The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-15
SEVENTEEN
WERE LOST
British Ship Andalana Over
turned Yesterday In Ia
coma HarbOr.
ALL ON BOARD DROWNED
Lost Mariners Are Captain Stall
Ing, Mate Grove and Fit
teen SeameB.
OCCURRED DURING A STORM
One Of the Boom Logs Between Which
the Vessel Was Moored Broke
Loose. the Ship csrsIzlng.
OCCURRED DURING A STORM

TACOMA. Jan. H--Dming a heavy
storm early this morning the British ship
Andalana was caught b. a squall and
eapsEed IN tho harbor. sinking in 2
faihoraa Of water The accident occurred
somo time between the hours OF and
o'clock. but was not discovered until
daylight.
All on board we're drowned. The crew.
In command Of Captain G. W. Sailing
consisted OF . men all told Eleven OF
these had been discharged yesterday thus
leaving the captain and ls men to perish
In tho waves a few hundred yards from
land
The disaster Is one OF the most melan-
choly ever recorded. and ofmuch similar
lty to that which befeIl the British bark
Blalrmore IN the harbor Of San Francisco
abou, four years ago Of which the details
are stili rfesh In the memory OF the pub
iic. -..
Tho Andnlhna arrived on the Sound
from Shanghai December q. in ballast
She was under charter to Epplnger q
Co. TO load wheat FOR tho United King
dom. and four days ago was towed into
the harbor at Tacoma and moored to
a ballast bouy to have the hold cleared
for the caWo This was accomplished
last evening. and II was the intention
to have the vessel shifted to a dock this
morning when loading would have been
commenced.
As is usual when vessel is lying light
on open water ballast logs had been made
fast on both sides to prevent an accident
In case OF blow,
Late last night a strong wind COM
menced sweeping over the bay and Il
steadily grew In tierceness until during
the early part OF this morning It had
attained velocity OF from 20 TO IS miles
an hour. II was living gale bordering
on a hurricane.
Although the ship was under bare poles.
her high sides and lofty rigging caught
the wind so much that the chains fasten-
ing the ballast logs to the ships side
snapped. Thus without any support the
vessel could not withstand the terrible
squalls but carecped over on her beam
ends. As the ship was TO have COM
menoed taking cargo this morning the
hatch6s had been left open. thus allow
ing the water 10 pour into the hold In
large volumes. What took place on board
the ship from the time sho capsiEed un-
IN she went TO the bottom OF course Is
not known. as not one OF those on board
remains to tell the tale, but the general
opinion is that all the men were drowned
in their hunks II is estimated that the
ship sank within Is minutes after cap
Sizing,
As soon as the accident had been dis
covered. tugs steamed up and rushed out
In search Of possible survivors. A lifeboat
and much wreckage has come ashore
and tugs are now searching Commence
ment bay for RATS, boats and dead
bodies
The ship to all accounts, was headed
In a southerly direction, or toward the
head OF the bay, at the time the gale
swept down the Sound. The heavy winds
caused the ship to strain on the chains,
making the log on the weather side taut
and giving tendency to lift the log from
the water. but the strain was too great
for ono Of tho chains and 1t snapped. This
released the towering craft from greater
restraint on the weather side; she lifted
with the wind. and, there being little
restraint from the other end OF the log,
raised It enough to allow the right or
moorlng chain to slip of. Thus the ship,
freed from ballast and floating like a
chip. cereened over under the pressure
OF the heavy gale shipping great quanh-
ties OF water filling completely the hold
and forecastle and causing her to cap
size and sink to the bottom, all In a
very few minutes, The situation was fur-
ther aggravated by the fact that the
tides were just setting in at the time the
ship is supposed to have gone down, This
in all probability forced the stern of the
vessel around and exposed the broadside
to the gales fury
Late this afternoon the Inflated ves-
sci was located, She lies on the bottom
OF the sound on her broadside. under %
fathoms Of water, close by the spot where
she had been anchored.
The vessel will In all probability be
raised and the bodies of dead sailors re-
covered. No bodies have as yet been re-
covered, although every effort is being
made in that direction.
The sailors who went down with the
ship are as follows, with the exception
Of two names:
Captain G. w. Sailing, Nova Scotia.
First Mate e, II, Grove Nova Scotia.
Second Mate L. G. Doe, Blackpool, Eng
land.
Boatswain Charles Smith.
sesond Boatswain James Daily Leith,
England.