The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-11
THE PURSER'S RESCUE
Last Chapter in the Story 0
the Strathnevis.
The LANDING ON THE ROCKS.
Lighthouse Tender CoIumbine Brings
the Five Brave Sailors From De-
struction Island.

bine yesterday brought INTO TINS port
Purser Macdonald, Third Ofhcer Balnes
and the three japanese sailors, VINO lett
the Strathnevis in an attempt 10 reach the
land and secure aid. on Tuesday morning,
December ~ while the ship Was lying ten
miles west OF Destruction island. They
were found last Thursday morning On De
struction island. wnere they mad oeen Tor
sixteen DAYS al SOUND and wei, with the
exception Of one Of The japanese. who was
suffering With a severe cold. They were
auDareutly very comfortable in their
cramped quarters, and the only anxiety
felt was because Of the condition or the
lighthouse food supply, which was begin
ming 10 get low. The Columbine's arrival
was not unexpected by the castaways, as
she was due at the island on her regular
rounds shortly after they were thrown up
there.
A Periious I.andin~.
The landing AT Destruction island is ex-
tremely perilOus. 50 periious, II fact, mat
ali supplies taken BY the lighthouse tender
are hoisted from the boat below by means
of a derrick The derrick, which towers
high above the rocks, did unwonted duty
on the morning of December a, for II was
the signal by which the five weary men in
the little boat guided themselves TO the ISL
and. When, after hard pulling, the rocks
at the south end We're within Mailing us
tance. the problem as 10 how landing
Was To DC titEtt1 Hkt>fAAC4 4tS14A- AAS
waves were running high and but a little
distance away broke with fury against the
apparently unbroken face OF rock. Their
shouts for assistance were unheard, and
they had almost concluded that their
sturdy battle with the seas had been
vain one when a heavy rush of waves
carried them past projecting point and
lifted the boat high on a narrow beach
The Fatted Calf.
.4aI. ba 1pd b-- pl1rSer
Macdonald, who was Ia charge, clambered
UP the rocks to the lighthouse and caught
the keeper in the act of butchering calf
70 the barn. Their entrance was the first
intimation he had OF their coming, and
everything was done TO make them COM
Portable the butchered calf contributing
great deal to that end. The flour and
canned goods brought in the little boat
from the Strathneyis were hoisted up, and
all settled down 10 await the coming Of the
ColumDine. Had sire not arrived Thursday
PGrser Macdonald and his little crew in
tended to embark once more and make an
attempt u reach the Straits of Juan de
Fuca.
The Columbine left Portland December
! - to 20 on the search but was unable 10
get across the bar at the mouth of the Co
lumba until last Thursday morning. The
ship reached Destruction island about 800
IN the afternoon, and after Purser Mae
donald. Third Mate Baines and the Japa-
nesee who are named Tamura Drikichi,
Suyetsuyu Minemalsu and S. Hosegawa,
had been assigned comfortable quarters
on the light ship the return voyage up the
coast was begun. Arriving inside Cape
| Flattery, such quantity of logs and drift
wood was encountered that Capt. Rich
ardson decided TO anchor at Dungeness.
for fear of injury 10 the blades of the Col
umbines propeller. This port was reached
at noon yesterday, and the Columbine at
once proceeded to the oregon Improve
ment coal bunkers. Shortly after tying up
| the quintette Of heroes. for men as well as
officers had borne themselves sufficiently
| well TO justify the title. left the Columbine
and took passage on board the Flyer for
Tacoma where they viii rejoin the Strath-
nevis.
Tho Purser'S story.
Purser Macdonald looked bronzed and
sturdy when seen before leaving yester-
day. and a smile 1T up his rugged face as
| ne modestly told of his perilous trip from
| the Strathnevis to the shore of Destruc-
ton island
Il would not care to attempt IL again in
such a storm he said But we made the
| landing all right, after battling for two
and a half hours with the wind Third
| Mate a. Il. Baines and the three Japanese
sailors were with me. and we were on De-
struction island sixteen days. We STAYED
| with the lighthouse Keeper and got along
iTst rate. There were only two days when
We could have left the island The first
! day one of the Japanese was sick. so we
determined 10 wait but the weather was
| not SO we could leave until Yesterday
morning and then the Columbine came i'm
| and took us off
Il understand the Miowera has been
spoken and IL all right II Is strange she
| should have left the ship after staying by
| for i've days. They must have thought
the Strathnevis had gone on the rocks:
| that We were all lost and that there was
! no hope Of saving as.
How did We feel when we knew our
I shaft was broken and that the shin was
| helpless Wen. II was this way we had
enough -four on board TO keep us alive
| thirty years. at a pound a dav to a man
| and We knew that n we could keep her off
| shore We would be- all right
| But the one thing that saved MS was the
! ships light cargo. We had only 3No0 tons
/ about half our capacity and the ship
| bobhcd M and down like cork on the
waves. II she had been heavily loaded her
! matches would have been battered In and
we would have gone down"
! The hero purser looks 10 De about 20
| years ola. with a gray fnustache pleasant
| smiling ewes. and a quiet Scotch accent
/ which comes out stronger now and then
as hr speaks Of the dangers he went
/ through IN the search for help for his shin
! lle IS a modest man. and one would not
J think, RS his story was listened 70. that he
/ bad gone through ~ extraordinary ext,ar-
/ iance. hal been close 10 death in the arms
/ ~ the sea. had proved himself a horn ha-
cause he had been brave when life seemed
/ hut matter Of a few hours ara had cor,,a
/ out ~ his struggle stili the quiet mas
: summing VurSer. >or should his co,nn9n-
/ IONS Doe forgot They STAYED with fbeir
I leader haa the same experiences. ana
/ ihrlr bravery was NJ fhe same kind
I In ms elegant NttIe cabin on the Column