Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-13
on 4 BIRNING SHIP.
Experience of IA Young Woman in the
North Pacific Ocean

"When I was in Seattle in December"
said a traveller just returned from Alaska.
the most talked-Of young woman on the
coast was Miss Mabel Shirk a pretty girl
Of nineteen or twenty who have been saved
from burning ship. Miss Shirk's father
had taken her with him on the schooner
liert. sailing from Seattle for Honolulu
with a General cargo including 600 bar
rrls of lime, which ne was advised not to
tax" at that season of the year. The
schooner left the straits November - and
at once ran into terrific gale. For TWEEN
ty-f"ur hours she battered by the
waves but kept on her course until she
sprang leak. which wet the lime and
started the fire going. 1t smoldered at first
and efforts We're made to put 1t out, but
they were unavailng. and the ship W as put
back TO the nearest land. The storm in
creased, and the waves dashed over the
vessel continually, practically adding fresh
fuel to the flames. the entire thousand bar
rels of lime getting wet Miss Shirk was
the only woman on board and every effort
v as made to conceal the real danger from
her. SO little hope was left that they would
he saved that Miss Shirk's father tried to
get her to go to sleep and get little rest
explaining afterward that he thought it
would be better for her to he drowned as
she slept than 10 meet death on the Sims
deck In the face Of the waves and the
flames.
For twenty-five hours the crew battlcd
with flood and fire. when land was sighted
Then Miss Shirk told TO get all the
warm Undertaking She had, for they could
not tell what cold and privatiOnS might be
encountered on the unknown shore. AS
quickly as she could she came from her
state room with Il hand bag containing q
supply OF wooden underwear. She was in
formed that she could not take the bag
and that she must put on all she could take
with her. She went back to her state room
to dress but the fumes of the lime were so
strong now that she could not remain In the
cabin. and she was driven to the deck
where she was compelled to dress through
out with the storm raging about her all
the men turning their backs until her toilet
was completed. There was but one boat
left, and but one chance In a thousand that
it could be launched. and still less that il
would ever reach the shore. but II was sure
death to remain on the ship. and the boat
mile between the ship and the land. There
was not room for all the crew, and several
of the brave fellows agreed to take the
chances of the boat coming back for them,
but another boat put off from land, and they
got into that shortly after their own boat
had started. Thirty minutes later the Hera
was a sheet Of fame from bow TO stern. and
she burned to the waters edge. going down
in fourteen fathOms The landing was
safely made on Vancouver Island, Clayo-
quot sound and the rescued persons were
kindly cared for until a passing steamer
brought them back to Seattle. Miss Shirk
had not entirely recovered from her ex-
perienCe at last accounts. and she had
given uO going to Honolulu. The one
thought. she said that was uppermost in
her mind during the storm was that her
friends in Seattle would say, If she were
ed on Friday Miss Shirk expects to go
with her father to Cape Nome as soon as
navigation opens. and I fancy she Is a
young woman of unlimited courage"