Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-21
HE OREGON WRECK
tories Told by the Three
Survivors.
WEyTY-THREE MEN DROWNED.
Within Half an Hour After Striking
The ship Broke In Two, aud
the Mast to Which the Crew
Had Fled Came Down.

Had Fled Came Down.
q YAQUINA, Or, Nov. 21-Additional |
4 PARTICULARS of the wreck of the British |
y hip ATLANTA, Captain Charles Nc
q Bride, from Tacoma for Cape Town, |
Il thursday morning, five miles south of |
Alsea, have been received. Twenty |
hree lives were lost, including all the |
i Ulcers OF the ship, and only three sail !
. )rs survived to tell the terrible story
If the wreck
4 Wednesday morning the ship stood off
IN the starboard tack the course being
southeast half east until Wednesday
light about u o'clock. She kept back
ng off, steering southeast by east and
running under fun sail. when suddenly
The lookout sang out Breakers aheadI
Almost at the same time the ship
struck with a tremendous crash. She
rose again on the heavy ground swell,
lurched forward, struck again, was car
ried farther by the seas, struck a third
time and commenced settling at once.
The seas by this time were washing
completely over the vessel, and the
decks were quickly cleared of every
thing movable. The crew had taken TO
the rigging, most Of them to the mizzen-
mast. Within half an hour after strik-
ing the hull broke in two. The main
mast fell, and this started the mizzen-
mast, in which nearly all the crew had
taken refuge. AT this moment George
Frazer a sailor, plunged overheard,
preferring to take his chances by swim
ming to being carried over by the tot
tering mizzenmast. He and two 9TH
ers succeeded in catching hold Of the
main hatch and held on for a few min
utes. when he was told that the port
lifeboat was near him. Frazer swan
to the boat after a desperate struggle
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 on shore.
Frazer in telling the story Of the
wreck said: 1.-THE first thing I knew
the first mate called me and said the
ship was on the beach. The other men
came to the door and sang out: All
hands lay aft. We are going to wear
Ship The second mate shouted: Clear
away the boats. That's our only chance
The second mate and myself jumped on
the boat skids to clear away the port
boat. I shouted out for some one to
give me a hand to the mizzen rigging
AS soon as / reached the poop l was
swept off my feet, but grasped
stanchiOn. when the sea spent its force.
When the sea cleared off the poop. 1 ran
for the mizzen rigging and climbed into
it. I staid there. 1 suppose, ten min
utes when the ship righted and listed
over to starboard. I crawled across the
cross Jack yard and got into the port
rigging, when the ship broke in two.
Shortly after that the mainmast went
by the board, and it started the mizzen-
mast. I then took to the water and
swan to the main hatch, which fioated
close TO the ship. I staid on the hatch
about 20 minutes. The sea was throw
ing wreckage up, hitting me over the
head until / drlfted 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 I got off myself, as II would not hold
two up There was another hatch near
by and / swan to it, but the breakers
washed me off The men in the rigging
were watching me and told me the boat
was coming. / swan to the boat and
got one arm over the gunwale, the crew
in the rigging cheering me all the time
] crawled into the boat, which was full
of water, and, looking around. saw
Webbef,on the other side. Mcmahon
was among the wreckage, and we haul
ed 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 could
see anybody. but only one man was Wis
ible on the port aft davit. We kept the
boats head to sea and were soon wash
ed ashore"
Mcmahon said: THE only reason ]
can think for the disaster was that the
captain had lost his reckoning on ac-
count of the weather for three days
preceding. otherwise the accident (.
quite unaccountable. 1t was a pitifu
sight to see the chief officers in the rig
ging. crying and praying for help.
consider the escape Of myself and two
shipmates nothing short of a miracle"