The San Francisco call., 1896-01-02
Seaman Gastrom Lost While
Attempting to Gain the
Land.
REACHED SHORE ON A RAFT.
Survivors Threatened by Indians
After They Had Escaped the
Waves.

SEATTLE, WASH, Jan. 1.-The men,
bers of the crew, four of whom, in addition
to Captain Wyman, the master, who pro-
ceeded at once to Tacoma to Join his wife,
arrived in Seattle to-day on the steamship
City of Topeka, tell a thrilling story of
their escape from the schooner Elwood,
which was driven during gale upon the
reef at Gardners Point at o'clock on the
morning of December IA (instead of the
18th as first reported) and totally wrecked.
1t is one of the most thrilling tales of ship
wreck, and while but a single life-that Of
n. f. Gastrom of San Francisco-was lost,
the captain and his crew reached the shore
only after one OF the bravest struggles
against the elements recorded in the ma
rine annals of the Northwest.
Arthur Sculhn, Seattle boy, Is years
old, who had been on the EIwood two
years, gives an intensely interesting mar
rative of the affair. He says tremendous
gale from the southeast struck the vessel
about half hour before the disaster. 1t
was dark, and in spite of anchors and
every exertion of the crew, the Elwood
was driven shoreward and dashed upon
the rocks with terrific force. Great seas
piled over the disabled craft, and soon
everything movable was swept overheard.
Finding that a big hole had been stove
in the boat, Captain Wyman cut the rope
hawser with the hopes that she would
drift Off This she did and was washed a
hundred yards nearer the shore, striking
second reef about a quarter of mile
from the mainland. Another great hole
was made near midship, and it soon filed.
Seas broke over the Elwood again and
the captain and the crew were kept busy
from this time ON in saving their lives.
Captain Wyman, who sought his papers.
and vaIuables, narrowly escaped from
the cabin, the water pouring in upon him
in volumes Four sailors were washed
across the deck and into the cockpit. The
captain while endeavoring to launch the
boats, which were crushed to pieces, was
swept over the side; reaching the deck
again after an almost superhuman struggle.
BY this time the ElYood had so far gone
to pieces that the mainmast and foremast
topp ed over on to the rocks, thus forming
passage from the deck to the rocks The
crew scrambled out on to the rocks, but
the tremendous surf beating over them
made it certain death 10 remain so thew
put back to the broken decks of the vessel,
which by this time had broken into two
parts.
Scullin, believing that the wreck would
go down at any moment, left his compan-
ions and swan from rock to rock, being
washed off time and again, but. with his
body cut and bleeding, he finally reached
a tree probably fifty yards from shore, and
clim bing into it's branches sat there until
daylight
Meanwhile the rest of the crew, save
Gastrom, who bravely volunteered to try
to reach the shore on a raft and was
drowned, remained on the vessel. At day.
break Captain Wyman foated a big piece
of the main deck, and with this as a raft
they made their way to the rocks where
they remained until the storm partially
subsidized. ALI the men were practically
naked by this time, their hats, coats,
trousers and other wearing apparel having
been washed from their bodies by the ter
rife seas which broke over them.
Reaching the shore the storm driven and
sea-beaten band wended their way to MUIR
der Cove, where was situated a small In
dian village. Here the shipwrecked
men remained for four days, dur
ing which time the Indians held
pow-wow, deciding to murder the
whole party. The Indians were kakes,
the most ferocious in Alaska; but two OF
their number-a buck and his squaw-pre-
vented the wholesale slaughter OF the
whites, and Captain Wyman and his men
were taken in canoe and landed eight days
after the wreck at Kiliisnoo. The following
day the United States steamship Wolcott
touched at Killlsnoo and took the men
aboard and on to Sitka.
The Ewood was formerly the United
States Coast Geodetic steamer Yukon. 10
was valued at $500 and was uninsured.
Before the crew left the scene of the wrecls
there was scarcely piece of her in sight.