The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-31
Schooner N. N. Morrill, Driven
700 Miles Out Of Her Course.
BACK IN SEATTLE HAR6OR.
Comes In From Yakutat hay, where
She Lands Gold -Hunters Bound
for the InteriOr-FOr Three Days
She Was at the Mercy OF Winds
in NOrthern WaterS-It II Marvel
ous That She Escaped Destruction.

After battling with terrible gales for
nearly ten days. during which she was
blown nearly 100 miles out Of her course.
the trim little schooner NJ. NJ. Morrill, il
again IN port.
She arrived yesterday from Yakutat bay,
where she landed twenty gold hunters
bound for the interior of Alaska by the
newly discovered route to tho Yukon
country.
AS Capt. Grant and the members Of the
crew describe the Morrilrs adventures
with the hurricane that ragged in Febru-
arg. in northern waters. 1t is little short
Of wonderful that she brought people
back here TO tell OF 1t. The schooner.
however. Is stiff and staunch. For three
days she drifted before the mighty winds
that blew from the south and west. Life
was made miserable enough for those on
board by the Morr.lfs preliminary brush
with stiff wind off the straits, for many
of her passengers had never before en-
barked on a long sea voyage. But, COM
pared with the weather encountered
later. the gales off the straits and from
there north to Dixon entrance We're but
summer zephyrs.
j. s. Green. who owns the Morrill,, went
north ON her when she sailed with a
party OF twenty from this port February
8. He returned on the schooner to Sitka
and there boarded the steamer Cottage
CITY. reaching this city yesterday.
The Morrill, ran into a gale soon after
she emerged from the straits. Up the
coast II was continual battle with the
elements. on Dixon entrance. the real
trouble began. The wind was now from
the southwest. The storm began on the
night OF February ls, eight days after the
schooner had left port. Everything was
close hauled on board the schooner and
the matches were battened down. The
schooner was put in shape for the very
toughest weather. As the gale increased
n fury, lashing the sea into mountainous
waves that threatened momentarily to
| crush the little schooner like an egg she'll.
drag was thrown out. The hawser
| lasted not longer than a minute and then
snapped like piece Of fine thread.
One OF the crew yesterday told q Post
| Intsil;geneer reporter that during the
two following days on the schooner, pas
sengers and crew hibernated. All at
temp.s To cook a meal were given up.
III the dishes had been nailed to the
tables they would not have held he
said. II could lie In one Of the hunks In
the forward cabin and look right out
| through the haschway and see the crests
operations indefinitely. Everyone aboard.
save the captain and one seaman, was
desperately SEA sick.
This sort q thing continued for an
| ether day. When the winds finally ceased.
| observations were taken ard II was dts
covered that the Morrill, had been blown
rwars shsn - rules on. OF her course.
| We were In latitude "A. long. IA. nearly
| half way acroes the gulf Of Alaska We
pat back .eward shore ard reached S.tka
ca February "a. sixteen days after leav-
! .ng Seattle. by March we were az Olsen
ehAnsmens hay aud soon after the passen-
gers aad freight were discharged"
Mr. Green, who owns the Morrill,, tv!d
Post-Intellsgsaser reporter that when
he lsft Yakn:at the weather In Olsen
chan tnsent hay was fine as that In
Seattle yesterday. There had been some
small amount OF sce ar the mouth Of the
! Necessary TO GiseFnhark their passengers
at Yakntaf We went clear TO the head
waters CT tae bay ana foana navss atioa
open IN COED shape TIE party that weaf
nos;h On che koxrtIi IS among the earliest
10 get ever TIRE route 20 the Ask river.
Trasei ever thH pass ~ all right Peopls
| ara going and coming continually At
| rskatas there ara 80 people preparing 10
/ make tse start far the interior"
Mr.. Green reports that the ersgantias
| Baakssey had arrived safely at Yahutas
before he isfl
The AestlnAisos Of many % shsse Who