The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-09
DRiFTED ABOUT
FOR SO HOURS
Rough Experience of Passengers
and Crew Of Steamer
VESSEL WAS WATER-L0GGED
SEA ROVER CAME ALONG IN
NICK OF TIME.
WAS WATER-L0GGED

NICK OF TIME.
A sTORIA, Ore, Nov. s.-The steamer
~ Charles Nelson. which departed
from Astoria Nov. 8 for san Fran
cisco. became water-logged or Heceta
Head, 200 miles down the coast from
this port, and was abandoned by her
passengers and crew. News of the loss
OF the vessel reached here today. when
the tug sea Rover arrived from san
Francisco. The Nelson had a cargo Of
726.000 feet of lumber, loaded at West
port. near Astoria. The steamer car
ried a big deck load ard according to
the statements made to officers Of the
Sea Rover by officers of the Inflated
vessel, the disaster resulted from the
working of her deck load in a terrific
gale, which was encountered of the
Oregon coast. The stanchiOns which held
the deck load in place were carried
away opening UP seams in the deck.
Heavy seas washed over the vessel and
her hold soon filed. The entire deck
load went into the sea. The steamer
filed rapidly and, convinced that she
would soon be a total loss. her captain
ordered the two boats lowered
Took TO the Boats.
The passengers and crew Of the Mel
son numbered thirty-siX persons. All
the passengers were placed in the boats
first and the crew followed. The storm
was encountered on Thursday morning
and by evening the vessel was water
logged and on Thursday night the hap
less mariners took to the boats and for
thlrty-siX hours were bumeted about on
the ocean. About Q O'Clock yesterday
, morning the Sea Rover, bound up the
coast. sighted the two boats. She picked
them up at once and after two hours
of incessant labor, fraught with grave
danger and hardship, the thirty-si2c
souls who had suffered intensely from
the constant drenching they had been
subjected to while in the Nelson's boats,
were taken safely aboard the Sea Rover
and made as comfortable as the facili-
ties on board the tug would permit.
The captain of the Sea Rover decided
TO head for Astoria, his point Of destin-
aUon5 ana the tug was sent ahead at
full speed soon after IL o'clock, how
ever. the steam collier Titania, bound
from British Columbia for San Fran
cisco, hove in sight and in response to
the signals OF the Sea Rover hove to
and after a consultation between the
captains. which was carried on from
the decks of the vessels, it was decided
most eNpedient for the passengers and
crew to be again transferred and after
much labor and difficulty the refugees
were safely transported to the decks of
the Titania, which proceeded south on
her voyage to San Francisco. The Sea
Rover then resumed her journey to AS
tOria
Derelict in Tow.
Shortly after noon the steam schooner
Aurelia- bound from Astoria for Mon
terey, hove in sight with the dereliCt
Nelson i'm tow. owing TO the terrific
seas the little vessel was having a hard
time Of it and was making but little
Roadway with her unwieldy tow. ONLY
the houses and the point Of the Nelson s
bow appeared above the water and the
Indications were that the AureHa was
eventually compelled to abandon heI
prize.
Speaking Of the abandonment Of the
Nelson, one of the officers Of the Sea
Rover said.
'I am convinced that the loss Of the
Nelson can be attributed solely TO the
immense declSload which she carried.
A terrific gale was blowing ant the
seas were running as 7 have never seen
them before, and I have Travelled up
and down this coast for many years
In such storm IL is almost impossible
TO prevent a decklOad such as the Mel
son carried from working as mar
liners call it,. and the Nelson's load
proved TO De no exception to the rule
Her crew worked heroically. but with
such q sea on it was impossible to
prevent the load from slipping. and
FIRST che stanchion was torn out and
then another. The deck seams opened
and the water poured into her hold
washing about between decks and REM
dcTing the steamer all The more diff
ficult TO handle i'm such a boiling sea
She was becoming WaterlOgged rapidly
I'll Of 1T
son gathered his passengers and the
crew about him and told them TO pre-
pare 20 take 10 the boats.
Captain Kept Cool.
"The calm demeanor OF the captain
insdilod hope and confidence in tht
passengers and crew. and the prepare.
lions for abandoning the vessel were
carried on cCOlly and systematically
with the result that when everything
was Ready the passengers were frs
placed in the boats and the crew fol
lowed The boats We're cut loose from
the steamer and the crew manned tn,
oars. keeping the boats I'm the tract
Of CoastinE vessels IN the hope tina
they would be picked up. All dUrin,
the 0iCht the boats were buGeteC
about by the sea- the waves braaEin,
over them and drenching those il
them Tt was a frightful night anC
the suGerings Of the shipwrecked per
sons were terrible. The storm did no
decrease during the night and day
break found the boats. which had KEEP
closely together an night, out of sigh
Of land and not a vessel within sight
All during Friday and during tn
night the unfortunates kept watch To-
2 friendly sau or the smoke Of
steamer. but nothing appeared to rails
the hopes of the party. Hope wa
rapidly deserving chem when 1871
sighted the boats and bore down upol
them. It was with great dimculC
that we got them aboard our vessel
Not long after che Titania was sight
ed and the passengers. who nUmbere'
nine and the Nelson's crew Wer
transferred to her and taken TO Sal
Francisco"
BUILT FOR COAsTING TRADE.
The Nelson Had Only Been Afoa
Five Years.
Portland Ore Nov The eteo mo