The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-14
He Spent His Time in His
Cabin, Drinking Brandy.
WHY THE COwAN WAS WRECKED
When She Struck Her Master Came
Up and Caused Panic.
"Man the Boats" He Cried-Ef tho
Men Had stayed on the ship, Which
Is stu Whole. Every one Would
Have Been sayed-Instead, Sevea
We're Lost.

Port Townsend, Jan. Special-since
the publication Of the story about the al
ieseu drunkenness OF Capt. Thompson OF
the Inflated Janet Cowau. nearly every
member OF the crew has come for
ward TO verify the story. Four OF them.
Carpenter Peterson. and Seamen Heath,
Lowry and Olsen. have filed afiidavits with
the British consul charging that Thonrp-
son was drunk and also incapable OF band
Ing the vessel. Another one. Septimus
Cosens. a boy Is years old. son of John
Cosens, a wholesale liquor merchant OF
South Shields. England. who claims TO
nave peen IN IA position 10 knew the
amount or liquor used bv Capt. Thomson
on the voyage, says the latter was drink
ing almost continually. Cosens SAYS that
when about seven weeks out from Cane
Town the captain was not seen for a pc
rlod or fifteen days. being too drunk 20 80
on deck. also that on the voyage TO Cape
Town SO much liquor had been used that
the captain was obliged 10 replenish his
stock there. Cosens is corroborated by J.
IL. Peterson. the carpenter. John Moran
and James Heath. able seamen.
Peterson, who went on a previous voy-
age with Capt. Thompson. tells of the lat
ters general demeanor toward the under
oHleers on every occasion. lie SAYS he
was gruff and Crusty, never asking or taxi
ing advice OF any one. and spending most
OF his time in the cabin drinking brandy
hen about eleven weeks out from Cane
Town the captain was not seen for twenty
Tour hours. This was during one of the
worst periods Of the passage \ terrific
gale came on. the ship being struck by a
cyclone that carried away the foresan ln-
der circumstances which rendered life
hazardous. The captain knew nothing OF
this till the second day. and refused "a
listen 10 explanations about the loss OF the
sail and claimed II was due 70 the negli-
gence of the officers.
Some OF the crew critlcisa Cant srhopo-
son aud Second Mate Howell. both now
dead. for hurrying desertion OF the shin
on the night OF the disaster. This IS more
important than might appear AZ first
thought. because later Developments provo
that II the crew had remained with tbs
vessel they would have been all right even
10 the present time. for she has not rooa
to pieces. and would have saved them all
from the exposure that caused the death
Of four men who died from exposure from
tramp.ng along the deach IN ten inches OF
snow as well as the drowning OF three
in a manner the particulars of which may
never be fully known II seems that when
the vessel struck the rocks she was going
at six knots per hour. and the shock
threw the men off their feet, so violent was
st.
There was CONSERVATION on board. and
IN the midst Of IT, Capt. Thompson. who
shouted; Man the boats" The crew
say that a more capable or sober man
would have quelled the excitement but in
stead OF that Capt. Thompson's words till-
ell all with terror. ard they seemed crazed
with a desire 20 make the shore Had they
taken chances on board tn daylight they
would have found II Unnecessary 10 leave
the vessel at all. and no lives would have
been lost. Capt Thompson's home was In
Seacombe. near Birkenhead. England,
where he leaves a wife and one child
The matter Of the wreck VIII be fully
investigated by Consul Klocker here ard
the result sent 10 the ships owners. Cham
berlain. who swan ashore with n line is
one Of those left behind. and is expected
here tomorrow morning on the tug Pio-
neer. This IS the second wreck Able Sea-
man Heath has experienced during the past
eight months. lie was IN the Norwegian
bark eleanor when she went on St Esauf's
rocks. west coast OF Africa. July s. 1895.
Two months later he Joined the cowan.
Three tugs are al the scene ~ the wreck.
trying 10 save the nine abandoned seamcn
and all the property possible from the
wreck. Stewart. who is With the party.
has one leg badly frosthitten and some ut
the crew here fear modification VIII set
in before he receives medical attention.