The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-20
WRECK Of THE ATLANTA.
ONE OF THE THREE SURVIVORS
TELAs HIS STORY.
Surf. and In Cheered by Hts
Doomed Shipmates N He Fights

YAQCINA. Or, Nov. Ia-Additional par
ticulars OF the wreck of the British ship
ATLANTA, Capt. Charles Mcbride. from Ia
coma 10 Cape Town, Thursday morning.
FIVE miles south Of Aisea bay. were brought
here today by a correspondent of the As
ISOLATED Press, who went TO the scene.
Twenty-three lives were lost, including all
the officers OF the ship. and only three sail
ors survive 10 tell the terrible story OF the
wreck. The survivors are:
Francis Mcmahon, a native Of Belfast,
Ireland, aged Is years: John Weber. Of
Tarrytown, N. Y: George Fraser, OF Phil
adeiphia. Pa
The lost are: Capt Charles Mcbride:
Hunter. first mate; d. C. Huston. second
mate. all Of Greeaock. Scotland: Evic,
steward. OF Liverpool; Aleek Beck, W. E.
Gregory, George Pilkington, Joe Casa.
Williamson, T. Lewis. Michael Gallagher.
David Green, Jacobson. Pedro. Gregory.
John Marks, John Smith, seamen; Hamil-
ton, sailmaker. The unknown are two
cooks, sailmaker. second mate and one
sailor. The body OF Jacobson was recoy-
cred. and buried yesterday.
Wednesday morning the ship stood on
the starboard tack, the course being laid
southeast y east until Wednesday
night about u o'clock, when the wind
shifted ahead The ship kept breaking on.
st!ll steering southeast by east and run
ming under fun sail, when suddenly the
lookout sang out, Breakers aheadv AL
most at the same momen. the ship struck
with a tremendous crash. She rose again
on the heavy ground swell. lurched for
ward, struck again, was carried further by
the seas, struck third time and COM
menced settling at once. The seas by this
time We're washing completely over the
vessel and the decks were quickly swept
clear OF everything movable.
The crew had taken TO the rigging, most
an hour after striking the hull broke in
two. The mainmast fell and then started
the mizzenmast. In which nearly all the
crew had taken refuge. AT .Nis moment
board. preferring to take his chances by
swimming TO being carried over by the tot
terlng mizzenmast. He succeeded In catch
ing hold OF the main hatch and held on for
few minutes, when he was called 10, that
the port lifeboat was near him. Fraser
swan to It, after desperate struggle and
mates in the rigging giving him three
cheers. After helping Mcmahon and Web
Der into the boat they soon drifted on
shore.
said:
The first thing 1 knew the first mate
called me and said the ship was on the
beach. Two other men came to the door
and sang out: An hands lay aft: we are
going TO wear ship The second man
shouted: Clear away the boats; that's our
oIty IIidIiCS- inc second mate and N.Y.
self jumred upon the boatskids to clear
~s>y the port boat. / shouted out for some
&C TO give me hand. and turning around
~ they had all run to the mzzen rigging
also ran 10 the miZzen rigging. AS soon
3 reached the poop was swept off my
feet. but grasped a stanchion until the sea
spent its force. When the sea cleared off
climbed into it. l stayed there, l suppose
ten minutes. when the ship righted ana
listed over 10 starboard. l crawled across
the orossjack yard and got into the port
rigging. wren the ship broke in two. Short
~ after that the mainmast went by the
board and il started the mizzenmast I
then took to the water and swan to the
main hatch, which foated close by the
ship i stayed on the hatch about twenty
minutes
THE sea was throwing wreckage up. hit
ing me ever the head until l drifted clear
or the snip. Another fellow swan to the
hatch, bat | told him to get Off the hatch
and look for one Of his own He would not
do It, so l got off myself. as it would not
hold two up. There was another hatch near
by. and I swan to I. but the breakers
washed me Off The men in the rigging W re
watching me. and told me the boat was
coming. ] swan 70 the boat and got one
arm over the gunwale, the crew in the rig
ging cheering me all the time l crawled
into the boat, which was full of water and.
looking around saw Weber on the other
side. Mcmahon was among the wreckage,
and We hauled him into the boat We had
no oars, but soon drfted Gear OF the wreck
ana the breakers started us ashore. / look
ed toward the wreck TO see If | could see
anybody, but only one man was visible up
on the port after davit. We kept the boats
mead To sea and were soon washed ashore -
Mcmahon said: THE only reason | can
think OF Tor the disaster was that the cap
tain had lost his reckoning on account OF
the thick weather for the three preceding
days: otherwise the accident is quite unac-
countab.e. 1t was a p.tiful sight TO see the
chief Officers in the rigging. crying and
praying for help. ! consider the escape of
myself and TWO shipmates nothing shor.
OF a miracle