The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-02
II WILL NEVER
FORGET THAT SCENE.n
James blackwell Tells a story @
His Experiences i'm the
Dt~a~fcg.

James E. Blackwell. the well-known ctvE
engineer. who was in charge OF the con
strucsion on the Port Orchard dry dock
was a passenger on the Gray. Mr.. Black.
well lives on Marion street near Twelfth
avenue with his wife and family. Tho fin
intimation that Mrs. Blackwell received
that her husband had encountered had
luck was contained in n telegram from
him dated ar Victoria yesterday morning
and informing her % his safety. MrA
blackwell was at the wharf when tie
Kings;sn arrived. and her delight at the
safe return of her husband may be better
imagined than described.
IT have no opinion TO express concerning
the cauas of the loss OF the Jane Gray
said Mr.. Blackwell yesterday. II am not
a seafaring man, therefore am not quail
fled 10 give testimony concerning the rea-
son for the disaster. / was up nearly I'll
night on Saturday night. WhyF BeeaAe
the ship had shipped water Saturday morn
in. and | felt that there was scnie danger
More than that. had been terribly seasick
and had not tasted food for two days
II first became uneasy when water pour
ed into the forward cabin early Saturday
morning. 1t reached almost TO the second
herths and it grew steadily deeper.
learned that IL came through the hawser
holes. The captain ordered the ship pR
about and headed toward Cape Fiattery.
but the holes were stopped up ana then
we turned again and headed for the north.
During the afternoon and evening III
shin made water more or less. all the tine.
/ mean that she shipped seas over her
sides about midshiprs Some of 1t stopped
into the cabin of the deckhouse forwwra.
I made up my mind 10 stay awake. SO thai
IL anything happened I could be ready iof
whatever fate had in store.
AT midnight. the sea was rough.
heard the watch sing out Eight beiss. ana
ais wenr Still remained half awake.
Two hours later | heard the watch eau to
the captain that something was wrong win
the ship I hurried on deck and saw thai
we were In a bad fix. The ship careeued
badly TO starboard and was apparently un-
manageable. Capt. Crockett came on deck
about the time that / did. He ordered To
foresail lowered, in the hope that he could
bring her into the wind and that she woald
right herself. Then he sang out. All nanN
on deck. and / knew that we were In 10
*. The men on the snip bundled oot
quickly. some without hats and otheU
withou. shoes or socks. Many did not have
more than enough clothes TO cover Their
bodies The captain told us 10 get on the
port rail-. thinking perhaps that our weight
would right the now sinking schooner.
This. too. was in vain. Then the captain
ordered the boats cut away. This was the
last resort.
eff should live TO be thousand years
old. I will never forget that scene. Tne
night was pitch dark. The ship lay ron.
etpts inn frxpa and 1nWar int
the waves. Many of Us We're too tefrlaee
TO speak. There was no great cutlery ana
no excitement. IL was too tragic for that
Many of the passengers seemed at a ioes
to comprehend the true situation, or a.
least were unable to do anything towards
saving their lives. They seemed to .
waiting for sosne one. It was all done -
quickly that even now IL seems hard %
tell all that did happen in those few aw-
full minutes from the time we were arous-
cd TIL the darkness and the waves hid the
Jane Gray from sight.
Some Of the poor fellows on the ship
saw that they were lost ana resolved ~
take their medicine. Others jumped into
the water and swan for the launch after
It started to drift from the ship. Others
again tried 10 clear the other launch ana
boats from the rigging. and Others slin
waited for some one 10 make provision for
bel to come from her cabin until we had
to jump into the sea 10 keep from peink
drawn down to Davy Jones locker with me
wreck And amid all the terrible confusion
the wind blew almost a gale and the wase
rolled high around as.
FINALLY, the launch was cleared away
and 1 saw the men climbing into her. some
of them stepped from the ship 10 inc
launch. but many more swan through me
waves I had on heavy sweater ana
pair OF long rubber boots / was weak
from seasickness and want OF nourishmsnI
Thinking of my wife and family. | SUM
moned all the will power | possessed a.
stepped of into the waves. called %
every muscle in my body for the lie anu
death task before me. The launch Wa
sixty feet or more from the snip. Dut
reached II and laid hold OF a line fhat
fioated out behind. Some one helped me
aboard. I was limp and exhausted ana
could not even move for hours.
THE last ! saw Of the Gray there wsls
three or four hapless fellows on her deck
waiting 10 go down 10 their destruction. ~
a few minutes we were out Of sight OF the
schooner and then We waited through ths
long night for dawn. The rest you aifeaus