The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-13

SEATTLE. Wash. Jan. 12.-Ten days
of suffering from cold and privation on
a rocky bluff, during which time seven
of the crew. including the captain and
mate met their death. and the other
mate and a seaman met with terrible
accidents. tells the tale of the wrecking
of the big four nasted English ship
Jeanette Cowan on Vancouver Island.
otherwise known as "the boneyard Of
the Pacific ocean" This frightful news
was brought to this city this afternoon
by the tug Tyee. which had but a few
hours before landed fourteen members
of the Inflated crew at Port Townsend
The officers of the tug tell a most har-
rowing story of the wreck and Of the
crew and its surroundings as found by
them.
The vessel struck New Years day.
Captain Thompson died several days
after the ship struck the reef, and the
cook and an able seaman and the man
that ran the donkey engine died the fol-
lowing day, the latter becoming ViO-
lently insane. The other three men that
lost their lives were the second mate
and two apprentice boys. Nine members
Of the crew were left on the shore in
cabin about a mile north of the place
where the ship went on the reef.
The tug Tyee first sighted the wrecked
ship on Saturday afternoon. She was
plainly outlined the snore on Van
COUVer Island and could not be mis-
taken 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 boats were
lowered and a start made for the ship,
which was standing up majeStically, her
lower topSaIs set and head on straight
to the westward. The stern was high in
the air and the rudder broken square in
Two. a portion of the crew could be
seen on top of a high bluff, on which a
tent had been pitched sight met the
gaze of the reSCuerS that will not be
forgotten FOR years to come. Seated
about a fire were thirteen men, all wear
ing an expression of utter hOpelessness
and misery
First Mate Charles Legal who was
laShed to a bOdtSWain'S Cnair suffering
from fractured leg, told Mate Hall Of
the Tyee the story of the disaster. He
said the COWan came from Cape Town,
South Africa, for Royal Roads, b c..
ana was 108 days out when she reached
Cape Flattery on December 10. There was
a terrible storm Off 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 a strong
southwest wind and sought shelter in the
treacherous waters of Barclay sound TO
avoid being driven ashore on some more
exposed point. The sound afforded but
little shelter and she was driven on the
rocks at high tide. This was o'clock on
the morning of December 81 and snow
storm was coming on. The 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 the entire crew was
taken off. The survivors of the wrecked
vessel are: Mate Legal, Hunt (colOred).
Moran Qrish), Smythe German. Olsen.
l. (5wede). Kerr (Scotch), Cox (native Of
Cape Town. Chamberlain OOnd0n).
Cu1nberlass (Greece). Cousin FInglanD,
Heath CRussian), BOsano (Manilla), Car
penter England, Wilson Scotland.
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 trying to make land in q small boat
the night the ship struck.