The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-13

Mistake That Drove the Big snip OH
Vancouver I-iand.
Ten DAYS OF suffering from cold and pri-
.-ation on a rocky blum. during wnieh tine
eeven OF tho creN. including the captain
ssd mate. met their death. the other mate
ana A seaman met with terrible accidents,
tells the tale o: the wrecking Of the oig.
four-maated English snip Janet Co"an On
the ragged shores OF Vancouver island
otherwise known as the 00neyard OF the
Pacific ocean. This frightful news WAS
brought to the city yesterday afternoon
By the tug Tyee. which had bat A few hours
before landed fourteen members OF the Ill
faxed crew az Port Townsend. The ofncefs
OF the tug tell a most narrowing story OF
the wreck and OF the crew and III sur
roundings as found b them. Capt Thomp-
son died % exposure several DAYS AFTER thS
ship struck the reef. and the cook. and an
aole seaman and the man that ran the
donkey engine died the following ~, the
latter becoming violently insane. The other
three men that lost their lives were the
second mato and tao apprentice boys.
Nine members OF the crew were left on ne
shore .n g cabin aooul mile NORTH o. t4e
place where week a- -a- ie"..
;'no Cnstaways Discovered.
The Tyeo. FIRST sighted the wrecked ship
or Saturday afternoon on releasing a tow
She Vas plainly 1r.l-ned On the SHORES %
Vancouver island and could not oe mis-
taken. Capt Cove made sor the ship with
all possible haste. and was soon III close
proximity. No siE1 OF the crew could be
seen on the wreck nor on shore. The sea
was running pretty high at TIC time the
tug hove 10, but two boats were lowered,
IN charge - Mate Hall and Chief Engineer
Hawkins. ard start made for the ship.
which was standing up majestically, her
three lower topfa.ls Get and head GA
straight &C. the westward. The stern was
high ia tie air. and the rudder broken
sqnareiy IN two Hall and Hawkins steered
their beats toward the bow Of the ship.
under which was clear passage to the port
side once OF that side a portion of the
crew could Ae seen On toy OF q high blum,
on which tent had been pitched. A rope
ladder had been taken OF the snip and fas-
tened 10 the TOP 81 this h,un, making
stairway by which the men could climb
from the shore 10 their abode. u landing
vas effected With attle difficulty. the big
iron ship breaking the force of the waves
and the Fescuers scaled the blum. \ sight
met their gaze that VIII not be forgotten
for years TO come. Seated about a fire on
pieces OF wood and on the ground were
thirteen men all wearing an expression OF
utter hOplessness and misery. At the
sight OF the Tyee's men the scene Was
transformed into one OF hope and hilarious
JOY. The castaways jumped 10 their feet
and embraced their rescuers.
The seven dead men are: Second Mate
John HoStE. Apprentices Walter Logan
and William +. Steele. who jumped over
board and were drowned as the vessel
struck tae beach Capt Thompson Cook
George Kinnear, Engineer Selkirh and
Seaman Peyerai. who died from exposure
IA the snow.
Wrecked by ~ Terrible storm.
First Mate Charles Legal. who was
dashed 10 a hoatswains chair, suffering
from "A fractured Lex received by falling
down "A scuttle hole "A couple of days after
the ship went ashore told Mate Hall OF the
Tyee the story of the disaster lie said
the CoWan came from Cape Town. Africa.
for Royal Roads. British Columbia, and
was l0S days out when she reached Cape
Flattery on December -. There Was ter
rible storm OF the cape land the vessel
stood OK two days before trying 10 come
IN Then she was driven quickly 10 the
northward Icy "a strong southwest wind,
and sought shelter tn the treacheroUs wa
tiers Of BARCLAY sound go avoid being drsv-
ca ashore on Some MOTE exposed point
TIE sound afforded hut little shelter and
she was driven ou the rocks a. high tide
This was o'clock ou the morning 90 De-
cenher 81 ard snowstorm Was coming Oh.
4 sailor >viui- To the shore.
The ship seemed to be breaking In two
AMI IL Was decided to leave her al once.
How 90 ger ou shore, eighty yarus distant.
wds problem uenuiue ltle &C. those on
board. hat There was a hero equal to the
occasion. a. tetre Is ir nearly an such ra-
lamitit2. end he stepped g. ,he front This
was young sailor nlr-i Jimmie COX.
whose father IS chisf encia,rr an one OF
tho ocean liners running between New
York and London. ANA Who was working
his way 7n the ship a1 "a passenger from
cape Town. Cox is an athletic Young f,l-
low ma great faVorite aboard shin.
When he volunteered GO swim ashore wien
"a line 10 was greeted vlth round ~
cheers Quickly tripping OF his clothes
he plnced tuc cast liue ahout his meek and
Owed on the side ~ the vessel into tho fey
waters of the ocean Eeslte tr, water t.-
ms cold in the eNtFeur Tho night was ptt-
terly sharp. and nor a. seoul ON tho dis
tresscd ship believed the Young fellow
could surviv" thr trip However. h, lose
ne time in getuns under EraHuav The
sea was running high ans e number ~
times hc came near being tt~hrd uuou the
rcef. hut with surarhuman efforts 80
struggled on. the shore fiu.fv nftltraf
through snow ara darNrtSs ahead ~ hil,
tie nearly reached thc shore when the
Inc became ast unier rock tshlui him.
and en- order o. save hi@ avn Hfe hr VAS
forced to loosen So from hi. neek rFa
reached Shore safely SEQ e. f-w seconds ana
then shore WAS nothing to 40 but 90 follow
him with iHcnoat
Tho Iine Nado Fast.
This Was unnecessarily aa7r bv 1. small
crew. who soon tal f.r@ mode fast "a
the shore \ naateua.r.s ..tlr A4s th.-
orrerr". as ana 'he taaa-. or tas crew