The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-10-10
CASTAWAYS
NUMBER 243
THE WRECK OF THE JOHN CUR
RIER JEOPARDIZED LARGE NUM-
Der OF LIVES.

SEATTLE, September 23.-Bringing
243 persons rescued from the wrecked
ship John Currier, the revenue cutter
Thetis, Captain A. j. Henderson, reach
ed Seattle yesterday afternoon. The
survivors were taken aboard at I'm
alaska, Alaska, to which point they
were brought by the cutter McCulloch,
after having been marooned thirty
three days on a desolate beach in Mel
sons lagoon, Bristol bay, Alaska. In
point of numbers the rescue of the
Curriers' passengers and crew is the
greatest in the history of Pacific coast
shipping.
Included with the party brought to
Seattle was the wife of Capt. Murchi-
son, commanding the wrecked ship, and
their five children, ranging from l to
II years.
The rescued party consisted of 100
Chinese and Japanese employed as
cannery hands at the Nushagak plant
of the Alaska Fishermen's Packing
Company, of Astoria, and 112 European
fishermen, who had completed their
seasons work and were bound for AS
toria.
The work of rescue was additionally
remarkable in that but single mem
Der of the party was left behind. A
Japanese laborer was so i'll upon his
| arrival at Unalaska that it was deemed
unwise to attempt his removal south.
He was in the last stages of consump-
| ton
1t was thankful body of people
that stepped over the cutters plank to
the dock yesterday, raising their voices
in three loud cheers of praise for the
treatment afforded them on the Thetis
From the day they were cast upon
the beach at Nelson's lagoon, August
9, until rescued by officers of the cut
ter McCulloch, September II, not per-
son was seen, excepting during a brief
call made by the steamer Leelanaw in
the bay adjacent to the point where
the wrecked party had established a
camp. That vessel had been dispatched
to the scene of the wreck by the ma
rine underwriters in an effort to salve
what portion of the Curriers' cargo
| that had not been destroyed. Upon
! learning that the Currier had gone to
pieces, the master of the Leenanaw
continued on his voyage to Nome with
out attempting a rescue.
The act was disheartening to the
shipwrecked persons, who believed that
they were to be succored. With the
| departure of the Leelanaw Capt. Muir
Gibson formed plans to escape. He in
tended to take his family and men in
boats distance of twenty miles and
by crossing a portage of ten miles and
further by water route, reach a point
on the Pacific side of the peninsula.
where he might be in the course of
passing vessels. The route was sufIi-
! GENTLY dangerous and unknown to
cause general belief among the in
formed members of the party that they
would have persisted of privations, if
violent weather had not sent their
! boats and occupants to the bottom.
The carrying out of the plan was con-
templated for the day following the ar
rival of the McCulloch with aid.
The Currier was wrecked in a dense
! fog August 8. The first intimation OF
danger was the grounding of the ships
! bow on a sandy beach Capt. Murchi-
son was on deck. Speedy investigations
disclosed that the vessel had gone "a
miles off her course in the fog that
prevailed during the five days of pro-
gress south from Nushagak. Suisse
quent investigations showed that the
ship was doomed, and the work of get
ting the many Orientals and European
passengers ashore in the ships boat
commenced.
Beginning at 1870 a. m, the work Of
getting ashore occupied the entire day
Many Of the Chinese refused to take to
the vessels boats, frightened by the
strong surf that was running. In sew
eral instances force was required to
take the men from what would have
two of the boats containing the pas
sengers, three went into the water. In
the darkness that prevailed a rescue
was effected only after the unconscious
forms were taken from the surf on the
beach. Each had been provided with
a life preserver, a precaution that un-
doubtedly saved their lives.
The site Of their temporary saliva
: ton proved to be an abandoned saltery
camp. Several buildings remained.
These were hurriedly occupied, and
those unable to be accommodated
erected tents and shelters on the beach
from sails that had been carried from
the ship. The subsequent days were
ones of practical idleness, excepting
that an effort was made on the part
Of several to make the location habit
able for the winter in the event that
no relief came.