The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-04
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ExV{g4Y

gon Improvement; Company. BE conIs6sd
10 provide steamships TOR TIE .razsporta-
ton Of coal 70 the markets - Oregon and
California Instead o. using sailing vessels.
as sz9 formerly been the cassarn- Accor--
snzsy four steamers we're secured TIE
Mississippi was pa-ohase6- an4 the waslA
Wailz. CmatEIis and WsIIaEstis were
b1Est FOR the purpose zc0ye usezTicne1-
Some years aSsevward The Mississippi Tas
burned while loading st.sae Seattle BUNK
e-z. and her chief engineer. Mr.. KNAPP.
csrlsfzsd IN the Games. TIE E2sts " ala
was Afterwards converted into = passed.
gs- steamer. arr Stir piss between Sound
ports and San Frzncsso. Tn. Willamette
- tssg the sane reliable osd coal aragger
thai she was intended 10 be. and conEs1g=s
70 make good money Cor her owners Bcsa
she and the Wa1a Eal.A are what
are ternei oy ssafarsng men lucky
shigs." and neither u them has ever met
w.sA a serious accident.
-
The Una.f,la. though . s.aunch vessel.
has 5e~n less fortunate, and Is Tow IN
the throes o. her second serious accident
She les on the oeaca near tire Point VII
son lighthouse with big hsle in her bet
tom. the result OF striking upon . ledge
OF submerged rocks few -i4ses from her
present resting place. and some fears iavs
been expressed thar she may never -
foate6 again
Her nrss serious acc.der. occurred On
February 3 80. an. 1, came very near
ending her career. I wrote the Oily ce-
tailed account Of TIE ace.6ent that Was
published at that tine but owing TO the
TetIcene@ OF the mem bers Of re crew. j,
was Imposstb,s 10 get at al the facts-
some years astsrwa-2. however. I secaFe-
what . claimed 10 ~ a true story o. that
event, which I wiQ now put IN print ios
the first tine.
The Unaatilla. under charge OF Capt.
Frank Worth. vas steamsng up the Coast
from San Francisco 10 Seattle. AT
o'clock on the morning Of February 8.
las&. the weather which had been haxy
throughout tie night rhicks1ed and snow
began TO fail The wind. which was
about northeast. frsshened and backed TO
north northeast The steamer was max
Ing about ten knots az hour. having all
fore and aft sails SET TO keep her steady.
AT that tine the bridge was in charge
Of Second Officer +. III Greenieaf. now a
resident Of Seattle. AS soon as the
weather thickened Officer Greenieaf call
ed the captain. n no at once turned cut and
went Into the plot house. where he re-
manned some time. The ship was taking
the course steered on all previous voy-
ages, and there was nothing 10 indicate
that she was of her usual track. At S
O'clock the watch was called, and as usual
the watch then In charge was not relieved
until after breakfast Al . minutes past
Officer Greenleaf, who stu had charge
OF the bridge first saw the rock on which
the Cmatilla afierwarG struck, direct
ahead. About the same time William
Hardegan. the watehmsn. then on thu
outlook. shouted breakers ahead" and
Officer GFeenieaf ordered the helm put
n 81 azc~~.u LAD Ia
engine room 20 reverse the engines TO fun
speed sstern. Had the above orders been
carried out the Csnstiila would probably
have ESCAPED wreck just at that critical
moment First ofHcsr ]. A 0Er1sn. who
was on the main deck. rushed up into the
piio, house, unobserved by Officer Green
leaf, who was on the stsrhoard side OF the
bridge. and reversed the helm from hard
TO starhoard To hard TO port. and the ship
was thrown directly On the rocks. Officer
oBrien accounts for his action by deciar-
ing that he saw breakers on her port bow.
but that is claimed 10 have been inpos-
sihle by other members OF the crew, who
state that TIE rock on which she struck
IS very small and in tao parts above
water. with s&pee between them Of not
over twelve feet. and the whole rock does
rot cover a space OF over twenty-five feet
square. and has very deep water al
around H. The whole question hf gas
or the point - whether or not ofacer
OBrisn did or ala not See breakers on tho
port bow. Those who take officer Green
leafs view OF the case maintain that
there VAS plenty o. room for the chip
20 have cleared the breakers had he sec
ord officers orders been carried ou; fo-
the wind. which was blowing very hard,
was coming nearly direct from the rock
and this would have had a tendency 10
throw the vessel or under any circura-
stances During the short interval which
eiapsed between the discovery Of the rock
and the firae the ship struck. Capt. Worth
was returning to the bridge from break
fast. where be arrived just the ship
struck. During this time the engines had
been reversed. but too late TO stop tire
speed OF the vessel and abe struck the
rock precisely at $50 -
Continuing with the incidents o. IRE
wreck. my informant says: ''Immedta ..ly
Captain Worth gave orders TO start tae
pumps TO pump out the water hailas;
tanks. which contained about 20 tons 81
water. TIE sstls were ali taken in ard
the engines turned ahead 20 prevent tire
ship sliding OF The rock Ar1 sinking n
deep water. There we're 10 zKns % con-
flslon on board. and every order vas ex-
ecuted Rith haste and gcos order TIE
wind. which sas blowing Of the land. al
not raise hlTh sea. although the cod
was sste1ss. and tAe snow ssa4s things
very 9lsasreeReie. On exaEHiaa ton & VS.
g0rus :hAs the whole eow % the s.earr-
tAs been knocked or. sd ne bold va,
fall % water. art that vsfer which tose.
ever tAe tween SecSs wy-s aIliu- TIE ere
room
Captain Worth tAen gave orders 10 low
- TIE eoals aa5 have them ready % take
or she cTeg. According % rule The star
board boat belongs 20 tie saesrs ofece~
ana TIRE port boat % re Hr$t officer Whea
$50 soa,s wsr> lowered Captain wcr.a o.
3sre3 FIRST Csscer o. Rv1ea 20 lana his
boat. a. X h&3 become clearer An5 Lad
cosii5 be seen 20 stsreo2r3. Osacer O'E}~fru
dernurrg~5 ard stssss tssf re wantes %
launch 4 l!sc rasi. "a he ID not thlrk ne
two 50s-s large enough - carry re Ar
ire crew. S-A>oa3 0G7- GreenlsAf va,
te~n Ordered % sake charge Or ths e-=.
ofncar's hat ant Land al eat rosrlrx
crew ans return - - slip IS s2on as -
seia The 3rSt boat iett lie salp az SIS
scd started ftsr shore bns 0w9r< . -
siwa wfoa al coia. h~a3Say was ve-v
s's~. ard g wzs a.sa before f&nElnx VS.
made o. ~. ~ s2zs small islands - ~.
Tnstan village - Czstt. known as FAtt<~~
~ecSs. where tNe3v@ e ~ c-ew se-s
IACse3 i-elsslaE 80 ktewartsss
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snrtlF Ende+ tha charge % C@ses r.
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.sa cxe~ hcs eNasa 80 p4- - p = 4,