The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-24
TERRIBLE STORM
SWEEPS THE RIVER
-Four Fishermen Reported to Be
Drowned.
MANY BOATMEN MISSING
sOuihwss. Gale Suddenly Sweeps In From
the Sea and Takes the Boatmen on the
River Uaawafes Life Savers
Great Work.

Four men drowned and thirty fish
ing boats capsized and upturned on
the beach along the river. Is the rec
ord up 70 midnight OF yesterdays ter
rible storm.
That the roll Of those drowned will
be Increased today is almost certain.
The names Of those known to be
drowned are:
Mike PelIomaa.
Albert johnson.
John Varanzang
sakri Korpeli
But two OF the four bodies were re-
covered.
The most violent storm that ever
swept across the lower Columbia rag
ed from sunrise until almost sunset
yesterday and left in its wake death
and disaster, the fun extent Of which
cannot now be stated.
Tuesday was an ideal day ashore
an dahoat. The sky was cloudless,
the sun shown warm and bright. and
there was just breeze enough TO tenn
per the heat. The weather forecast
Tuesday night predicted light show
ere" for Astoria
Man proposes. God disposes. is an
old saying but a true one.
The fishermen finished their midnight
catch on Tues lay and again set their
nets for the morning coach Of We'd
nesday, most Of the boats being an
chored close to the spread nets, or
lying inshore. but short distance
away. AS the sun rose the wind fresh
ened and suddenly. without a seconds
warning. there came from the south
west gale that was little short of
typhoon, at times.
The fishermen. and men in boats on
the river, were totally unprepared for
such a storm and few OF the wiser,
or more timid ones, ran at the first
indication Of 'squall for shelter.
Events proved that. whatever the
cause of their abandoning the river,
those who fled at the approach of the
storm were wise.
From a stiff breeze the wind increas-
ed into gale and then into verita-
BILE typhoon. blowing at times almost
seventy miles an hour. The fishermen
who had elected to stay by their nets
and weather the storm, now made fran
tic haste to raise sail anil run to the
nearest port. To attempt to row boat
against wind would have been the
height Of folly. To remain anchored
was equally dangerous, for the wind
drove the water into waves that swept
across the boats. filling them with wa
ter faster than they could be bailed.
There was but one thing to do, raise
sail and try Snd run before the wind
to shelter.
Just how many of the boats that
fled from the storm reached shore with
living crew, is not known. Certain
il is that on the Chinook and other
beaches, over thirty boats had been
found up to midnight that had drifted
ashore upturned. What became Of
their crews is yet to be learned.
The suddeness of the storm. and es-
pecially at this time Of the year, when
1t was least expected. was what caused
the terrible disaster to the fishing
fleet, for the man who works fish
ing boat is a sailor capable Of wealth
erlng an ordinary storm, and the boats
they sail are the staunchest and best
made.
No small Voat could nve in the open
water in such storm as that of yes
terday and but few boats could run
before the wind and keep afloat.
The highest praise must be given the
life-saving crews at Fort Stevens,
Sape Disappointment and Point
Adams. But for their brave and
prompt assistance the death roll would
De OOuDleu HOW L nS OAOMS iouAShSN
their life boats in the midst of the
storm and went to the rescue of men
they could see clinging to upturned
boats.
Not only did they rescue the living
but, when possible, recovered, recov-
cred the bodies Of the dead. Time and
again they changed their course to
cross the river to boats in distress.
The life savers did magnificent work
and deserve unstinted praise.
The details of the storm, as far as
learned are as follows:
The first man reported to have been
drowned was Albert Johnson, whose
boat capsized at a point nearly abreast
the Fort Columbia dock.
One of the ojcers at Fort Columbia
chanced to see the boat upturn and
the life-savlng crew at Cape Disap-
pointment was immediately notified.
Owing to the distance of the station
from the point where the accident oc-
CURED over an hour elapsed before the