The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-25

POINT ARENA. Cal. Oct. 24-close IN
der the rocky cliffs where she meE her
eCon. lies. bottom upward the torn and
battered hull of the Inflated steam sca0uu-
er Caspar. wrecked early yesterday morn
ing ca tTescheT0us reef. OF che crew u
fifteen. there remain but Two kaown sur
v.vors. Capt. Anadsen and saIlor Chris
Larsen.
\ boat from the steamer Aleaz4r was oo-
served from shore 20 take In two dark
floating objects. TIE watchers on land
could not discern whether two men OF
merely some ships fittings had been thus
picked gp, although K was thought one
object ressnbled the body ef "a sailor
but whether dead Or alive cannot yet be as
certatnsd- The AIcazsr Is lying OF Green
wood being unable 30 make a landing on
account 0f ths heavy sea running
Body OF CHIEF Engineer Cast tn.
So far hGt one body has been found. II
was cast upon the rocks q mile from the
scene of the wreck. and Coroner Ainslee
subsequently brought the remains 10 Point
Arena, where they xere Identified as those
OF Chief Engineer George Oppernssu An
inquest viii be held here tomorrow Eelp
abounds where the wreck occurred. and
tae thick sea is likely 70 prevent bodies
from being washed ashore for several
days Meanwhile. sharp lookout Is be-
The wrecked steamer has been stripped
b. continuous pounding against the rocks
OF masts and decks and the keel Is bat
tered as X BY a mighty hammer. The Cas-
par struck the reef inside the whlstIng
buoy. only a few yards from the danger
signal After capslzing. the ship was car
RED over the rocks to the shore nearly a
mile distant. by the force OF the heavy
waves.
Dangerous Reef for vessels.
This reef has long b@esi considered a dan
gerous foe by all mariners several vessels
having struck or L in the past few years
The steamer Point Arena once vent over
II. damaging her considerably. The Al
cazar also struck it years ago. besides
scores OF other vessels. hat none were
yreek ked. the ocean happening 20 - calm
IAe Caspar might also have escaped de-
ssructlon. but unfortunately heavy wave
cast her down with such force that the
vessel refused 20 respond 70 the wheel and
was dashed against The rocks and cap
sized. When TIE crew were thrown into
the raging water cries were uttered by the
men. but no help came For many hours
they ciung 10 ao4sing timhsrs until ex-
/ haus,ed they feli. one by one. into wa
terry graves The alarm vas not given in
TIE toxin OF Point Arena until II O'Clock.
ter hours after tas disaster.
Unfortunately all the b1af IS here had only
the day before been dashed 70 pieces By the
sudden storm. and Hale could have been
d0ue toward yucc1riug the helpless crew.
Il was the life saving station that was
sded. night patrol TO doubt would
have seen the distressed steamer and every
man could have been saved.
CIinging 20 Nreckage for Hours.
A. II 20 men were stin seen clinging 20
the floating tinasrs. hut no boats being
obtainab.e they finally sank Adolph Pc
terson and Henry Anderson. two Iabori1g
men. took their lives in thsir hands and
IN q river boat hg8ved The ga. IL vas only
hy ! miracle taat they reached and res
cged Capt Aaandseu and Sailor Larsen.
When these reScuzrs started Jat. seafar-
( ing men conceded two more deaths but
they bravely and successfully performed
: their II tssion. At this time Two additional
uen were seen struggling 10 the water.
E But before the rescue beat could reach
I them they too. had disappeared
Many ai-.er comments are heard AZ the
+ failure to establish a muc1-needed life saw
,ng station here. Saca a precautionary
measure would tend 20 minnie these fire.
+ aueut nautical disasters