The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-29
SMALL SCHOONER
TURNS TURTLE
Alexander Mclean, the Notorious
Sealer, and Grew of Five
Men Go Down.
LOST IN A GALE TUESDAY
WIND BLEW FROM FIFTY TO
SIXTY MILES AN HOUR.

Victoria, 3. c., Jan. 2S.-The fishing
schooner Ella G, a small ''pinkie"
schooner of about fifteen tons, is re-
ported from Bamfield to have been lost
with all hands, six in number, having
turned turtle in the southwest gale on
Tuesday when the wind blew from 80
to go miles an hour. There were six
men on board, one of whom was the
notorious sealer, Alexander Mclean,
whose escapades with the sealing
schooner Carmencita caused the United
States government TO ordere a revenue
cutter TO arrest the vessel. The Ella G,
formerly owned in Seattle and pur-
chased by Victorians after being taken
from Clayoquot, where she was
wrecked three years ago, left Victoria
on Saturday, the 10th, on a fishing
cruise off the Vancouver island coast
in the vicinity of the entrance Of the
straits.
Seen Last Tuesday.
She was seen on Tuesday last by set
tiers at Carmanah Point, standing off
BOnilla Point, two miles to the east
ward OF Carmanah, and. according to
those who then watched her she did
not pass out and appeared to be acting
strangely. Last night there were ru-
morS that she had been lost, advices
coming from Bamfield Creek to the eff
feet that the schooner had turned turtle
and all on board drowned The Ella
G, after she was saved from the beach
at Clayoquot, had a large amount OF
ballast OF cement and pig iron re-
moved. and it is not thought the bal
last was placed properly in the vessel
Mclean Was Notorious.
Captain Alexander Mclean, who was
1T ,+ras-7 11
fisherman, and Mr.. Winch, Of this city,
in the ownership Of the vessel, was
sealer who has become notorious as
result of sealing raids and a recent
Illicit sealing cruise to Bering sea III
the schooner Carmenctta- Jack Lon
don, the novelist, stated Mclean was
the foundation for the character of
Larsen, tine Sea Wolf" of his novel
of that name, and he has since been
known as Sea Wolf" With a brother,
Dan Mclean. who died some years ago,
he engaged in sealing on the Pacific
coast for many years. and on one ocCa-
sion was seized by the Russian cruiser
AIeut, when sealing off the Copper ISL
ands with the American schooner
James Hamilton Lewis. and he then
most daringly tried to disable the
cruiser by throwing a cable about her
propeller. The attempt did not sue
coed and he and his crew were i'm
prisoned.
Made Several Raids.
He was responsible for a number or
sealing raids, the last being 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, afterWard dying at PORT
Townsend It was in consequence of
this that the United States secret ser
vice men started TO work, and orders
were given for McLean's arrest when
he was absent on his voyage last yeaI
with a crew Of thirty-one men from
San Francisco. The owners at San
Francisco were indicted and are now
out on bail, and a, warrant was issued
for Mclean which was never served,
as he remained at Victoria where the
Carmencita, now in port, was sold to
pay debts. An effort was made by the
Washington government to have Nc
Lean arrested for Illicit sealing, but
failed, and he remained here until his
last fatal voyage.