Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-05
II SAILORS
DROWNED
STEAM SCHOONER WRECKED
OFF NORTH COAST
AFTER LONG FIGHT SEA CLAIMS
ITS VICTIMS
Lumber.Ladea Vessel Runs Into
Furious Gale and Finally
~ Founders Near New
port, Oregon
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press
NEWPORT, Ore, May 4.-Eleven Oh
the officers and crew of the steam
schooner Minnie e. Kelton, lumber
laden, from Aberdeen to San Francisco,
were killed or drowned as the result Oh
gale Friday night.
The schooner is lying at anchor, nair
wrecked. about 6. mile off shore, be-
tween Yaquina Head and Cape Foul
weather.
Cant. James McKenna and ten OF MS
crew were saved.
The dead and missing are:
WALTER PETERSON. oiler.
BARNEY Il. vEY, fireman.
syEND PETERSON. steward.
r. w. LITTLE
GEoGE JOHNSON. two cabin boys.
A. ELoSoSSON.
A. KOSKE.
G. II. JENSEN.
o. ROSKURST. ,,.
= Johnson. members of the crew.
c. r. LUND, chief engineer.
The injured: A. j. Nelson.
Those saved are: ,,
Capt. McKenna, First Mate M. Mai. Ma
tin, Secopd Mate John Mortensoi,' C,ier
Assistant Engineer James Carney, Oiier
walter Hoffman, Firemen John no
void and C. d. Hansen, Sailors A. An
derson. w. Kaskensen and Andrew D.
Runs Into Gale
Eridav the Kelton ran into strong
head wind which increased as the @ uay
proceeded, until by midnight II was mae
blowing a hard gale. The Vessea eon ~
tinualiy shipped large Voiu,hes
water and labored heavily III .,, .ne ~ sha
lne raached a point eight miles
so,,thwest of Yaquina, when the uecN,
ioad shifted and started the buikheao
~ tha fire room and the Vessei pesai'
ci,,ng from the bunkers and engine
roonn 10 the hold. The pumps proven
,navailing against the inrush OF wa.en.
cant. Kenna. realizing the ssrioT9 SER the
ness Of his posni1ltohbi n,,t his iiI fires were soon
eS.ingnished. The Kelton nlieo rap
sS,s, and was soon wallowing arooii'
OF the mercy of wind ana WaSess va
when she had drifted north OF H. r.
onina head the captain, seems "a
sionaIessness of his condition oroeset
.ha craft abandoned and dlrecteu .id nc
w Sifahoat. which was large eilous,'
10 hold the entire crew, pe ,,SNhoat
Wbf1e engaged in clearing the ,oo',
nc vessel suddenly shipped q lre,it .no
dous sea which swept oVerppat,t the
docls,oad of lumber and with ~ uie
ea uechioa" Sac,xhouse both boats and eleven
VI rba lifeboat was pitched on 10 tlis es
eoating lumber, hanging one emu oi,
OF sharp angles. In clamperlhs M W.
the boat the men capsizeu iaer ao,,, and
sucoseded in righting her again anu
ahout seven of the sailors climpeu nj IN
sno,,ing four others or the wreck. lne
naatain ordered the boat to pick tnese
sssan M. but for some reason the oroe'
was not obeyed. ,,ro.oat
xy,thin q few minutes the lifeboat
- the wreckage with the unfortu-
s.atos on hoard drifted away from tne
WaIton By this time the steamer mao
driyted close to shore and Capt. kenna
let 60 his anchors in hopes they Wouia
hold him off shore. shortly aiterwala =,
sn,all shut from view the litepoa'
the men ON the wreckage. They
we've not seen again until three OF tneii
nodes were picked up on the peacn
Take Refuge in Rigging
Meantime the men remaining on the
Kelton took refuge in the rigging, pu'
fearing they would be swept over
hoard they crawled along the cargo
boa,ns and in this precarious manner
s,1cceeded in gaining the forecastle
,vhara they remained until rescued
SUNDAY afternoon. They had neither
water nor food and suffered greatly
from hunger, thirst and exposure;
During all this time signals OF dis
tress had been flying but failed to at
tracT attention either Of the lifesavine
station or of passing vessels.
THE first intelligence of the wreck
was brought to the Yaquina Head life
saving station about noon Sunday by
paul Chatterton a farmer living neal
nc scene Of the wreck A lifeboat was
sent up the coast to the Kelton and q
surfman with signalling apparatus
went along shore to the craft
The iifeboat took off the remaining
members of the crew and landed then
safely about two miles above the wreck
Search was then made for those OF the
crew who might have boen washed
ashore The ships lifeboat was foune
q short distance farther north with one
man living dead in the bottom or IT.
half mile farther up the beatn anotnel
body was found on the beach, and 6
third body was found in mass o
wreckage near the second one.
a. 7. Nelson, one of the men who mac
been abandoned on the wreckage, man
aged to save his life after Undergone
horrible experience. When thu
wreckage struck the beach SATURDAY
night the breakers piled the LUMBER OF
top of the unfortunate sailors; Nelson
with his leg broken above the ankle
managed to extricate himself from tn'
grinding mass and reached the shor'
about O'clock at night
With broken bones protrudinf
through the flesh and enduring fearfu
agony, the man lay there all night
Sunday morning he attempted TO craw
along the beach when he was discov
eredTby Andrew Wisnewski. a farmer
who carried Nelson to his home ant
came to this place for physician.
Chief Engineer Lund was last seen II
the cabin a moment before 1t wa
washed overheard. He Is believed Z
hova baoy, Hfllad