The herald., 1897-10-24
Raging Along the Northern
Coast
THE STEAM SCHOONER CASPAR
SMASHED ON THE ROCKS OFF
POINT ARENA
OF the Crew Of Fifteen Only Captain
Anfndsen and Sailor Larsen
Reach the Shore
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 2s-The first
storm Of the season occurred last night
and this morning. It was accompanied
by high southeasterly winds, which blew
forty five miles an hour shortly after
midnight, and by heavy rain. Up to
noon the precipitation had been 1.3S
inches, but the wind shifted, and at
8 p. m. was due west and very light
Outside the bar the weather was very
rough, so much SO, in fact, that the
United States cutter Corwin. which left
Folsom-street wharf for San Diego, was
compelled to put back, as an unusually
heavy swell and chopping seas were
breaking over the bar, rendering .
crossing too dangerous to attempt.
THE CASPAR WRECKED
POINT ARENA, CAL, Oct. 13.-Thir-
teen seamen, comprising almost the en-
tire crew of the steam schooner Caspar,
were drowned early this morning by the
wreck of their vessel. The rocky shore
in this vicinity was strewn with wreck
age today but there was no way Of iden-
tifying the ship until this evening, when
two men from shore, who had gone out
in a small boat to rescue any Of the
crew who might still be alive, picked up
Captain Anfindsen and Seaman Chris
Larsen, who had been floating about
on an improvised raft for twenty-four
hours. To his rescuers, Adolph Peterson
and Henry Anderson, the captain of the
wrecked steamer Said that the Caspar
struck on a reef at 1890 this morning,
and seven minutes later capsized. When
she tipped over all the members of the
crew were washed overheard. The
steamer carried fifteen men. but from
the moment the accident occurred the
captain has seen none of his crew except
his companion, Larsen, and has no doubt
that the other thirteen have all been
drowned.
When thrown into the water Anflnd-
sen and Larsen, by great good luck,
were able to reach some pieces of float
ing timber. They succeeded in drawing
the boards together and clung to this
improvised raft from the time of the ac-
cident until late this afternoon. while
the storm beat about them, the while
being exposed TO the most furious gale
Of the season. They had almost sue
cumbed from cold, exposure and ex-
haustion, and were with great difficulty
saved by their rescuers. The sea has
been so high all day that it has been
impossible to launch as boat from shore,
and even this evening the two men who
went out and accomplished the rescue
risked their lives in the breakers.
Later in the evening the steamer AL
cazar cruised about the scene of the
wreck but could find no trace Of any Of
the other seamen. The scene Of the dis
aster is very dangerous locality for
shipping, and when a vessel is thrown
on the rocks she is certain to be doomed,
and there is little chance for the es-
cape of her unfortunate crew.
The Ca,spar sailed from San Francisco
yesterday for Usal, where she was to
load lumber for San Francisco. The
steam schooner was we'll known on the
coast, having been engaged in the lum-
Der freighting business for the past nine
years. She was owned by the Caspar
Lumber company and registered 800
tons.
Drowned:
MORRIS PETERSON, first mate.
ANDREW ANDERSON, second mate.
GEORGE H. OFFERMAN, engineer.
JOHN KUHN, assistant engineer.
N. c. HELVERSON, seaman.
JOHN C. ANDERSON, seaman.
LOUIS BRUCE, seaman.
The cook, name unknown, and
Five others, whose names are un-
know at present.
ANOTHER WRECK
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, Oct. 2s.-
From a craft arrived this evening from
outside Cape Flattery it is learned that
the American bark Germania, Captain
j. E. Pierson, which left Whatcom TEN
days ago, lumber laden for San Fran
cisco, is off Cape Flattery in very bad
condition. The bark was leaking badly
when spoke and unless assistance
reaches her soon she is likely to UNDER
go very unpleasant experience. The
weather off the cape for the past week
has BEEN EXCEPTIONAL severe and It is
said that much damage to shipping has
been DONE
HIT THE WHARF
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. 23. = The
Stockton steamer Captain Weber was
about seven hours late in reaching her
dock here today. AS she was approach
ing the wharf at Antioch the rudder
broke and the steamer crashed into the
wharf, carrying away several piles and
doing slight damage to her stem After
repairs to the rudder had been made
the vessel came on to San Francisco.
TURNED TURTLE
VICTORIA, B. c., Oct. 23.-The steam
er Evangel, on the way to Port Angeles
this afternoon, picked up the fishing
sloop Thistle, bottom up. There was a
big blow in the straits last evening, and
it was feared that the sloop upset and
her crew of two men drowned.
STORM NOTES
STOCKTON, Oct. 2S.-The rainfall for
the storm which ended this afternoon
was ore and seven hun dredths inches.
1t is enough to make plowing easy and
the farmers will soon commence that
work The rainfall in the mountains