH DAMAGE AROUND TOWN.
Small Boats and scows BY the Score
Break Loose and Bill Boards and
Chimneys suffer.

Seattle was treated TO a storm yesterday
sueh a. X mas rot experienced for a long
time The sou wester'' on Friday was
but gentle preliminary TO the amateur
cyclone that swept the clty@yesterday.
Seattle had all kinds Of weather and al
most any Kind OF a prophet could have hit
Ii at some time during the day. Il was
cold and olustery throughout Washington
ana oregon snow was general and heavy
In oregon. occurring in fiurries IN Wash
fngton- The wind yesterday was north
west ana the local observer places its We
Ioclty between twenty-five and thirty-fye
miles an hour The temperature was
twelve degrees lower than on Friday, and
last night was the coolest OF the winter.
The water front naturally felt the chief
force or the gale and incidents OF interest
were numerous. Swamped boats were
common sights, and the unguided voyage
OF the bark Ferris @. Thompson from
smith cove 10 an anchorage in front OF
the West Seattle elevator and the going
ashore OF the schooner Challenger near
West Point kept water front curiosity at
nigh tension during the afternoon.
Bark Thompson Loose.
Bark Ferris @. Thompson. Capt. Whit
ney. broke loose from her moorings at
Smiths cove yesterday afternoon about 4
O'Clock, and at the mercy OF the furious
storm drifted at rate of three miles an
hour across the Sound. her anchor finally
holding firm. after several strong drags
in front of the West Seattle elevator. The
drifting bark was first seen by Charlie
Holloway. He rushed TO the window. of
Capt l. NJ. Garrison's Office and yelled that
there was shipwreck on the Sound.
capt. Garrison. accompanied by a Post
lntelhgeneer reporter. ran to the end of
the dock, being joined on the way by
Frank L. Burns, coal agent of the Oregon
Improvement Company The Thompson
was seen TO De drifting rapidly across the
Sound toward Duwamish head. almost on
her beam ends. No signal of distress was
visible. but her danger was apparent, as
all the bark's stiflenng had been taken
out the day before. Burns went aboard
the United states revenue cutter Grant
lying at the bunkers and showing the
dangerous position of the vessel to a petty
officer in charge, begged him TO go TO her
aid. or at least loan a small boat riding at
the stern Both of these things were re-
fused. Efforts We're then made to attract
the attention of the Corwin. riding snugly
at anchor about 300 yards away but they
did not reply, though a form was seen on
deck who must have seen the signals or
heard Capt Garrison's lusty ship ahoyr'
Some vigorous remarks about toy yes
sells were passed by the group of excited
landsmen who were anxiously watching
the Thompson's mad chase across the
Sound Burns then notified Chief Cook of
the fire department, who promised to send
over the fire boat. Passing this side of
Duwamish head, the dragging anchors
were seen TO catch and break away four
times before finally holding firm. When
about half way between Smiths cove and
Duwamish head the bark put out her
spanker TO steady her. the lack OF ballast
preventing more sail being raised. BY the
time the fire boat started the Thompson
was beyond peril, and Capt. Corners. of the
fire boat, simply steamed about her and
receiving assurances that no aid was re-
quired. returned.
Schooner Challenger Ashore.
Schooner Challenger Capt. p Sonerud.
eight days from San Francisco. was blown
fast on the beach a mile north of West
Point and is lying in about eight feet of
water, pounding hard. The Challenger
cast anchor in Salmon bay at IL O'Clock
yesterday morning, and was going to take
on lumber from the Stimson mill when
the smaller of the two lines out parted,
and, although chain was rapidly played
out on the other anchor, 1t parted soon
after. The vessel rapidly drifted TO the
beach near West point, the distance being
so short that the captain was unable 10
check her by hosting sail. The falling
snow covered the decks. and the cold wind
against the wet ropes shrouded them in
Ice making them almost impossible to
handle.
The storgn-driven craft first struck about
100 yards from the shore, but was urged
higher by the action of wind and tide. and
at o'clock IN the afternoon the captain
was able 70 walk ashore on the trunk of
tree that had fallen across the vessels
jib-boom. In telling OF the experience aft
erward the captain said that he had but
reached the shore when the tree cracked
in the middle and splashed into the water.
The schooner was pounding hard last night
and her loose keel was battered off. while
shavings from the firm keel were begin
ming TO appear on the surface OF the water.
The Challenger IS chartered by John T.
Wright. of La Libertad, Central America,
and has 100 tons Of general merchandise
from San Francisco for that port. She
was to I'll out her burden Of 265 tons with
lumber from the Stimson mill. and lime
from Roche Harbor NJ. Kalish & Co.
are her San Francisco agents. She is
three-nas- ed schooner. The tugs Stirnson,
Wanderer and Vigilant have been engaged
by Capt Sone-ud TO haul her off this morn
ing. but he doubts their ability to get her
loose. The telegraph lines being down be-
tween here and Port Townsend prevented
his sending a message for some of the
large tugs stationed at that port.
OF the other four schooners stationed at
Ballard, the three-master Watson drifted
IN so close as 10 excite alarm. and the
tug Tigilaat was sent 10 hold her off.