The San Francisco call., 1901-12-01
BARGE FOUNDERS
WITH ALL HANDS
Four Men Perish in a
Gale Off Oregon
Coast.
Towing Gable Parts at Night
and Heavy Seas Swamp
the Graft.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ASTORIA, Or, Nov SO.-In terrible
gale that recently ragged off the Oregon
coast the lumber barge Wheeler bound
from Nehalem for San Francisco, broke
adrift from the tug Vosburg. turned tur-
tie and went to the bottom, carrying her
crew of four men. News of the disaster
was brought to Astoria this morning by
Captain Chris A. Ahues of the Yosburg.
1t was dark when the barge broke loose
and a half hour after the towing line
parted her lights suddenly disappeared.
Search for the Wheeler will be made, but
there is not the slightest hope that she
will be found. Captain Ahues told the
following story of his thrilling experience
to The Call correspondent:
THE tug Vosburg, towing the lumber
barge Wheeler, was bound from Neha-
lem for San Francisco. The barge had
deck load Of 5c5 900 feet Of lumber. Soon
after leaving port we encountered hard
southeast blow, which continued for forty
eight hours. We managed to keep head
on to the gale and succeeded in reaching
Coos Bay. where We remained for thlcc
days. On Monday, the weather being
clear and every condition favorable, We
left Coos Bay. At 8 o'clock in the even
ing, while in the vicinity of Cape Blanco,
we ran into another southeaster. The
blow rapidly increased In fury and by
midnight a gale was raging. On Tuesday
morning II was even more severe than
during the night. the barometer falling
steadily. At noon on Tuesday we were
forty miles of Blanco, having drifted that
far to the westward. A terrific sea was
running and we were unable to make
headway, confining our efforts to keeping
head-on to. the waves.
Barge's Lights Disappear.
ION Wednesday the storm reached the
proportions of a hurricane, and both the
tug and the barge were rolling heavily
and shipping considerable water.
"At o'clock that evening. in about lati-
tude 1885 north, longitude 1858 west. the
towing cable parted. A half hour later
the lights OF the barge suddenly disap-
peared. as II the vessel had turned turtle.
At this time furious gale was raging
and the seas threatened to submerge the
tug. We were completely at the mercy OF
the elements and not a man aboard had
the slightest idea that the steamer would
ever live out the gale. However, a few
minutes after the lights of the barge disap-
peared We managed to get the steamer
around and held her head-on to the gale
In the darkness IL was impossible to see
ten yards ahead of the vessel and search
for the barge would have been futile. We
laid by until Thursday morning, but when
day broke We could see no trace Of the
barge.
LAS the towing steamer was shipping
considerable water, we decided to run be-
fore the gale. We continued on our
course until o'clock Friday morning,
when the weather again moderated. At
II 80 o'clock in the forenoon we made va
quina Head.
Just as soon as possible the vosburg
will leave in search Of the barge. I be-
lieve the search will prove futile. During
the gale and before the towing cable
parted the barge must have shipped much
water. and II is my belief that when the
line broke the vessel was caught in the
seas and capsized. In no other way can
/ account for the sudden disappearance
Of the lights"
The Wing and Wing Safe.
The schooner Wing and Wing, believed
to have been lost reached port this after
noon. She, too. had terrible experience
during the coast gales. She sailed from
San Francisco on October for Siuslaw,
arriving OF the latter place on October
1s The condition of the weather made II
impossible for Captain Anderson to reacil
port. Then gale came up and drove the
schooner north. Since that time she has
been beating around of the coast, await
ing assistance. Fourteen days ago she
sprang a leak and II was necessary to
keep the pumps going day and night. Dur
ing the gales nearly all the schooners
sails were carried away. The supply Of
water became exhausted and the crew de-