The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-03


Gus salvage case OF the Canadian Aus
tralian Steamship Company ~ the
steamer 6trAthnevis and the Pacific I'm
provement Company. owner OF the
Aineola, ". the Strathnevis. IN which he
decreed TO the owners Of the Niowera
and her crew s1s.1e and the owners Of
the Qineola and her crew SO. s0o. making
. total OF s4s. 100. The facts of the case
and the history Of the rescue are fully
and graphically told In the opinion.
which n:
These cases are full Of interest be-
cause or the important questions present
ca Tor consideration. a. well as for the
sao.y OF narusnips endured. heroic efforts
20 save. and the final rescue Of q yalu-
aoie snip ana cargo, and the lives OF a
Lse number OF persons constituting her
snips company and passengers. That
stoTy. briefly told. Is az follows:
ON October 20 the steamship sfrath-
resis, an English merchant vessel left
adacoma with cargo OF 3.oo0 tons OF
the value Of Sss.ooa. and 12s passengers.
ana crew Of thirty persons. bound on a
.oyaSe TO the city of Yokohama She
touched at Victoria, and there took on
Der 100. On the seventh day out from Vic
toria, In latitude ~ deg. IA min. north and
longitude ia deg. q min. west. and dis
TN heavy northwest gale. her propeller
smart broke between the stern post and
poss. 1t was q clean break, the propeller
peing completely severed from the vessel
ana lost In the sea, depriying the vessel
OF all use of her propeliing machinery
ana leaving her destitute of motive pow
er. except the wind The Strathnevis
fitted for the Accommodation of passen-
gers, and was at the time referred to en-
pfoyed as one Of the vessels of the North
ern Pacific steamship line. from Tacoma
hama. She carried five small sails. which,
with two other improvised after the acct
dent. made total spread of canvas of
dition, and with her inadequate facilities
Tor sailing, she battled with tempestuous
weather. making slow progress toward
the ., e., coast from which she had last de-
500 miles from Cape Flattery. she was
met by the English steamship AIiowera,
OF the Canadian Australian steamship
via Honolulu and Fiji Islands to sydney !.
Australia At that time the Strathneyis
was short Of provisions Of almost every
Kind. except -four and salmon. which con-
stituted the bulk Of her cargo; her of
ncers and crew were worn and detected,
and she was flying signals of distress
signifying that she was disabled and
Wis to be taken in tow As soon as
er. she sent her first officer on board the
Miowera, commissioned by her master
to arrange with the master of the Mo-
III.
partaking of refreshments, this officer
gave brief account Of the experiences of
the Strathnevis, and obtained the con-
sent Of the Miowera's captain to turn
back and make the attempt to tow the
Strathnevis TO Victoria, which was the
nearest port of safety under the British
nag. ana also obtained quantity OF pro-
visions and ships stores. which were sent
I'm boats to the Strathnevis. At this time
the weather and sea were moderate, and
the Miowera, with commendable prompt
ness. took the Strathnevis in tow and
started for Victoria. The start was made
at 1890 p. m. on December 49, 1895: soon
afterwards the barometer began falling
rapidly. the wind freshened, the Sea be-
sses f0 @h ana ar hs msa'h rsn The
same state of weather continued.
and became even more tempestu-
Gus until the vessels finally
midnight on the morning of December 10.
the tow line was broken by the heavy
strain. and the irregular movements OF
and plunged by the force of the stormy
sea. 1t was necessary to wait for day
light before any attempt could be made to
again connect the two vessels, and Il was
then found 10 be extremely difficult on
account OF the high waves and squaliy
weather. the whole day was spent in in
ssneetual efforts. Late In the afternoon a
line was picked up, but before a hawser
could be drawn from one vessel to the
other 1t was parted by the rolling and
pitching of both vessels and Ii became
necessary. to again wait for daylight OF
another day. The first part of the next
day was spent in similar efforts, with like
difficulties and failure, and at 1880 .. m.
the Miowera signaled to the Strathnevis
VIII send boat and boat with vol
unteer crew was accordingly sent the
officers and seamen constituting the vol
untser crew. exposing themselves TO great
peril, and being Obliged to perform most
exhausting labor. At last, on December
~. success attended their efforts, and the
vessels resumed their journey towards
Victoria, the Strathnevis being held i'm
tow oy two lines shackled to the port and
cardboard cables of the Strathnevis
There was extraordinary Vigilance and
prudence on the part OF the officers OF
the sunwera IN running her engines.
keeping lookout and watching the haw-
sers- so as to succeed. II possible. in max
ing port while the tow lines lasted. They
reached point about forty miles distant
from Cape Ffattery when on account Of
the fierce westerly gale II became too
hazardous TO continue running in the
same airecuon as the wind towards the
coast. and II became necessary TO come
around so as TO head towards the sea. At
this time the gale was extremely fierce
ana the sea WAS running high causing
the vessel to roll and plunge with trc-
mendous force. The weight of the tow
bore heavily. causing the stern Of the MI
owera TO bury into the sea 10 a depth OF
SIX ieet. some or her skylights were bro
from the hatchways. and a great deal OF
damage was done a bout the deck Ouan-
titles of water forced its way through the
various openings In the deck and the stoke
hole. flooding her cabins and engine ropr,,
The witnesses testify that the Sf~afhne-
Wis was rolling so that from the Nlowera
esr eo!orsd lights appeared a. times IN ne
almost perpendicular one above the other
BetweeH II and ! o'clcck on the morning
ol peceni Der -. when distant about sixty
I,inrse mites nom cape Flattery, the tew
lines were again broken and a. o,elock
a M. the vessels lost sight Of each other
The Miowera waited until DAYLIGHT. ard
then steamed In tho direction In which IL
WAS supposed the Sirathnsvis 9rfftei, IL
she had not tounGered She continued "a
search FOR the Strathnevis until as,n.,t /
" n. when her captain surprising tha. II.
would be unsafe 10 approach nearer 20
land. and that ne had stes med a greater
distance than the Strareney1s xolad have
orat,eds were SIC stu afoat. again
changed has course and headed towards
the sea At O'clock y. m ia ahsnsored
al a0pe OF Nndiug the Sra hT7r,sfs ar ~
BENG seSs to 10 anything for ha- r,ets-
Fie, and although he was then rot more
than fifty latAes distant from n f4Iexra on
station lust inside the ertrsnf-e - the
straits ~ Juan De kA,ea. ne = ga med away
Oh Hks course Tor Honolulu TIC oexs sgAy
~ neon she had iageci sss niles. ard 4
few minutes h8fer her engines stsnxssd
asas sesorelnx 10 ths engineers Jog an ca
stsslsaSfsen then made showed that ore
valve and several other small pse-es ~
fEsT mzca merry were broken psnaarz
were n&1e. and AZ sSe , n she started
Ssssd a. fail speed. and Proceeded TO Ho-
n.-a.a N.taoat say Other important occur
5ssay he was a2prsaeasIva OF trouble
rem Aer engines gsy1Eg out at Ire tine
q A2sad 9a.cs search for TIE S.ra.rne-
- ava ne ieer.td u Necessary 10 run