The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-12-01
WRECK At ALSEA BAY
British Ship Atalanta In the
Breakers.
TWENTY-FOUR MEN WERE LOST
Heavy Surf IL Pounding the Vessel to
Pieces-Another Case Of Rock
less Navigation.

Yaquina, Or, Nov. 21.-The British
ship Atalanta. carrying crew OF ~ men
and loaded with 1880 tons Of wheat,
from Tacoma for South Africa, was
wrecked near Alsea bay yesterday
morning. and go far as known there are
but three survivors.
The cause of the wreck of the Alta
lanta and the circumstances attending
it, produce tale most narrowing. The
mismanagement of the vessel by ite
officers is ascIibed as the cause Of the
disaster, and the crippling of the va
quina life-saving station by penurious
policy of that department of the gov
eminent, adds horror to the situation.
The only three survivors aver that
some of their comrades on board the
ship may. yet be alive. While the
members of the life-saving crew are in
sight of the wreck, they are so far
powerless to render assistant owing
to the want of apparatus. M while
couriers secured the beach and coun-
try adjacent for 10 miles, to procure
horses to bring up the lifeboat and
beach cart.
The ATLANTA lay about a mile of
shore, in field of furious breakers.
Every swell passed over her works.
Each hour a section of the vessel was
seen to fall away, and the timbers float
toward the shore. A strong and steady
Southwestern aided the current from the
same direction to bear the wIeckage
rapidly to the beach. 1t was this pow
er and agency, and this alone that en-
abled the three sailors who survive. to
escape the fate of their brethren. In
lifeboat filled with water. partly dis
abled with wreckage, and without oars
to direct their craft, they were borne to
terra frma. thus passing over a course
of nearly two miles.
One man, who was clad In simply q
shirt, more hardy than the others,
made his way along the beach. He
found farmhouse and announced the
news, and solicited assistance for his
companions. When the unfortunates
on the beach were reached they were so
benumbed with cold as to appear beyond
help. 1t has required nearly "a hours
for one of them to regain his powers OF
mind and body. The rescued sailors
have been taken into cabins along the
beach.
The most complete and reliable story
of the wreck obtainable comes from
Frank Fogarty, member OF the
Yaquina life-saving crew. who has
patlolled the beach in the vicinity OF
the wreck. Captain Clark ordered him
back to the station, which had been
entirely deserted, except by the wives
of the crew, to guard there tonight.
"The officers of the ATLANTA paid the
penalty of their folly with their lives, "
said Fogarty. "Not one escaped, un-
less he is penned up in the forecastle,
to be released tonight or tomorrow.
'The survivors have started the story
down on the beach that the wreck ia
more the result of carelessness on the
part Of the captain than Of adverse
weather. It Is to the effect that the
Atalanta was racing down the coast
with another sailing ship to make bet
ter time, and having more advan-
tageous tack, against the Southwestern,
he steered close into Cape Foulweather.
Not seeing the lighthouse. he supposed
the vessel to be some distance from
shore. This caused him to continue
his southeast tack too long.
"The logbook at the life-saving sta.
tion shows that Thursday morning, be.
tween midnight and O'Clock, when
the Atalanta was on this tack, the Cape
Foulweather lighthouse was concealed
by fog and heavy sheets of rain. New.
ertheiess, the survivors, according to
report, do not excuse the policy of the
captain. Had not race been on, they
say, he would have taken no such
chances.
Atalanta Sailed From Tacoma.
Tacoma, WASH. Nov. 21.-The Brit
ish ship Atlanta left here last Saturday
with &65, 200 worth OF wheat, for Del
ago bay, South Africa. She was In
command of Captain Charles Mcbride,
Of Greenock, Scotland. where he has a
wife. The ship left here with 81 men,
the only names of those on record here