The record-union., 1898-11-20
1Wenty-Thrse Lives Lost, Including
All of the Officers.
Only Three Sailors Survive to Tell the
Story Of the Disaster.
The Vessel Struck on the Rocks at
Twelve O'Clock at Night, the
Hull Breaking in Two Within
Half an Hour Afterward.
Story of the Wreck as Told by
One of the Survivors.

YAQUINA (Or.), Nov 19.-Addi-
tional particulars of the wreck of the
ship Atalanta, Captain Charles Nc
Bride. from Tacoma to Cape Town,
Thursday morning. five miles south OF
Alsea, were brought here to-day by a
correspondent of the Associated Press,
who went to the scene. Twenty-three
lives We're lost, including all the officers
of the ship, and only three sailors sur
vived to tell the terrible story of the
wreck.
The survivors are: Francis Mcmahon
of Belfast, Ireland; John Weber Of
Tarrytown, N. Y, and George Frazer
of Philadelphia.
The lost are: Captain Charles Nc
Bride, First Mate Hunter and Second
Mate H. c. Houston, all of Greenock,
Scotland; David Steward of Liverpool,
Aleek Beck, w. E. GROCER, M. o. Pix
ington, Joe Casa, Williamson, t.
Lewis, Michael Gallagher, David Green,
--- jacobson, Pendro Gregory, John
Marks and John Smith, all seamen;
- Hamilton, sail maker.
The unknown are two cooks, car
penter, sail maker, second mate and
one sailor.
Wednesday morning the ship stood
off on the starboard tack, the course
being southeast by east, until Wednes-
day night at II o'clock. The ship kept
backing off, steering southeast by east,
and running under full sail, when sud
denly the lookout sang out, Breakers
ahead" Almost at the same moment
the ship struck with a tremendous
crash. She rose again on the heavy
ground swell, lurched forward. struck
again, was carried further by the seas,
struck third time, and commenced
settling at once.
The seas by this time were washing
completely over the vessel, and the
decks were quicyly cleared of everything
movable. The crew had taken to the
rigging, most of them to the mizzen
mast. Within an hour after striking
the hull broke in two, the main mast
fell and this started the mizzen mast,
in which sztearly all the crew had taken
| refuge
At this moment George Frazer, a
sailor, plunged overheard, preferring to
take his chances by swimming to being
carried over by the tottering mizzen
mast. He succeeded in catching hold
of the main hatch, and held on for a
few minutes, when he was called to
that the life boat was near him. Fra
ger swan to it after desperate strug-
gle, and succeeded in climbing into it,
his shipmates in the rigging giving him
three cheers. After helping Mcmahon
and Weber into the boat, they soon
drifted ashore. Frazer, in telling the
story of the wreck, said
THE first thing / knew the first mate
called me and said the ship was on the
beach. Two other men came to the
door and sang out All hands lay aft,
we are going to wear ship The Sec
ond mate shouted, Clear away the
boats, that's our only chance The
second mate and myself jumped upon
the boats kids to clear away the port
boat. 1 shouted out for some one to
give me a hand, and turning around 1
ran to the miZzen mast. AS soon as L
reached the poop / was swept off my
feet, but grasped a stanchion when the
sea spent it's force.
when the sea cleared off the poop
ran for the mizzen rigging and climbed
into it. / stayed there, / suppose ten
minutes, when the ship righted and
listed to starboard. I crawled across
the crossjack yard, and got into the
port rigging, when the ship broke in
two. Shortly after that the main mast
went by the board, and it started the
mizzen mast. / then took to the water
and swan to the main hatch, which
f1oated close by the ship / stayed on
the hatch about twenty minutes. The
Sea was throwing wreckage up, hitting
me over the head, until 1 drifted clear
of the ship. Another fellow swan to
the hatch, but told him to get off the
hatch and look for one of his own. He
would not do it, so 1 got off myself, as
1T would not hold two up. There was
another hatch near by and I swan to
it, but the breakers washed me off.
THE men in the rigging were watch
ing me and told me the boat was COM
ing. I swan to the boat and got one
| arm over the gunwale, the crew in the
rigging cheering me all the time. I
| crawled into the boat, which was full
| of water and looking around saw Web
Der on the other side. Mcmahon was
among the wreckage, and we hauled
| him into the boat. We had no oars,
| but soon drifted clear Of the wreck, and
| the breakers started US ashore. look
| ed toward the wreck to see if 1 could
| see anybody, but only one man was
visible upon the port aft davit. We
kept the boats head to sea, and were
| soon washed ashore"
| Mcmahon said: THE only reason T
| can think of for the disaster was thas
| the Captain had lost his reckoning on
| account of the thick weather for the
| three preceding days, otherwise the ac-
cident is quite unaccountable. It was
| a pitiful sight to see the chief officers
| in the rigging crying and praying for
help. / consider the escape of myself
| and two shipmates nothing short Of a
miracle"
| Her Last Voyage to the Orient.
| SAN FRANCISCO. Nov 19.-The