The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-21

for the Wreck-Story of Sur
Vfvor
YAQUINA, Or. Nov 2o.-Particulars
OF the wreck of the British ship At
ianta, Capt. Charles Mcbride. from Ia
coma to Cape Town, THURSDAY morn
Ing, five miles south of Alsead. were
brought here by a correspondent who
went to the scene. Twenty three lives
were lost. including all the officers of
tne snip, and only three sailors sur
Vlved to tell the terrible story of the
wreck. The survivors are: Francis
McMahon, a native of Belfast, Ireland.
aged eighteen; John Weber, Tarry-
town, N. Y; George Frazer, Philadel-
phia, The lost are:
CAPT. CHARLES M'BRIDE.
:" HUNTER, first mate
n. G. HUSTON. second mate. all of Green
DAyID STEWART. of Liverpool.
N. o. PILKINGTON.
JOE CASA.
- WILLIAMSON.
MICHAEL GALLAGHER.
DAVID GREEN
JACOBSON.
PEDRO GREGORY.
JOHN MARKS.
JOHN SMITH, all seamen.
HAMILTON, sailmaker.
The unknown are two cooks carpenter, SAIL
maker, third mate and enc sailor.
The body of Jacobson was recovered
and buried yesterday.
Wednesday morning the lookout sang
cut; Breakers ahead" Almost at the
same time the ship struck with a ire
mendous crash. She arose again on the
heavy ground swell, lurched forward,
struck again, was carried further by
the seas, struck a third time, and COM
menced settling at once. The seas by
this time were washing completely
over the vessel, and the decks were
quickly cleared of everything movable.
The crew had taken TO the rigging,
most OF them to the mizzenmast
Within half an hour after striking the
hull broke in two. The mainmast fell,
and this started the mizzenmast, on
which nearly all the crew had taken
refuge.
SAILORS SAVED.
AT this moment George Frazer. a
sailor, plunged overheard, preferring to
take his chances by swimming to be-
ing carried over by the tottering miz-
zenmast. He succeeded in catching
hold of the main hatch and held on
for a few minutes, when he was told
that the port lifeboat was near him.
Frazer swan to the boat and after
desperate struggle succeeded In climb
ing into it. his shipmates in the rig
cling giving him three cheers. After
helping Mcmahon and Weber into the
boat they soon drifted on shore.
Frazer, in telling the story Of the
wreck, said: The first thing I knew
the first mate called me and said the
ship was on the beach. The 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 myself
jumped upon the boat slxids to clear
away the port boat. I shouted out for
some one to give me a hand to- the miz-
zen rigging. AS soon as l reached the
poop | was swept off my feet, but
grasped a stanchion when the sea spent
its force. When the sea cleared off the
poop l ran for the miZZenmast and
climbed into it. 1 stayed there / sup
pose, ten minutes, when the ship right
ed and listed over to starboard 1
crawled across the cross backyard and
got into the port rigging, when the
ship broke in two. Shortly after that
the mainmast went by the board, and
1t started the mizzenmast. / then
took to the water and swan to the
main hatch, which fioated close by the
ship.
Il stayed on the hatch about TWEEN
ty minutes. The sea was throwing up
wreckage and hitting me over the
head until l drifted clear of the ship.
Another fellow swan to the hatch, but
I told him to get off the hatch and
look for one of his own. He would not
do 1t, so 1 got off myself, as 1t would
not hold two up. There was another
hatch near by, and 1 swan to it, but
the breakers washed me off. The men
in the rigging were watching me and
told me the boat was coming. l swan
to the boat and got one arm over the
/ gunwale, the crew In the rigging cheer
ing me all the time. I 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 drift
! ed clear of the wreck, and the break
ers started US ashore I looked toward
| the wreck to see If l could see any
body, but only saw one man. We
kept the boats head to sea, and were
soon washed ashore"
Mcmahon said: THE only reason ]
can think of for the dlsaster was that
| the captain had lost his reckoning on
! account of the weather for three days
/ preceding, otherwise the accident is
| quite unaccountable. 1t was pitifui
| sight to see the chief officers in the
! rigging crying and praying for help. !
consider the escape of myself and two
shipmates as nothing short of a mir
acle."