Arizona republican., 1896-10-25
WRECKED IN THE PACIFIC
The Steamer Arago Lost With
 Many Lives.
Terrific Battle With the Sea Which Ended With the Death of Fourteen Persons-A Frightful Experience on the Coast.

MARSHFLELD, Ore, Oct. 24.-The steamer Arago, of the Oregon Coal and Navigation company, went to pieces yesterday morning against the jagged rocks of the jetty at the entrance to Coos bay. She sank in five fathoms of water within ten minutes after the rocks had punched. a great hole in her. Fourteen people went down with the wreck. They are:
 John Norman, passenger, Marshfeld. Oregon; E. M. McGraw, of Coquille, passenger; Richard Walter, of Oakland, Oregon, passenger; w. E. Brown, chief engineer, San Francisco; William Whittle, fireman, San Francisco; Brick Walla, fireman, San Francisco; An thony McDade, San Francisco; Richard Patterson, steward; George Patience, steerage passenger; F. Sparks, steer age passenger; F. Ferandiz, chief cook, San Francisco; J. Kruger, sailor; Henry Sander, sailor; Ben, the mess boy
 The Arago left her dock at Empire City yesterday with six passengers and 700 tons of coal, bound for San Francisco. Although the weather was hay and the bar quite lumpy and at times breaking, everything looked well enough to go to sea. The Arago was hugging close to the north jetty and travelling slowly when the first breaker was encountered This checked the headway of the steamer Then an- other breaker caught her on the port bow and swung her around Before she could recover a third breaker piled aboard.
 The Arago was them clear out of her course. Before she could be brought around again her stern crashed against the jagged rocks of the partially con structed government jeltty, knocking a great hole in her bottom Then the sea that had been rolling heavily sub sided for a moment It was only a minute, though, until the breakers again began to dash over the vessel, sweeping her decks from sem to stern The second breaker swept overheard several life rafts, the afteT-c cabin with four steerage passengers and couple
 
 who were drowned like rats. Another sea carried away the smokestaek Cap tain Reed then sounded the whistle of distress and ordered his men to man 1 the lifeboats. Though in imminent danger of sudden death the seamen re- mained cool and followed their orders | promptly. Two boats were lowered. Mate Banks was placed in command of one and First Mate Warner in command of the other. Captain Reed and the passen- gers who remained on board had te take to the rigging, the hull breaking up with every sea, and the third life boat having been washed overheard. | John Norman, a passenger was clinging to the forward rigging, but was not strong enough to climb out o1 l the breakers. He was an old man anG struggled for life with all his strength Finally, however, he became exhaust l ed, and, crying, Goodbye" he let go He was last seen floating off past the stern.
 The men in the boats had terrible battle with the terrific sea- The frs mates boat oapsized twice The las time no one returned to the surface but the mate, who swan to the second boat. All this time the lifeboat wa. making lseway against the breakers Then calm spell and the jetty wa rounded. It was then two miles befor a landing could be effected. By thil time the life-saving crew arrived a the wreck, and took off the remainn; survivors. This was effected only witt great difficulty, as the rigging was be ing rapidly submerged. Captain Rec, was the last man to leave the ship. The Arago's cabins were swept clea with her decks.
 She is lying on the ocean beach no one hundred yards from the hulk tha
 marks the remains of the whalebac
 steamer WetmOre, wrecked three year
 ago. The beach is strewn with wreck
 age and only the two masts of th steamer are visible. None of the los bodies have been recovered.
 MIR. CARLISLE INSI1L TIED.