The San Francisco call., 1898-07-25
DETAILS OF TWO WRECKs
HOW THE EVANS AND BEACH
 WERE LOST.
Ten Hours Consumed in Rescuing the Passengers of One of the Vessels After It Went
 to Pieces.
Special Correspondence of The Call.

UNALASKA, Alaska, July 1O.-The steam schooner Noyo under lease to the Scandinavian Bank of Seattle, left Seattle on June q at p. m. for St. Michael. The schooner had a deck load of lumber for a 50 feet by IA feet by 8 feet stern wheeler; a 50-foot iron boat, 50 feet in length by 10 feet beam and S-foot hull; steam launch 3S feet by 10 feet by feet. and lumber for a schooner 40 feet by 12 feet by 1-2 feet, besides 10 lifeboats and canoes, 40 cases coal oil, barrels of oil and other freight on a flimsy deck, hardly capable of holding a few passengers. In the hold was 800 tons of freight. In her small cabins were packed sixty-flve passengers, besides steerage and crew. In tow were two finely constructed river boats for the Yukon-the Alfred J. Evans, owned by Baltimore people, and the w. J. Beach, owned by Chicago people.
 On the outward passage near Cape Flattery the 3-inch hawser between the Evans and Noyo parted and the Beach with a 3-inch hawser drifted into the Evans, knocking her rudder off and some of the decking. Just as the two river boats were drifting on the rocks the Noyo caught them and started for Port Angeles. At the latter place Cap tain c. c. Hansen of the Noyo resigned and took the train for his home in San Francisco.
 T refused to take such boats to sea and be responsible for the lives of those fools on the Evans and Beach, [" said Hansen
 At this port The Call correspondent was able to look over the Evans and Beach. On the first were sixty-five Hx-hn haH chf with about $50 tons of freight. On the latter were twenty-Seven passengers who had shipped as crew. including five women No one on either boat had ever been to sea before. Captain w H. Edgett of Port Townsend took charge of the Noyo and after four days delay second start was made. The tow line parted several times in smooth water and just what it would do at sea no one could tell. At DixOn's Entrance the gentle roll of the sea broke the hog chains of the Evans and she was soon in leaky condition and making a snake track over the waves. The flag went up on the Evans with the Union down, meaning We wish to abandon ship"
 Finally the Evans and Beach were lowed into an obscure port in Hawcan harbOr, Alaska, where she was left with her sixty-five passengers Just how they will communicate with the outside world none can tell unless some boat happens in there. The captain of the NoyO offered to take the Evans passengers, but just where they could be slowed the captain did not inform them, as the Noyo passengers are packed like sardines in a box and the food supply Is so unwholesome that those who are sea sick and can't eat have a great advan- tage over those who are we'll The lat ter are all suffering with hunger or dyspepsia. The Beach passengers set up clamor to go ahead and the Noyo passengers joined in the general kick to proceed, while the Evans people Kicked" for time for repairs. Captain Edgett was between the devil and the deep sea and he left port with the Beach in tow, the Evans people prom ising all kinds of revenge Captain Lewis of the Evans says he will put on his paddle wheel and beat the Noyo to St. Michael.
 The ladies on the Evans remained with their boat. The men had on their Seattle togs for the Yukon and had the appearance of lot of museum freaks When about 300 miles out to sea, a slight storm was encountered The Beach went to pieces on the morning of July 1, and by the greatest kind of luck the passengers were rescued from the water. It took about ten hours tC do the rescue work. and as the Noyc left the floating wreckage a lot of pool dogs were sitting upon floating lumber barking to their owners to "come and take us, too" The dogs were left to die of thirst while the Noyo again turned her head toward St Michael
 Just about this time the thin upper decking of the Noyo commenced work. Ing and her passengers discovered that the matches were not closed and haC freight piled from top to bottom in the hatch. With the deck house gone the hold would fill and the Noyo would ioir the Beach at the bottom The hungry the dyspeptics and the sick all joined and, working with might and main. got the freight removed and the hatche: down about a. m. on July ,. Durfnf the panic much freight was throwr overheard to tighten the overburdeneC vessel and finally quiet was restored
 The negligence of the Seattle Collec tor In clearing such a vessel is respon. sible for the trouble. Everybody or board took the Noyo to be in goot shape simply because the Scandinavian Bank of Seattle Is running her.
 Of the eighteen California passenger, aboard the Noyo James McAnnich O. Forest Hill proved himself the hero O the hour in working to save th, Beachs passengers.