The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-31
CLOSE CALL
FROM DEATH
Fisherman Charles Korpula Res
cued by His Brother in a
Remarkable Manner.
is PICKED UP AT MIDNIGHT
Almost Miraculous Case of Local
Man Whose Death win Eyi.
IDENTIFY Not Be by
Drowning.
IS PICKED UP AT MIDNIGHT


Company, may be drowned some day
but his experiences thus far indicat,
that be was not born to till watery
grave. Late Thursday night he hat
an escape from death that Is little
short OF miraculous, and the incident
has been the talk OF the Finnish fisher
men ever since. Exhausted after 9
long struggle against strong ebb tide,
he was sinking when his own brother,
returning home after an accident that
cut short his nights fishing, happened
along and saved him from death.
Matt Korpula is In the employ OF the
Columbia River Packers Association.
Thursday evening he went down to
the lower harbor to fish. but his net
became snagged and he could not make
successful drift. Gathering up his
damaged gear, he started for home.
It was midnight when he reached the
vicinity of the Tallant- Grant cannery.
The night was unusually dark. but as
the boat scudded along before the
breeze the boat-puller called Korpula's
attention to an object in the water.
AS nearly as the men could ascertain,
the object was alive. At first the fish,
ermen paid no attention to II, but.
after their boat had sailed by. Korpula
told his boatpuller he believed he
would go back, as 1t might have been
some hapless fisherman who was
struggling in the water.
Accordingly the boat was put about
and headed In the direction of the OBJ
ject. AS the fishermen sailed along
Korpula, sitting in the stern Of his
stanch little craft, saw what looked
to him like a hand. The hand was
out Of the water when he first saw 1t,
and by the time the boat reached the
spot it was disappearing beneath the
surface. Korpula grabbed for the hand
just in time to seize 1t.
Had the Columbia river suddenly
dried up, Korpula could not have been
more surprised than he was when,
upon hauling the man into his boat,
he discovered that it was his own
brother, Charles. The man was un-
conscious and was sinking for the last
time when his brother saved him. He
was revived after an hours hard work,
and related the circumstances to his
brother and his surprised boatpuller.
Korpula had been ashore Thursday
night. He went to the cannery' to-
attend to his boat and in the darkness
stepped Off the wharf. The tide was
running out with great rapidity, and,
although Korpula is strong SWIM
mer, he was unable to make headway
against the current. He struggled un-
til his strength was gone. and then,
losing consciousness, was sinking to
his death when, by the sheerest chance
in the world, his brother happened
along, sailed by the faint object which
he had seen in the water, and, more
to satisfy himself than anything else,
returned in time to rescue him.
Charles Korpula is certainly lucky
man. A few nights previously, while
he and his boatpuller were fishing near
Ilwaco, the steamer T. J. Potter bore
down upon their boat. The craft was
overturned and the men precipitated
into the water. Korpula was caught
by the great wheel of the steamer and
carried around three times. He es-
capped almost without injury. In the
light Of his latest escape he is satis- !
fed he will never be drowned, and his
opinion is pretty generally shared by
the fisherfolk Of the west end.