The record-union., 1899-01-04

The Captain and Fourteen Of tho
Crew, After Much Suffering
From the Cold. Rescued by a
Passing Ship and Taken to As
toria-The Second Assistant En~
gineer Drowned.
ASTORIA orr, JAM 3.-The British
bark Colgate, Captain Griffith, arrived
here to-day. having on board Captain
o. Erickson and fourteen of the ship
wrecked crew of the steam schooner
Protection, which foundered thirty
miles off the mouth of the Columbia
River at 4 o'clock on the morning OF
January 1st
The Protection left Seattle at q
o'clock Thursday, December 18th, with
$50 tons of coal for San Francisco. The
weather was fine until approaching the
mouth of the Columbia, when a heavy
southeast gale sprang up. The Protec-'
ton was steaming under slow bell and
the sea was running very high, washing
over the vessel fore and aft.
On the morning of Saturday, Decem-
Der 31st, Chief Engineer Moores report
ed the vessel leaking, and the pumps
We're Immediately manned. The water
in the vessels hold was found to be-
gaining on the pumps. which We're be-
coming choked with the slack coal. The
gale increased in fury, and the steamer
rolled and pitched heavily.
1t was then determined to jettison the
cargo and about thirty tons was dis
charged from between decks. Finding
the water steadily gaining, all hands
were again ordered to the pumps. The
men remained atethem all of Saturday
night, and toward morning five feet of
water was discovered to be in the hold,
and the steamer appeared to be sink
ing. The vessel was listing to star
board, and her stern was seen to be fast
going down. Huge waves continually
swept over her forward and aft, and
Captain Erickson saw that his vessel
would surely go down.
At 4 o'clock on the morning of Jan-
uary LIST the lifeboats were ordered, low
cred. Second Assistant Engineer Car
vey, While engaged in the work, was
struck by the swinging Of one of the
boats, and knocked overheard and
drowned. In the darkness no assistnnc
could be rendered the unfortunate man.
After much difficulty the life boats
were launched and the steamer ADAM
doned. First Officer Griffin had charge
Of one and Captain Erickson command
ed the other life boat. Seven men en-
barked in each boat. The boats were
supplied with water, meat and crack
ers. but the latter were useless, as they
soon became wet. The boats We're able
to keep close together during the day.
although the storm continued, and but
little Roadway could be made toward
land. The men suffered terribly from
cold, as they had saved nothing from
the sinking steamer but the clothes
they had on.
AS the boats pulled away the Protec-
ton was laboring in the heavy sea. She
still remained afloat during half an
hour before she was lost to view.
Captain Erickson and First officer.
Griffin agreed to steer on certain
course during the night, but the two
boats soon separated after darkness set
in and We're lost to view. The cold
was intense, and some of the men in
Captain Erickson's boat were growing
weak. During the night the Second
Officer fell overheard from the boat.
and, being exhausted, would have
drowned had not Captain Erickson
saved him. He grasped the man and
pulled him into the boat. The man
lay in the boat limp and almost life
less.
Shortly after daylight sail was
sighted, which proved to be the Brit
ish bark Colgate, The two boats were
soon together again, and sighted the
Colgate about the same time. Every
on 1,ntv
vessel could not be signalled but the
shipwrecked crews soon saw that the
Colgate was coming to their rescue
About 8 o'clock Monday morning the
boats were alongside the Colgate,
and the men were soon on board. Some
of the men We're so exhaused that it
was necessary to haul them on board
the vessel with ropes Another night
in the boat, Captain Erickson says.
would have caused the death of two
or three men.
Captain Erickson and each member
of the shipwrecked crew speak in high
terms of their treatment by Captain
Griffith and Mrs. Griffith. Every COM
fort possible was provided until they
were landed in Astoria.
Captain Griffith says that early Mon
day morning, when eighteen miles
northwest of Cape Disappointment the
two boats were sighted, but were at first
believed to be two buoys adrift By
means of his glass, Captain Griffith
soon discovered the objects were boats,
and contained a shipwrecked crew.
The Colgate stood off to sea during
the night, and was picked up by a tug
this morning and towed into port.
The shipwrecked crew We're taken in
charge by Captain Perriman, who is
here from San Francisco, and repre-
sents the underwriters of the steamer
Lakme. They are Quartered at the
Parker House, where they will remain
until word is received from the owners
of the Protection in San Francisco.
The Protection was steam schooner
about 400 tons burden. and was en-
gagged in running between coast points
and San Francisco. She was owned
in San Francisco by the ]. S. Kimbalt
Company.
The Composer Of "O1d Glory" Dead.
LOS ANGELES Jan. 3.-Dion Ro-
mandy well known violinist and mu-