The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-15
Futile Mission of the Tyee to
Bring off the Stranded.
Vessel.
DEFENSE OF THE CAPTAIN.
Mate Legalle Denies the Charge That
His Superior Officer Was
Drunk.

PORT TOWNSEND, WASH, Jan. IA
Captain Cove of the tug Tyee, which,
with the tugs Holyoke and Pioneer, was
sent from here yesterday to rescue the re-
mainder OF the crew of tho bark Janet
Cowan, telegraphed to-day that the vessel
was 8 total wreck and there was nothing
to save from her. The men had reached
Carmanah Point and been taken to Vic
toria before the tugs arrived.
Mate Charles Legalle of the wrecked
bark Janet Cowan consented this after
noon to make full statement regarding
the wreck, the character and behavior of
the captain and the handling of the vessel,
and he dictated the following while lying
on his cot at the Marine Hospital:
"In the first place, l want to deny en-
phatically that there was any bad feeling
between Captain Thompson and myself on
the voyage, or that the captain refused to
ask or accept my advice at any time. OF
course there were little disagreements be-
tween us at times, just as there always are
between captain and mate, but Captain
Thompson was one of the most forgiving
men l ever knew, and after having a tiff
with one of the officers or men during the
day, 1t was all over by the time ne sat
down to table. He was gruff, but that
never caused any trouble between US.
Captain Thompson was not q temper
ate man, and on the voyage 1 saw him the
worse for liquor a couple of times, but
during the last six weeks of the voyage he
did not have a drop of liquor of any kind,
because there was none on board. Besides
that Captain Thompson did not seem to
care for 1t when he knew there was none
to be had, and at the time of the accident
he was perfectly sober, am sure.
at is well enough TO talk of keeping off
the Vancouver shore, but that was impos-
sible with the gale we had. 1t is true we
were closer inshore than we knew, be-
cause we lost more ground than we
though in wearing ship. 1t is useless to
talk about following a schooner in, be-
cause a schooner could be closehauled and
stand right up against the wind, but that
is impossible with big ship that is light
I'm wearing out past Cape Flattery the
last time we were within four miles OF the
light but in getting back we lost so much
ground that we were close in and did not
know it because it was too thick to get our
bearings. The wind was not 10 be de-
pended on, for it changed as much as
fourteen points during the night.
"At midnight Captain Thompson and I
discussed the ACCESSIBILITY of wearing ship,
but he thought it best to wait a little
longer. Shortly after that we went below
together and were consulting charts when
the shout land ahead!' was given by
Second Mate Howell, and all hands were
ordered on deck Immediately and ordered
II; W.,
although every effort was made to bring
her around, it could not be done in time,
and a half hour later she was on the rocks.
"The only complaint have to make Is
that the ship was not properly manned.
She had in 100 tons more ballast than on
her previous voyage from Cape Town to
Sydney, but she did not have men enough.
Something of the violence of the gale can
be told when the staysail was torn into
shreds while being hauled down before we
went on to the rocks, and yet the wind
shifted and was blowing off shore within
ten minutes after we struck. There was
good reason for hurrying off the vessel,
because from the way she was pounding
on the rocks we thought she would surely
go to pieces within twenty-four hours.
81 want to say that 1 consider it dis
grace for any civilized nation to leave such
shore unprovided with signal stations of
some kind. There should be two stations
on that coast, so that vessels could take
their bearings and know where they are;
then there would be no more accidents of
this kind. Even if the Government had
sent out some patrol vessel along that
shore after the big storm we would all have
been rescued, as on the second day the
weather was fine, and boats could have
come right in after US. l will say that the
Cowan had full complement of men, as
required by the Board of Trade of Londen,
and even three extra; but those matters
are easily arranged, and do not indicate
that the vessel is properly manned"
Legalle read the foregoing and said it
was correct in every particular, and would
be his testimony before the British Vice.
Consul when called upon.