The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-10-04

RAhAAANf HAHA " AAAAAAHAANH MAAAtAH
ing and peril experienced In the
hurricane which hafraHHed the bark
Ferris $. Thompson. az told in The
star q last Monday. vas brought
10 this city hy Mex ]. Powers. nf
the American bark Reaper. Cap
tain paulson. which arrived ~ Port
Townsend from the Orient on Mon
day.
Powers reached Seattle from Port
Townsend on Tuesday evening. al
which time he told q reporter Tor
The Star % the damages suffered by
the Reaper from the sale OF last
week. and Aiao reeounted tAla Of
the dismasting Of the British ship
\ q Ropes. during n typhoon In the
CHINA sea e. dAys aEo.
Ia the same gale which 30 h.aei
the Thompson one week ago last
Monday the Reaper. the errv 81
which Powers has been a member
for nearly a YER. lnst her fore top
gallant yard. one Of her fore sails
and nearly lost two men In shorten
lnE sail preparatory To the arrival
OF the storm Powers himself uear-
IS lost his life. as IA. result. accord
ing TO his owu story. % earelessncss
ia attempting to nli bucket Nith
water oyeg the ships side While the
vessel was going az a lively clip,
The Reaper left koht. Japan. a
days ago. Although the weather was
not BY any means pleasant on the
voyage over. yst. the vessel was IN
~ danger until che ran into the
storm which nearly wrecked the
Thompson The Reaper. like the
Thompson, Waa coming To Seattle
In ballast
Last Wednesday morning. a huf-
risauc. which had been brewing for
the past day or 80. struck the yea
sci when she vas about ESQ mlles
off Cape Fiattery Owing TO the
fact that Captain Pauison had BEEN
expecting heavy weather. ths vcs-
sci was prepared. as far as possible.
The wind. which a. first blew al
the rate Of so miles an hour for
about 45 minutes suddenly died
down and not a single breath % air
could be felt This VAS succeeded
by slight. warm. sultry breeze
which lasted for another brief pc
Rod.
Then came the hurricane itself A
nile away the advance Of the gale
vas heTalded by white. seeihinE
wall Of spume and spray At the va.
ter's edge. which gradually traiied
off into the air until u resemhled
huge fog bank Huge Hwells
which had been rolling mountains
high. powerleas to raise themselves
IN the face 81 the terrific Wind. we're
flRttened like so many pancakes
Sailors. Who had been aloft. akurried
down the shtouds. sliding tumbling
and jumping anyway To reach =
haven OF shelter before the full force
OF the gale struck the ship
LaAhed 10 the wheel ~ stout lines
Powers says that when the gale first
struck the vessel. II was impossible
for him TO see a yard ahead. Spray.
picked up half a mile away. swept
over the Reaper'a decks. enYeloplnF
the ship until the vessel looked NJ
n she was In the midst OF driving
blizzard.
With a grinding crash. the fore
topKallant yard. where a moment
before half a dozen men had been
working. went topping over the
side. carrying with Il tackle. sheet
ropes and other gear which had D.
be cut away. In spite OF the fact
that the vessel was mOmeutarily in
danger Of having a hole poked In
her side from the yard. which. fast
ened to the vessel by portions of the
rigging. banged and smashed at her
ribs. IL could not be attended TO al
once. owing TO the men being forced
TO stay below and shift cargo.
Shortly after this storm. another
beset the vessel and carried away
the fore staysail Fortunately. no
one was injured. although several
had narrow escapes while cutting
away the wreckage.
On the trip over Powers himself
was carried overheard and II was
only due to the watchfuinesa Of the
man at the wheel that he was fin
ally rescued. Powers was engaged
In washing the decks with a num-
Der of sailors. Wishing 10 get some
water. Powers stepped over to the