The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-02
Plunge to the Bottom by the
Schooner Jane Gray
With Thirty-four Members of
Her Human Cargo.
STORY OF SURVIVORS
Lived on PruneS, Turnips and
MuSSelS.
And Got Drinking Water From
Rain-SOaked Blankets.

Seattle, wn, June 2.-The schooner
Jane Gray, which sailed from Seattle
for Kotzebue Sound on the 18th of May
with 81 people on board, foundered
Sunday, May %. about 80 miles west OF
Cape Flattery a O'Clock in the morn
ing, while lying to in a moderate gale,
under foresail. Ten minutes after the
alarm was given she lay at the bottom
of the ocean with "a of her passengers.
The remainder succeeded in embarking
in launch and reaching this city.
Following is a list of survivors:
John Johnson, Springfield, R. L; C.
W. Wilkinson, San Francisco; c. Wes-
ton, Scowhegan, Me. "A. c. Kingsbury,
Ermine Zella, S. Beauchetto, A. Ceria,
H. Wachter, all of Piella, Italy; P. J.
Davenport, Harrisburg, Pa; Geo. Hill
Ter, Harrisburg, Pa; J. H. Courtre,
Hartford. Conn; c. J. Reilly, Hartford,
Conn; w. S. Weaver, Murray, Pa;
Geo. r. Boak, Hughesville, Pa; G. H.
Pennington, Snonomish, Wn.; G. H.
Packard, Snonomish, Wn.; E. o. In
graham, L. NJ. Lessey, J. E. Blackwell,
Silas LovingOOd, Chas. E. Chord, M. E
Roberts, all of Seattle.
Crew: Captain E. E. Crockett; Mate
John Hansen; Cook Charles Olsen; As
sistant Cook Albert Johnson; Seaman
Those lost are: signor Gala, Italy;
SignOr Besseta,- Italy; Jack Lindsay,
Everett; w. H. Gleason, Seattle; w. A.
Johnson, Seattle; V. J. Smith Seattle;
c. G. smith, Seattle; P. c. Little Seat
tie, c. w. Young, Seattle; w d. Milan,
Seattle; Horace Palmer, Lebanon, O.;
F. G: Sauisberry, Minnesota; A BDun-
lap, Dwight, Ill; B. D. Ranney, Mexico
City; B. E. Snipe, Jr., Seattle; John M.
Stutzman, Westield, n. J.; E. NJ. Tay-
Tor, California; F. S. Taylor, California;
B. Spencer, California; w. P. Doxey,
Edward F. Ritter, F. w. Ginther, B. S.
Frost, w. F. Levering, VIM. Otter,
o. F. McKelvey, c. Brown, c. c. Ak
ems, N. HedeIund, Chas. Williams, V. C.
Gambel, wife and child, missionary on
St. Lawrence island in the Boring sea,
and one other. E. NJ and F. S. Taylor,
of California, were sons of S. 2. Taylor,
a wealthy paper manufacturer of San
Francisco.
1t is possible that there may be four or
five more survivors whose names cannot
The Jane tt Gray KS passengers we're pros
g GambeI. missionary, who with his
wife and child, was on his way to St
refused to place his wife and child on
board the launch saying: THE vessel is
Among the prospectors was a party of
sixteen headed by Major Ingraham, who
were QUILTED by Prince Luigi of Italy
for two years prospecting trip in Alas
ka. OF this party the only survivors
H. Packard and G. H. Pennington. "
The surviving passengers suffered a
hours their only food was sack of prunes
and a sack of turnips from the ships
stores Sufficient water was caught by
spreading u tarpaulin during a rain storm.
The news of the disaster and the ex-
pected arrival of the survivors from Vic
toria caused a large crowd to gather at
the dock in this city. Carriages We're
landed the survivors they were all carried
to their homes or to the residences of
friends The few that could be seen had
not recovered from the shock and conse-
quently could not give :. very detailed ac-
count Of the disaster which came on them
so suddenly. They We're unable to ac-
count for the. vessel Swinging leak and
their. praise of the work done by Captain
Crockett at the time of the laundering of
following account of the wreck:
We were lying to to mend our foresail
seas were running high. I had gone to
bed and was sound asleep when the
Waterman awakened me with the an
nouncement that something was wrong.
arose at once and found the vessel leak
ing A hurrled investigation showed that |
she would sink and 1 at once notified the
passengers of the situation. Most of them
were asleep unuerneath the deck. A scene
of confusion then took place and it is i'm
possible to give any detailed account of |
the events That followed. The darkness !
added to the confusion. The Jane Gray
carried two ifeboats and two launches.
1 at once ordered the boats lowered. The |
first lfeboat was swamped. The launch |
h ~ belongtng to the Ingraham par
~, was successfully lowered. At this !
time the Jane Gray was almost under
Water. "A heaVy sea struck her throwing !
her on her beam. There was no time to |
launch other boats. The water was over
her hatcheS ana everyone below was GER
ta1nly drowned. Those on deck. however. |
got to the launch. A sack of prunes and |
one of turnips was hurriedly taken from
the ships stores and this was the only
food we had until we reached Vancouver |
island. As the launch drifted away from |
the almost submerged schooner we saw
eight or ten men standing the lee rail- /
appeared from sight. Two Of they HEN us
johnson and c. J. Reilly kept afoat bv |
clfnging to bundles of boat lumber. Two |
hours afterward they were picked IN nv |
our launch, making p in all we had with !
US: 1t is just barely possible that there |
Will be four more survivors.
Just before the Jane Gray disappeared |
the second launch that was on board with
four forms in it. They were so indistinct |
that we were not sure They seemed to |
be getting into the launch. We irnDro- |
thirty hours in the launch finally landed /
inside OF Rugged Point Kynquot sound |
the scene of the wreck. A fire was built on |
the beach and made a meal on roasted /
musSels. We had no food since the night I
before the disaster excepting the sack of ,
the launch. We got drinking water /
by spreading out tarpaulin in the driv- |
ing rain An Indian who CHANGED to |
come along informed that the Village |
of Kynquot was but six miles awav We |
went there and found the sealing schooner |
Favorite becalmed and arrangements were
reached there just in time to catch the
steamer for Seattle.
The Jane Gray was a schooner of 1O7
tons burden. She was built in Bath, Me. |
McDOugal & SOuthwick of this CITY ont
side of the miners outfits she carried no
cargo"
The Chesterfield Hotel
OF Topeka. Kansas, is now under the
mana cement of Charles L. Wood