The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-12
Schooner Nellie Coleman Loses
Two Members Of Her Crew.
A BIG STORM OFF CAPE HORN.
Schooner Arrives In the Local Har-
BostOn-Left Last November and
Had y Troublesome Journey-Jan-
uary - an Eventfui Day for the
Schooner Tive Men Overheard.

The trim little schooner Nellie Coleman.
Capt. William A. Ross. arrived In por.
yesterday morning. lsa days out of Boston.
She is the ilrs, of the feet of small sailing
vessels that left Atlantic coast ports in
November and December for Seattle and
reached San Francisco. but the Colesnan
is several weeks ahead of them In reaching
Seattle.
The little schooner's trip was very excit-
ing. and two of her crew. Johan Myhre
and Hjaiu,ar L. Olsen, found wasery graves
in the ocean ninety miles south OF Cape
Horn. They were washed off the bowsprit
during a terrible storm on January y. The
storm in which the two men lost their lives
was only one of series of terrible gales
that buffeted tho little craft around from
Christmas day until February 10. The Cole
man stopped two days AZ San Francisco.
leaving there April - The run up the
coast was made in very good time and was
uneventful.
On the morning OK January . terrible
decided to shorten sail. The Coleman had
four men before the mast, and they had
their hands full. Two of them were or
dered out on the bowsprit TO furl the fly
ing jib. 1t was very dangerous work, as
almost every wave was breaking over the
bow of the little schooner, and washing the
decks. With every plunge the bowsprit
dipped into tire Icy sea. The sailors ordered
to furl the jlb were Myhre and Olsen.
young Norwegians. who had been sailing
since mere boys, They did not hesitate.
and managed 10 reach their places on the
bowsprit- They unfas;ened the, jib. but
were unable 10 hold 1t. The next time the
schooner plunged both were washed off.
Capt. Ross Immediately put the ship
about and ordered Mate Edward Keogh
and the two remaining sailors into a boat.
The two Norwegians could be seen strug-.
Cling in the water. Both were strong
swimmers. but were encountered with
heavy oiiskins and rubber boots Ii took
about five minutes 10 get the boa. over
board. and by shat time the men were our
OF sight. The men In the small boa :
sighted the pair of nnfortunates once af
ter leaving the ship. When TIE boat again
came up on the crest or wave neither
could be seen.
The storm was increasing in violence ali
the time and 1t looked as though the small
boat would not be able to get back 10 the
schooner Capt. Ross and the one passen-
ger aboard could hardly manage the
schooner, but finally got her In the neigh
borhood of the dory. The boat was picked
up and the voyage continued short-handed.
- - IA
Both men were from Norway and were
shipped at Boston.
First Officer keogh gave a Post-Intell-
geneer reporter the following account OF
the trip Yesterday:
Eve left Boston on November p and had
good run 10 Staten island near Cane
Horn, II was on Christmas day that we
ran into our first severe gale. We beat our
way slowly southwark. keeping well away
from Cape Horn and the rocky islands in
that vicinity The gales continued in force
until we'll up the coast of Patagonia. On
February ~ we ran out of the storm belt
and had good weather to San Francisco,
where we arrived on April q. The trip
from San Francisco TO Seattle was une-
ventfut We were towed down from Port
Townsend this morning
The Nellie Coleman was engaged In the
fruit trade In the Atlantic. She operated
between charlestown. 3. -. and Jamaica.
She Is owned by A. e. CiarHn. She has
ninety tons Of coal In her hold, which will
be unioaded here.
Three other schooners OF the Alaskan fleet
have arrived at San Francisco some OF
them made better time than the Coleman.
and none had as many difficulties The
Ahbic NJ. Deersng ana the Hattie j. Phil
lips arrived at San Francisco about the
middle OF April and viii soon leave that
port for Seattle The schooner Charles
Levi Woodbury. arrived on May T. having
left Gloucester on February e. She viii
arrive here In several weeks