The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-02-15

~ -
!. 1907. as v-a- Ia 1-
several blasts Of the steamers whis.
tie. He rushed into the pilot house
where the pilot and quartermaster
pointed out a three. masted schoon-
er sailing eastward before q strong
wind. ''<- '''zS -'''@ II. ~ - 4
The schooner which proved to be
the Harry Knowlton, coal-laden,
from South Amboy for Boston; had
been bowling along on her course,
when she seemed suddenly to luff
up and head straight for the steam
er. Again several blasts were
sounded on the steamers whistle,
the pilot and the quartermaster at
the same moment whirling the
wheel hard aport in a mad endeavor
to avert collision. AS the steamer
was slowly veering around, the
schooner came on with alspeed that
almost seemed to equal the gale
that was pushing her toward Bos-
ton. @' ~ d. '..1H'-..' siit.a
Before another warning could be
sounded the schooner crashed into
the port eide of the Larchmont, and
the impact Of the big vessel was 80
terrific that the big, clumsy bow of
the sailing craft forced its way more
than half the breadth of the Larch-
mont. When the force of the I'm
pact had been spent the schooner
temporarily remained fast in the
steamers side, holding in check for
a moment the -inrushing water.
The pounding sea soon separated
the vessels, however, and the water
rushed into the gaping hole in the
steamer with tremendous velocity.
AS the water struck the boiler room
great clouds of steam aroee, and the
passengers were first under the i'm.
PRESTON that fire had broken out
on board. Captain McVey, could
not communicate with his eubord.
mate officers belo ", the signal appa.
ratus being wrecked. #o@ ~ as
The passengers meanwhile rush.
ed to the deck. Few of them had
waited to clothe themselves. The
intense cold made them want to OBJ
tain their clothing, but they found
it impossible to return below and
do co. Their rooms were flooded
soon after they had been deserted,
and the steamer, foundering around
in the high seas that are feared by
all Sound navigators, was sinking
with arapidity that cent terror to
the hearts of the officers and crew,
| Some of the seamen held back
the frantic passengers by brute
strength, while others were lower
ing the boats and RATS. There was
no time to think. Not man on
board was able to walk. Their feel
were frozen so badly that the life.
savers carried the survivors bodily
to the lifesaving station.
Captain McVey declared that the
crew of the schooner was response
BILE for the wreck. He said that
had the sailing vessel held true tt
the course which she was sailing
when she was sighted, there would
haveHbeen no possible chance Of ar
accident. .-, ..
Captain Frank P. Haley, of the
schooner Harry Knowlton, stated
: thatthe accident was entirely du'
to the steamer. He said that hi'
lights were burning and he held tt
. his course, with the expectation tha
the steamer, having sighted him
: would pass him with plenty of ses
room. When he found that tn
, steamer would not turn over, Cap
:, tain Haley said 1t was too late Il
, avert a collision.
, As soon as news of the disaste
! reached the Joy Line officials, i'm
/ mediate steps were taken to care 70
, those who had reached shore and t
l search the Sound for victims VIII
: might have found it impossible t.
I. reach the shera.
D Even while the sufferers were re
/. ceiving tender care, bodies tega
Q Ito wash ashore from the directlo
of the sunken steamer and soon tt
9 rescuers we're busy pulling th
e corpses out Of the surf. Whe
; night came to the desolate beac
: this evening, 43 bodies had been re
r covered, either from the surf @
= from the boats which had drifte
s ashore.
o The inhabitants of all parts {
Q the island turned. out to assist i
v rescue work.. though many of ther
!. live several miles from the. point o
d which the steamer sunk. Inclue
D ing Captain McVey, eight of the o
v ficers and crew of the Larchmor
have been saved. The Knowlto