The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-27
PER|LS Of TRAVEL BY SEA.
STRANGE TRICKS OF SUPERSTITION
ABOARD THE GENERAL.
Three Lexs-Lowering the Life
bGats-An Unknown Schooner
supposed tn Have Been Lost.

Supposed tn Have Been Lost.
The terrible time that those who have
taken passage or river steamers going IN
tow 10 the mouth OF the Yukon may ex-
pe-ience IL well described IN 3 letter which
the Post-IntelliGencer has received from
J. II. Scaenysanlie, OF Lake C.lelan, who
was passenger on the steam schooner
Rival The Rival had the steamer Mon
arch and the barge General in tow. She
lost the General In severe gale en- June
2 within sight OF the Aleutian Islands.
The steamer Vera. which was fastened OH
the Generals deck, was a:sc lost.
His letter was started soon after the trip
commenced, and the way it is written
shows that the boat getting a good
tumbilns about. The Rival with her two
tows left here on May Is. He first tells
Of their troubles at Port Townsend. where
the customs officers confscated all the
whisky aboard and caused the men or the
General to get superstitious. They count
ed noses and found thirteen men aboard.
Consequently Montana Bill was sent over
TO the Rival 10 even up the number. Then
the Generals passengers hunted over Port
Townsend for a black cat. They found
one and thought they had appeased the
witches. fairies and gods as the CORE
sp0ndent aptly puts It.
The steamers touched at Mary Island
Wrange. and Cross Sound. At the lat,ar
place the men on the Genera fouad a a
that had but three legs the other having
been lost In a trap. with The TWO cats
aboard they thought they were sure Of
a safe trip TO Dutch Harbor. Soon after
getting out into the Pacific storm "a re
up which rocked the thru vessels. strung
along vita stout tow lines. severely The
Monarch was leaking badly, but her ere y
and passengers. twenty In number. nan
aged 10 keep the wafer down. The . n
eral on the tail of the tow. was having
a great deal Of trouble.
barge Breaks in Two.
On the morning Of June ,, about
O'clock. she suddenly broke In TWO amid
ships The waves were sweeping the ri
vars decks. and TO send on; itch at
was very dangerous. hut Capt. Johnson
did not hesitate. The mrs. mate al the
Rival and several Of the crew donned life
preseryers and lowered tn i!fch3at They
were thrown out by the waves amos; i'm
mediately. but managed TO crawl IN AGAIN.
The twelve men were taken OF the two
sections Of the General. which dsd no,
sink. being loaded with cord wood. They
were taken back to the Rival In safety
Soon after the large river steamer YEA
which was dashed 10 the deck OF the Gen
oral broke loose and fioated on her own
bottom. TIE Rival could not stop 70 pick
down.
capt. johnson headed for Unlak pass. bu,
had not gone far before the flag of the
Monarch WAS observed at half-mast, a sig
nal Of distress Again the meboat was
manned and Capt. Spracue ana the other
men on board taken 10 the Rival. They
expected 10 see the Monarch sink at any
moment and a man stood by with an TX
ready TO cat the tow fine AZ any moment
They man -xed 10 make a Small bay On
Unamak Island and with great difficulty
rode out the gale.
An nj. uoyvn Schooner.
A paragraph Of the letter written while
IN the bay Is inter sting. Ii reads:
This ia the only hole we can get .nto
10 save the Monarch frc,n sinking. We VIII
stay here until the wind goes down, TIE
wind Ia rising and the sea looks like but
termilk. We ara dragging OUR anchors to-
wards the sea. Now We sigh; little
schooner. Part o. -he time she Il cut OF
sight behind mo2n;arous waves. With al
ssi3ls al. sae passes up ana DOM. .sst
missing his little val,pol ket in which We
ase safe. Sc 3 evidently trying ~ gel 20
Our haThor. By; 1sUst sail aEataS. the wind
The UaVes roll c}ea~ over her g times. SEE
m'ls; sink stu sire tacks not gatnlaa over
gttY feet or a tack and s~pust 5uree, losing
that. New she 8 ~ th@ h4rior Sae
crosses otlr .r7Ra no. twenty-five fce:
ahead, staining an orc edge ami cutting A
circl,. l. ~ % grand $. -: - see SDen play
if1S game TO- taedT i.T,S. ~ cheer he
hI' S-1e cannot bear Us, They $50 ts ROW
hat understand iEAt We can-ot ~ 10 their
rescue, The wind has changed ara ne us-
Known tsAoar~r - dragging hcr anchors
oEi - Sd from the 1ara1r wc5ch she
worked 81 hafd - gan There Is n .aree
Wh,te-haiEsti woman ~ the Ae.1a without
any sort % hat. FIer ha+~ IL fy.nr wt,4iv
90 tAe Ir5, z- TIE gale SIS Increasing and
she has gore o.t ~ eight behind me waves.
We tntGk see Is }oS- Although she came
na17e. $50 VAS sharp a: both endss ard
about thsr5s fest .orr
TIE Rs9l ana3y 49, tNe Monarch -
nu,rH UarAar u hets g. y .ti take q week Il,
re3at~ her a toat ~sS -.~nt 20 e-es 4 the
Vera s~aa,3 ~ found <prh.ux VAS ever
seen ~ t~e tttie a~sfe'1.e-~ farf s}csei ~ ta.,
fNvego.1E- l. a believed tsst e,,e was
hound FOR kotzeA.sN ssssr5 and teat she