The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-12-03
DROWNED IN THE STORM
A Brave Boy Who Was Caught Out OF
Orcas Island

A Brave Boy Who Was Caught Out OF
Orcas Island
Royal Kelley, son of Mr.. and Mrs
William Kelley, of Point Lawrence,
Orcas island, was undoubtedly drown.
ed near there in the bowling storm
which ragged over the Sound the day
fbefore Thanksgiving. Some months
ago his parents located on Clark's ISL
and, midway between Lummi and Or
cas- islands, in the lower part of the
Gulf of Georgia and about eighteen
miles from Whatcom. The island COM
prizes altogether about 100 acres, very
little of which is of any value for graz.
ing or tillage except in the spring and
fall, owing to the scarcity of water
This year it was very dry and the FAM
lily found it difficult to obtain enough
water for themselves and their stock,
which consisted of several head of fine
Holstein cattle. A few weeks ago they
moved across to Orcas island, near to
Point Lawrence, on to a place which
they rented from Mayor Wilkin, of
Fairhaven, and where their chiIdred
could have school advantages. They
left some of their cattle OIL the little ISL
and, however, and Monday, Novem-
Der 23rd, Mr.. Reilly and his son, 10
years old, went over i'm small boats, in
tending to build raft and take the
cattle over to Orcas, as they had previ-
Ously done with some of the others. 1t
had been bitterly cold, and they found
one OF the cows starved to death and
frozen, and the others suffering great
ly from lack of food and shelter.
Wednesday morning, when the storm
was at its height, the boy noticed that
one of the two small boats, which hap
pened to be borrowed one, had gone
adrift, and he went out in the other
one to tow it ashore He managed to
secure it and had got nearly back to
shore when he dropped one of his oars
and, by the time he recovered it, the
other boat hadsagain drifted away He
again secured it. and again started
back, but could make little progress
with the water-logged boat in tow and
q terrific gale blowing. His father
shouted and mOtioned to cut the boat
adrift and row in himself, but he shook
his head and struck out toward Orcas
island, about mile and q half away.
By this time the wind was blowing a
roaring gale and the icy waves were
running high. The frantic father was
standing alone on the shore and watch
ed his boy tossing about in his frail
boat on the fOamlng waters until he
disappeared from view, near Point
Lawrence.
Mr.. REILLY was left alone on the little
island, without any kind of boat or
any means of escape, and there he
stayed Thanksgiving day and until
Friday afternoon before he was able to
attract the attention of some japanese
fishermen, who live on Barnes island
close by, and from whom he secured a
boat to go home. He had hoped until
then that the boy had succeeded i'm
saving himself, but seeing no boats
upon the beach he gave him up for
lost.
Searching parties were at once Or
gained by the neighbOrs, and on Sat
urday the fragments of the borrowed
boat with the oars were found on Point
Lawrence, and the fragments of the
boys own boat were found wedged in
among the rocks near Peavine pass,
about six or seven miles from Clark's
island. 1t is thought that the boy, be-
numed, as he must have been by the
icy waters, laid his oars down in the
bottom of the boat and went astern to
cut the other boat adrift, and that in
so doing he must have fallen over
board. The parents and their other
children have the sincerest sympathy
of all who know them.