Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-12-02
WRECK OF A BRITISH SHIP
The Atalanta in the Breaker,
at Alsea Bay.
rWENTY-FoUR MEN WERE loer
Vessel Was Racing Down the Co
Thick Weather-Heavy Surf Pom.
ing the Ship to Pieces.

Yaquina, Or, Nov. 2J.-The Briti,,
snip Atalanta, carrying a crew Of % ~
and loaded with 2,SOO tons Of uhnst oa
from Tacoma for South Africa w",
wrecked near Alsea bay yesterdo" "o
morning. and so far as known thoro "''
but three survivors. ''
The cause of the wreck of tho A..
lanta and the circumstances attendin.
it, produce tale most harrowino me-
mismanagement of the vessel bv i,o
officers is ascribed as the cause Of tbo
disaster, and the cripping of the W.
quina life-saving station by penurion0
policy OF that department of the oov~
ernment, adds horror to the situation
The only three survivors aver that
some of their comrades on board tho
ship may yet be alive. While tho
members of the life-saving crew are in
sight of the wreck, they are so far
powerless to render assistance, owino
to the want of apparatus. Meanwhile
couriers secured the beach and conn.
try adjacent for 10 miles, to procu,a
horses to bring up the lifeboat and
beach cart.
The Atalanta lay about a mile of
shore, in field of furious breakers
Every swell passed over her works
Each hour 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 wreckage
rapidly to the beach. 1t was this now.
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 firma, thus passing over course
OF nearly two miles.
One man, who was clad in simply a
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 24 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, a 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 Atalanta 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 is
more the result of carelessness on the
part of the captain than of adverse
weather. 1t Is to the effect that the
Atalanta was racing down the coast
with another sailing ship to make bet
ter time, and having a more advan-
tageous tack, against the southwester,
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.
1.-The lOphOok at tho a.uoyino ata.
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.
ertheless, 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.