The San Francisco call., 1897-02-11
MEN AND TUGS
TO THE RESCUE
Collier Mackinaw Carried
Ashore on Marrow
stone Point.
Fast Sinking in the Sand, and
It Is Feared She Cannot
Be F!oated.
Disabled Steering Gear the Cause.
She Lies Exposed to Wind and
Swift Tides.

PORT TOWNSEND, WASH, Feb. TO-
The steam collier Mackinaw, Captain Lit
tlefield. which left Tacoma at IL O'Clock
last night bound for San Francisco went
aground at Marrowstone Point, directly
opposite this city, at o'clock this morn
ing and is still hard and fast on the beach.
The accident, which promises to result
more seriously than was at first antici-
pated, was directly attributable to dis
abled steering gear, which was dis
covered to be out of order soon after the
vessel left the dock at Tacoma. The trip
from Tacoma was made in safety, but just
as the huge craft was rounding Marrow
stone Point her rudder jammed, leaving
the Mackinaw at the mercy OF a fierce tide
rip which has before this piled vessels up
at the spot. 1t was but very few mo-
ments before the vessels prov stuck into
the beach, and the tide soon put her
broadside on. Captain Littlefeld, after
making a survey of the vessels position,
came here for assistance.
The tugs Holyoke and Magic were at
once dispatched to the scene, but
the combined strength of both, to-
gether with the Mackinaw's engines,
going full speed astern, failed to bulge
her. The vessel struck at half tide, but
tue 10 T6ltdSc u0I dL Iull IlQ6
brought realization of the fact that the
chances of floating her are decidedly few.
A force of twenty longshoremen at once
set to work dlschargfng cargo upon light
ers, but the vessel, constantly settling
with every motion of the waves, disabled
the steam gear so much it was impossi-
BILE to use it for discharging. AS con-
sequence this work will require two or three
days, during which time it is feared the
vessel will sustain severe damage, If she
does not break apart. The MacKinaw is
settling so rapidly that her houses are
pulling asunder, indicating that the dam
age to the hull will be great
AS soon as half cargo has been lightened
another attempt will be made to release
the vessel, which, If unsuccessful, will be
followed by an united quill by the entire
feet of the Puget Sound Towbost Co. The
opinion expressed here among shipping
men is that the vessel will never be
hoated ii the next attempt does not put
her into deep water. The Mackinaw lies in
an exposed position on point where she Is
open 10 the clean sweep of the wind that
may come up, and which would be certain
to imbed her deeper in the sands if not
break her up.
The tide runs like a millrace around
Marrowstone Point. making it particu-
larly difficult and hazardous to approach
and leave the vessel during the progress
The tug people say the Mackinaw must
be raised up three feet on her present draft
before it would be advisable to incur the
expense of another effort to get the
craft into deep water. This, in view
of the necessity of handling all the
coal, will require two or three days,
during which time it is highly proba bic
that the heavy collier will work herself
so deep into the sandy bed as to be mex
tricable.
Captain LittIefield has proved himself
to be the right man In the right p ace, the
work of releasing the ship having been
well under way before either her San
Francisco or Tacoma agents had received
notification OF the mishap.
Within three hours after the Mackinaw
struck an attempt had been made to get
her clear of the beach and this failing a
her cargo, which was made up OF 1000 tons
of coal.
The Mackinaw is owned by the Saginaw
Steel Steamship Company OF Saginaw,
Mich. by which she was built in 1890.
The next year she came around the Horn
under charter TO the Oregon Improvement
company by which she has peen operated
continuously ever siuce in the local carry
Ing trade between Tacoma and San Fran
cisco. The Mackinaw is a sister ship to the
Keweenaw, which, with the collier Mont
serrat, foundered with all hands off Cape
Flattery in a fierce storm three winters
ago, when go many vessels were lost.
Despite the fact that the big Mackinaw
has been operated in all sorts of water on
the coast for six years this is her first &C
cident a fact highly complimentary to
her skipper, Captain Littefield.