Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-09-06
RUNS ON ROCKS
IN DENSE FOG
STEAMER MAKES SAN PEDRO
DESPITE INJURIES
ESCAPE FROM TOTAL LOSS Is
DEEMED WONDERFUL
Schooner Shna.Yak Strikes at Point
Arena, but Is Got Off by Prompt
Work of Officers and
Crew
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN PEDRO, Sept. 5-The steam
schooner Shna-Yak, Capt. William
Hutton, arriving this morning from
Port Hadlock, Wash, reports that the
afternoon of September l she went on
the dangerous rocks at Point Arena
In an unusually dense fog, and was
saved from destruction only by the
prompt work of her officers and crew.
The vessel grounded at 4:40 o'clock
Tuesday and struck heavily amid-ships
four or five times. Captain Hutton
ordered the deck lashings cut and S00,-
900 feet of lumber were jettisoned and
thrown into the sea, carrying with 1t
First officer A. Paulsen, r. Halstein,
winch driver, and c. Gustafson,
Haired Bankes, G. Peterson and a.
Carlson. members of the crew. The
sea was smooth as glass AMI the men
scrambled on top OF the lumber. Hal
stein became entangled in the floating
lumber and would have drowned had
not A. Jordan, fireman, jumped from
the deck of the steamer and held him
up until boats were lowered, when all
the men were picked up. The only one
seriously injured was First Officer
Paulsen, who was severely bruised on
his left side and required medical at
tention upon arrival here.
When the lumber was jettisoned the
ShnaYak. greatly lightened, backed
out of her perilous position with only
minor injuries. She was on the rocks
about fifteen minutes. The sea was
perfectly calm, which aided the work
greatly. The vessel was not leaking
upon arrival here. After cleaning up
the wreckage of the main and after
rigging she was again under full steam
at 8 o'clock.
Took All Precautions
Captain Hutton gave the following
account of the accident: 1--WE were
proceeding slowly on our course, OBJ
serving all precautions Of navigation,
taking soundings, blowing the whistle
and stopping the ship. The fog was
denser than any I ever before expert
enced. Ten minutes before we struck
1 had stopped ship and had soundings
taken. I could not hear the Point Arena
fog horn, and, as 1 had had twenty
six hours of fog, could not locate my
self AS soon as we struck and part
of the deck load was jettisoned I
backed off into deep water and pro-
ceeded on my course, after picking up
life boats with the men who had gone
overheard.
IT attribute my going on the rocks to
the fact that there was an unusually
strong in-shore current running. To
prove this, after the accident the Shna-
Yak, in the run from Point Arena to
Point Reyes, though placed on the
usual course, veered in-shore four
miles, and from Point Reyes to Point
Sur she fetched in-shore seven miles.
I think the ship is damaged only
slightly, and that the accident was not
more serious is due to the cool, prompt
work of my officers and crew."
The Shna-Yak is new steamer
having been placed in commission last
December. Her managing owner is
George E. Billings of San Francisco,
and her capacity is 100000 feet of
lumber. She was built by Hall Bros.
at Eagle Harbor and cost SIPS. 900. She
carries crew of twenty-five officers
and men.