Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-02-02
TRAGIC END
OF SEA WOLF
Hero Of Jack London's Famous story
Perishes Miserably in a Hurri.
cane at Sea.
HIS CAREER WAS STORMY ONE
Notorious as an illicit Sealer, for
Whom Government Had Issued
Warrants.

ing schooner Ella G., small "pinkie''
schooner of about 1900 tons, is re-
ported from Bamfield to have been
lost with all hands, six in number,
having turned turtle in the south
west gale on Tuesday, when the wind
blew from so to 60 miles an hour.
There were six men on board, one
of whom was the notorious sea1er
Alex Mclean, whose escapades with
the sealing schooner Carmencita caus-
ed the United States government to
order a revenue cutter to arrest the
vessel.
The Eli G., formerly owned in Seat
tie, and purchased by Victorians, at
ter being taken from Clayouquet,
where she was wrecked three years
ago, left Victoria on Saturday, the
goth, for a cruise off the Vancouver
island in the vicinity of the entrance
of the straits. She was seen on Tues
day last by settlers at Carmanah Point
standing off Bonil1a Point, two miles
to the eastward of Carmanah, and
according to those who then watched
her she did not pass out and appeared
to be acting strangely.
Ballast Badly Placed.
The Ella G., after she was saved
from the beach at Clayouquet, had a
large amount of ballast of cement and
p1girOn removed, and it is not thought
the ballast was placed properly in the
vessel again.
Captain Alex Mclean, who was in
terested with Captain Forrest, local
fisherman. and Mr.. Winch. of this
city, in the ownership of the schoon.
or, was a sealer, who had become no.
torious as a result of sealing raids
and a recent illicit sealing cruise to
Boring sea in the schooner Carmen
cita. Jack London, the novelist, stat
ed Mclean was the foundation for the
character of Larsen, "The Sea Wolf"
in his novel of that name, and he has
since been known on the Pacific coast
as "The Sea Wolff
With brother, Dan Mclean, who
died some years ago. he engaged in
sealing on the Pacific coast for many
years and on one occasion was seiz-
ed by the Russian cruiser Aleut, when
sealing off the Copper islands with
the American steamer James Leeds
ana then daringly tried to disable the
cruiser by throwing cable about her
propeller. The attempt did not sue
coed, and he and his crew were i'm
prisOned. He was responsible for a
number of sealing raids, the last be-
ing in August Of 1904. when he tried
to raid Copper island and was driven
off by shore guards, two of his men
being shot, one Walter York. after.
ward dying at Port Townsend.
warrant Out for Him.
1t was in consequence of this that
the United States secret service men
started to work, and orders were Civ
en- for McLean's arrest when he was
absent on his voyage last year. with
a crew of 81 men from San Francisco
The owners at San Francisco were in
dicted and are now out on bail.
warrant was issued for Mclean which
was never served, as he remained al
Victoria, where the Carmencita, now
in port, was sold to pay debts. Ar
effort made by the washington gov
eminent to have Mclean arrested fol
illicit sealing failed. and he remained
here engaged in fishing until his las
fatal voyage.
The bark was in sight all day ant
just after shutdown drifted around {
point and out of sight. 1t is not know
if she went on the rocks or is anchor
ed. She was in dangerous position
The steamer Salvor has gone to thu
assistance of the bark.