The San Francisco call., 1896-11-17
WRECKED NEAR
CARMANAH LIGHT
American Schooner Puritan
Strikes Shore During
a Fcg.
Captain and Crew Rescued With
the Aid of Two Indians
en- Land.
Reached by a Lifeline After Passing
Ten Hours in the Wave.
Washed Rigging.

VICTORIA, B. c., Nov. 25.-The Amer
lean four masted schooner Puritan is the
latest addition to the long list of ship
wrecks which have made the rugged shore
of the west coast of Vancouver Island a
terror to seamen. The vessel is COM
plete wreck near the spot where, some
eleven months ago, the ship Janet Cowan
went ashore. Happily this latest disaster
is unattended by loss of life. Captain C.
II. Atwood and his crew of nine men, after
spending some ten hours on the wreck
with the waves dashing over them, re.
ceived assistance from two Indians and
| succeeded in getting TO shore.
As soon as the Puritan struck huge seas
began to wash over her and carried away
the only two boats and everything on
deck. The men lashed themselves to the
rigging and watched, between seas, for an
opportunity to float line ashore. Their
efforts 10 secure rope ton with
the shore proved unsuccessful, the dis.
tance being too great and the undertow
too strong. About an hour after the
schooner struck the fog lifted, showing
Carmanah light.
About o'clock two Indians on the
beach, waiting for low tide, succeeded in
getting onto a ledge OF rock near the yes.
sci. They threw fishline, weighted with
| u stone, far enough for those on board to
secure it by another line with hook at.
tached. Then three-inch hawser was
stretched between the ship and the rocks.
One end was made fast by the Indians
| around point of rock and the other was
| fixed through block twenty feet up the
jigger rigging. BY this rope all hands
succeeded in reaching the rock ten hours
after the schooner struck, the captain
being the last to leave the vessel. They
| waded through the breakers to gain the
beach.
The Indians treated the wrecked men
Hospitality, giving them something to eat
and place TO sleep. The seamen saved
nothing but what they wore. Some oi
them were but scantily clad at the time,
and others did not have even their shoes
on and their feet were painfully lacerated
by sharp rocks in walking from the end oi
the line to the shore. The walk from
Bonilla to Carmanah was also trying
one for those who were unfortunate
enough to be without covering for their
feet, as the country is of the roueh hest de-
scription.
Too much praise cannot be given to the
two Indians who for nearly two hours
stood on the rocks, III the ice cold water,
endeavoring to throw line within reach
of the shipwrecked sailors. By an almost
superhuman effort one OF the Indians
threw the fishing-line, weighted with a
stone. nearly $50 feet, and thus the con-
nection was made with the shore. Had
not the Indians bravely stuck to their un-
comfortable post the lives of the men
aboard would have been lost.
The Puritan was four masted wooden
schooner, of a little over 600 tons register,
forty feet beam and twelve feet depth of
hold. She was built at Port Madison some
six years ago and was in the coasting
trade. Her managing owners are C. A.
Hooper e. Co. of San Francisco. She was
chartered to load cargo of lumber at
Port Gamble for San Francisco. Her in
surance is not known.
Captain Atwood and crew will probably
leave for San Francisco on the first outgo-
ing steamer