The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-24
TWO MEN LOST
Overheard from the Kliki.
tat in a Storm.
First Mate and Seaman-Thay Were
at Work--Effort to Rescue or
Find the Men.

The American barkentine Klikitat
arrived in port late yesterday after
noon from Port Townsend with a tale
of sadness from the high seas-a tale
! which records the death of First Mate
Anderson and a seaman, Nelson by
| name, in the early morning of the 9Th
inst, while the wind was blowing
| strong from the southeast and the
rain was pouring down in torrents
A reporter of the Advertiser called
| on Captain Cutler shortly after the
arrival Of the Klikitat but, not finding
him aboard, the mate was questioned
in regard to the loss Of the two men.
The following story was kindly fur
nished:
1T was little after o'clock on the
morning of the 5th of December and
we were about abreast of Monterey,
a hundred and fifty miles off shore
and two hundred miles to the south
ward of San Francisco. We had been
out since the 21st of November.
II had completed my watch and
gone below to take my rest while the
III 81 ludtc StOOu Ills w dtCu.
after $50 o'clock, l was Weakened by
the cry Of: Man overheard and l
fastened to the deck to find what was
the matter. I soon learned that the
mate and Seaman Nelson had gone
overheard.
''The circumstances were that the
wind had blown up very fresh from
the southeast and the mate with the
seaman mentioned had gone in COM
pany with another seaman, Hans by
name, to shift the spanker sheet from
the cleat on the starbOard side of the
one on the port side. The mate and
Nelson nipped the sheet while Hans
attended the cleat. The boom must
have given terrific jerk, for the men,
still clinging to the sheet, were thrown
out over the water. Something must
have happened to make them relax
their grip for they could easily have
held on under ordinary circumstances.
1t is my opinion that the men were
either caught in the ropes or the heavy
block. Hans was thrown to the deck
at the same time so that he did not
see what had happened to his ship
mates. At all events he heard Ander-
son calling out for help. The vessel
was then going along at about seven
miles an hour so that it was not many
seconds before the cries were alto
gether lost.
''The captain and all hands were
soon on deck and the sliding top of
one of the matches was thrown over
board for the help of the men in case
they happened to be anywhere near.
The vessel was stopped and the cap
tain contemplated sending a boat in
search of the men but he very soon
gave up this plan, seeing the heavy
sea running and noticing the force of
the wind. To send out boat in such
weather would have been almost GER
tain death for the men in it. How
ever, we cruised about for the space
of about two hours, or until it was
broad daylight. The poor unfortunate
fellows had by that time gone to the
bottom. Fate was dead against them.
1t was bitter cold and they were dress
ed in their heavy coats and boots, so
that any attempt on their part to swim
must surely have been checkmated at
once.
"There is very touching fact about
the life and death of the two men.
They were both Norwegians and were
brought up together in their native
country, going to the same schools and
treating eachsanother like brothers all
through their lives. Where one went,
the other followed, did it happen to
be for pleasure or for work. Living
thus as friends, there seemed to be a
sad appropriateness about their meet
ing death together"
Anderson had been running to this
port on the Klikitat for the past seven
years and was very we'll liked by the
captain of the vessel as we'll as all
those with whom he had anything to
do. Anderson leaves a family. He
was a hard worker and steady. The
same can be said of the unfortunate
seaman. Captain Cutler is very much
affected by the sad occurrence.