The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-22
SAVED FROM A
WATERY CRAVE
Four More of the South Port
lands Crew Rescued.
PICKED UP ON LIFE,RAFT
NARROWING TALE OF THE SEC
OND OFFICER.

San Francisco, Oct. 21.-The steamer
Spokane brought to this port this even
ing four survivors of the wrecked
steamer South Portland, who were
picked up at noon yesterday about fif-
teen miles south Of Cape Blanco, ana
twelve miles orr shore. They were
found clinging to a rude raft and were
all but exhausted when rescued Their
names are Arthur Ravens, second off,
Ger; Charles BlOmberg. seaman; f.
Johansen, seaman, and Ole Glunderson,
seaman.
The list OF the missing ones of the crew
as previously printed does not contain
the names of the above. This error is
probably due 20 the fact that Just before
were made Eight other men who were
on the raft with the above survivors
when it left the South Portland succumbed
and sunk as their frau support was cast
not known by those who were saved.
Missing Ones Rave Perished.
Several hours after these men were
taken on board the Spokane the star
board lifebOat of the wrecked vessel. in
which seven or eight men left the sink
Ing steamer, was seen floating empty on
the ocean. IL is now DeheFed Ihat an
of the passengers and crew not already
accounted for have persisted.
Second OFFICER Ravens tells his eX-
that the steamer was doomed Captain
Mcintyre ordered me TO man the star
board HfebOat and save all the people
possible i got Tour men IN the BOAT as
1T hung by the davits, when / saw that
the captains boat on the port side Of the
vessel had capsiZed. i aided in righttnS
IL and then returned TO my own boat,
only TO find that a number Of persons
had crowded into il. breaking it from its
fastenings. on striking the water it up
set and I saw six or eight men struE-
Fighting the boat and got away, closely
following By First Mate Bruce on the
with him. This left me in charge Of the
ship.
Built a Raft.
with me were eleven men. whom 1
at once set to work building a raft We
/ took two timbers, each about twenty-four
feet long, nailed them 5Ia feet apart by
fastening a hatchway covering across
each end. Ropes were fastened to the
timbers for the men. to hold on by if
swept into the water. I'm half an hour
, our craft was ready and launched. The
eleven men got on board and ] remained
. the only person on the South Portland.
/ the first officer from the life raft shouted
TO me: Get off she is sinking As 1
was about to jump ] saw that the raft
had capsized. tt soon righted itself, but
one man was missing and the steamer s
carpenter was seen floating away on q
| chOppy sea. I threw him a bench from
the deck and he was clinging to II when
I last seen. Then one of the passengers
| lost his hold on the raft and to him
tossed a hatch, which he succeeded in
graSping, but he soon drifted out Of sight
Then ] Joined the nine men left on the
raft Two hours later one poor fellow
gave out because utterly exhausted and
we were forced to let him go adrift- Soon
afterwards the mess boy lost his grip-and
disappeared. At intervals during the long
and bitterly cold night three of the pas
sengers gave up their lives and were
swallowed by the sea.
Death of Second Cook.
Morning dawned with a thick fog
/ hanging low over the ocean and the five
Of us left despaired Of being seen or res
/ Cued Our only food consisted Of two APP
pies which we divided. We all wore
use. A few hours after dawn the second
cook gave out from WEAKNESS. We saw
him float only a short distance, his death
! struggle being mercifully hidden by the
Il had a boatswain's whistle which I
almost constantly blew. but it could not
I have been heard far. Once IN the night we
saw a light and thought it was on the
steamer City Of Puebla rs she was about
due therea bouts AS the sun got higher
the foE lifted and we gave a shout of JOY,
for not two miles away were the steam
eFs James Dollar and Spokane. We swung
our hats and coats i'm the air and yelled.
, but at first 1T seemed in vain for the
Dollar continued on her course. The
[ Spokane also appeared not to have seen
uS and we began to despair. Then almost
simultaneously both vessels headed in
/ our direction. The Spokane was the
nearer Of the two and noticing this the
captain of the Dollar resumed bis
course"
Captain Eagles said tonight that he was
/ ON the lookout for wreck for early yes
/ terday morning his lookout had reported
seeing hoathOOk and an car floating on
/ the ocean. Shortly before noon he de
serted a black speck looking like "A sea
| gull at rest. but a look through his glass
showed him the raft and its occupants.