The herald., 1898-11-20
A SCORE OF Men
WENT DOWN WITH THE SHIP
ATLANTA
ALL The OFFICERS LOST
ONLY THREE SAILORS REACH
THE SHORE
NO TIMETOLAUNCH THE BOATS
Men Seeking Safely in the Rigging
Dragged to Death When the
Mizzen Mast Fell
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Speclal wire
yAITKlNA. Or, Nov. l9.-Additional
narticulars of the wreck of the ship Atlanta
Cant. Charles Mcbride, from Tacoma to
Cane Town, Thursday morning, five miles
south of Alsea were brought here TO-DAY py
correspondent of the Associated Press,
who went to the scene Twenty three lives
were lost, including all the ofhcers oi the
ship and only three sailors survived TO tel
the terrible story of the wreck. 1he sur
vivors are:
FRANCIS MCMAHON of Belfast, Ire
land.
JOHN WEBER, Tarrytown, n. Y.
GEORGE FRAZER, Philadelphia.
The lost are:
CHARLES MCBRIDE, captain.
- HUNTER, first mate.
H. c. HOUSTON, second mate, all OF
Greenock, Scotland.
DAVID STEWARD of Liverpool.
ALIEN BECK.
w. Z. GROCER.
NJ. O. PILKlNGTON.
JOE CASSA.
- WILLIAMSON.
MlCHAEL GALLAGHER.
DAVID GREEN.
JACOBSON.
PEDRO GREGORY.
JOHN MARKS.
JOHN SMITH, all seamen.
- HAMILTON, saimaker.
The unknown are two cooks a carpenter,
a saimaker, second mate and one sailor
The body of jacobson was recovered and
buried at sea.
Wednesday morning the ship stood off on
the starboard tack, the course being south
east twelve east until Wednesday night at
u o'clock. The ship kept backing off, steer
ing southeast by east and running under
full sail, when suddenly the lookout sang
out Breakers ahead Almost at the same
moment the ship struck with tremendous
crash. She rose again on the heavy ground
swell, lurched forward, struck again, was
carried farther by the seas, struck every
time and commenced settling at once The
seas by this time were washing completely
over the vessel and the decks were quickly
clears of everything movable The crew
had taken to the rigging, most OF them to
the mizzen mast. Within an hour after
striking the hull broke in two. The main
mast fell and this started the mizzen mast.
in which nearly all the crew had taken ref
uge. AT this moment George Frazer,
sailsr, plunged overheard, preferring to
take his chances by swimming to being car
rled over by the tottering mizzen mast.
He succeeded in catching hold of the main
hatch and held on for few minutes, when
he was called to that the port lifeboat was
near him. Frazer swan to it after des.
perate 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
ashore.
Frazer, in telling the story of the wreck.
said: The first thing l knew the first
mate called me and said the ship was on
the beach. Two 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 N.Y.
self jumped upon the boat skids to clear
away the port boat ! shouted out for
some one to give me a hand, and turning
around l ran to the mizzen mast As soon
as l reached the poop l was swept off my
feet but grasped a stanchion when the sea
spent its force. When the sea cleared off
the poop | ran for the mizzen rigging and
climbed into it. stayed there, suppose, |
ten minutes, when the ship righted and
listed to starboard. | crawled across the
cross jack yard and got into the port rig
glng, when the ship broke in two. Shortly |
alter that the mainmast went by the board |
and 1t started the mizzen mast. | then
took to the water and swan to the main |
hatch, which toated close by the ship.
stayed on the hatch about twenty minutes.
lhe sea was throwing wreckage up, hitting
me over the head, until | drifted clear of the
snip. Another fellow swan to the hatch.
but | told him to get off the hatch and look
ont Tor ofb bl,r
1t, so L got off myself, as it 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 rigpinc
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 Webber on
the other side. McMahon was among the
wreckage, and we hauled him into the boat
We had no oars, but soon drifted clear Of
the wreck and the breakers started us
ashore. / looked toward the wreck to 500
ii | could see anybody, but only one man
was visible upon the port aft davit We
kept the boats head to sea, and were soon
washed ashore
McMahon said: "The only reason I can
think OF for the disaster was that the can
tain had lost his reckoning on account of
the thick weather for the three preceding
days, otherwise the accident is quite unac.
countable. 1t was pitiful sight to see the
chief officers in the rigging CRYING and pray
ing Tor help. / consider the escape Of my
sell and two shipmates nothing short of |
miracle
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