The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-16
SCHOONER PROBABLY LOST
THE ALTON. OF TACOMA. ENCorN-
TIERS A TERRIBLE GALE,
Schooner Rather. Arriving Here. Re-
ports the Alton Very Likely sank.
With All Hands->checacrs Bow

TIE news % the probable loss os the
schooner Alton, ~ Tacoma, with foar
men. IN terrible SoasheaS; gale at the
entrance OF Cock inlet. and the story o:
she safe argsvn. az TWO san Francisco
schooaers long overdue q; northern parts.
was brought 70 tAis city yesterday morz,-
ing by tire Schooner Rather. Capt. W. II.
Piersca. The safe ScaooGerx are the Bow
head ard Golden Gate.
The men on the Rather have Gos tae
leass hope ;ha; the schooner Alton or TIA
four men aboard her viii ever he seen
again. Tssey are satisfied that the scAoon-
er went down In the terrible gale that on
Nay - drove the Rather hack 10 Saidov.a
FER repairs. The Alton was acs seen after
wards, and being very shegt-handed. Capt.
Wester was probably uEshle to sc, his
vessel 20 a place 81 safety.
The Ra1tier saw the Alton at the en-
trance o. Cook Inlet on May - when the
former was going into Homer for water.
Capt. WeSter, OF the Alton. complained
that he had been compelled 10 leave very
short handed. he had bur two men aboard
besides his tirst mate. and they were
green hands. Capt. Winter said also THAI
he had 10 cook stove. The people further
up the Inlet had tried 10 detain him until
ne could nh out his crew. but he was anx-
;cus TO get back 20 his home port He
proceeded down the inlet with the tide.
The next two days were very au.e; and
the Alton could have sailed bu, a few
miles. The Rather had no sooner got
away from Homer. on May -. than a
terrible southeast gale broke almost with
out warning. The gale was very severe
even for the stormy waters OF the inlet.
had a great deal Of difficulty weathering
1t. As IL was. many or her sails were
torn 10 ribbons. One big wave. borne
along by a heavy gust of wind, washed
away the schooners balloon jih. minute
later the flying jih split. Then the fore
gam topsasl was blown away Finally the
mainsal snl.t under the force or the
wind. As soon as the storm moderated
Capt Pierson put back to Saldoyia and
repaired damages Nothing was seen ct
the Alton. and although no wreckage VAS
sighted they believe she Is lost.
The Alton was built at Marshfeld. Ore
gon. and Ia now owned In San Francisco.
She was 81 feet long p feet beam and
feet depth of hold. Her net tonnage was
s4.39 tons. She was built in 1886 and Was
not considered as staanch vessel as tho
Rather. which Is built entirely of oak.
Capt. Pierson reports that the san Fran
cisco schooners Bowhead and Golden
Gate, concerning whose safety great
deal OF anxiety was felt. have arrived at
Alaskan ports. The Rowhead was ninety
two days out from san Francisco when
she reached Yakutat. Her eighteen pass
engers had almost given up hope or
bringing their long voyage 10 an end.
They were short OF water and provisions.
Contrary winds and sewers gales beset the
schooner almost from the start and had
driven her far out of her course several
times The Bowhead was built at North
Bend. Oregon, in 1891 and was 20 feet IN
length.
The Rather spoke the a3-;on schooner
Golden Gate of the Barren islands al the
entrance OF Cook inlet She had stopped
at several places along the Alaskan coast
TO prospect and had met with no mishap.
She was built at Humboldt. Cal, in 1874.
and those who had friends among her
passengers feared for her safety on ac-
coun, OF her age. The schooner Negus.
which left San Francisco twelve days be-
fore the Rather. arrived at the inlet about
day ahead OF her.
The members OF n Coffeyyiile, Kan.
party were poisoned on May -. at Ladds
landing, by eating canned cabbage. John
TRULY died aster several days acute III
ness. and Frank Clark. Of Missouri, bare
ly pulled through with his lie. Several
other members OF t8e party were very
sick An examination held showed that
the canned cabbage was the cause OF the
trouble Truhy's body was brought Down
ard will be shipped East.
Capt. Pierson says that the latest gold
excitement in the inlet is at Ma
mana. small place on the beach.
about sixty miles up the inlet.
Some twenty men were at work there at
the time the Rather visited that point.
They reported that they were taking out
from 81 to so per day TO the man. Capt.
P.erson purchased a quantity OF gold
from the Indians at Manana- The geld
was taken from the black sand on The
beach. and the men were expecting a
stampede 20 that point from other camps
on the Inlet.
The passengers who came down on the
Rather were very much discouraged.
They had hardly gore away from the
beach where they were landed. They rad
two big dredgers which they did not at
tprnpt 10 use Tsfley went north expecting
to find gb.d BY the haffuI the first time
they sunk their shovels into the gravel.
ard were not satisfied with wages. Their
names are Clint Rouderbush. ". III. Nc
KAY. John K. Fry. W. r. NILS. A. Stick
Ter. Charles ~ Taylor. Robert Barton.
- orr. H H. Seymour. George Moore. G.
r Monson. Robert T.. Clark and Frank
Patterson.
Tho Rather n now lying at Arlington
dock. but viii leave I'm few days for
San Francisco She has a cargo Of canned
salmon for that port.
THE .'City Of Seattle" having taken