The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-12-26
SHREK Of DYING
WOMAN STILL
SOUNDS IN EARS
Atlas Captain Tells How
She Was Crushed
by Ships
CRIES OUT IN AGONY
Hope of Safety Snatched
Away by Maniacal
Husband
CRIES OUT IN AGONY
LET'S GO HIS HOLD
Rope Slips and Man Follows
Wife to Death in
Collision

While willing hands were out
stretched to save her from watery
grave, Mrs. Peterson, wife Of the.
late captain OF the i'll fated Norwe-
gian bark Viking, was practically
torn away by her insane husband and
crushed to death during collision
between his vessel and the American
ship Atlas off Cape Horn on June
8 last. More narrowing details of
the sad tragedy of the deep related
in yesterdays Call we're explained
fully yesterday afternoon by Captain
L. G. Dart of the Atlas
Though he has sailed the seas of
many clines for fifty years. the
remembrance OF the juno disas-
ter yet brings tears to the eyes Of the
weather beaten old salt. He still sees
the helpless woman all but safe in the
hands of her rescuers being literally
crushed to pieces amid the wreckage
of the two ships as they battered
against each other amid the wild storm
of relentless ocean.
According to Captain Dart, all hands
save the captain and his wife managed
to reach the decks of the Atlas after
the collision The viking was fast
sinking and as he was abont 10 leave
her a sturdy Scotch sailor caught sight
Of Mrs. Peterson on deck. crying pit
eously for somebody to save her.
TRIES TO SAVE HER
Forgetting his own peril. the brave
Scotchman grabbed hold of a line from
the deck of the Atlas. and was about TO
fssten it to the woman and have her
hauled out of harms way, when her
husband. driven insane by his awful ex-
perience, hove III sight. The sailor
tried to reason with the crazy captain,
but the latter was obdurate, calling
wildly to the heavens for aid and i'm
ploring his wife not TO leave him.
Grabbing hold OF both of them. by
sheer force the Scottish sailor fastened
the rope around their waists and gave
the signal for his shipmates on the
ATLAS to hoist. The insane man. with
his wife clutching him as her last hope
of safety, suddenly gave a maniacal
shrek and at the same time relin-
auished his hold on the rope.
The agonizing screams of the woman,
mingled with the insane screenings of
her demented spouse still ring in the
ears of Captain Dart and his crew. The
woman was the first to fall. AS she de-
scended she was caught between the
sides of the two ships and literally
crushed to death A gallant attempt
was made to save her body. but it was
carried far out to sea by a heavy wave
that swept over the fast sinking vi
king
Captain Peterson did not meet such
an awful death as was his wifes lpt
He fell in another direction and was
drowned His body like that Of his
helpmate, was also swept away by an
angry wave.
DEMENTED THROUGH DISASTER
| 1t is the belief of Captain Dart and
the members of the rescued crew of
| the III fated viking that Captain Peter
sons reason forsook him forever when
he scented danger. Though he tried
every means known to modern naviga-
tion to avoid the collision, Captain Dart
asserted that the master of the wrecked
craft kept steering into his ship till
finally the collision was inevitable.
When the large and heavy Atlas struck
the smaller boat squarely amidships
the latter sank rapidly.
Captain Peterson was issuing insane
orders to his men from the bridge. In
stead of trying to keep out of the way
of the other ship, his men told the crew
of the Atlas that he kept steering right
for her all the time, apparently believ-
ing that she was in danger and that 1t
4 was his duty to render any assistance
{ within his power
When the Viking had sunk Captain
Dart discovered that his boat was fast
filing with water. He ordered all
hands to the pumps. and for IL hours
the men fought heroically, finally saw
ling the ship. Twenty-nine days later
Captain Dart put into Rio de Janeiro.
where the vessel was temporarily re-
paired and started on her voyage to
this city again, arriving here Tuesday
evening many days overdue and with
10 per cent reinsurance quoted
MUTINy Is BREWING
The troubles of the Atlas, even with
the collision. were not at an end. When.