The San Francisco call., 1910-01-17
VESSELS CREW
NEAR DEATH AS
HELP ARRIVES
Spend Night on Wave Swept
Decks of DereIict San
Buenaventura
Captains Wife, With Babe in
Arms, Shows No Fear in
Trying Hours

yesterday she stood by as brave a.
amy Of us. She WAS the best man OF
board We have sailed the sea many
year NOW together. and II ] WAS going
i"Hu in il al last she would, 60 too
Whepever We ship. 81 mus, be to-
-cther"
Torn by the. storm. the vessel leaked
So that men were kept AT the pumps
day and night. bur TO no avail. One
sailor Gas Malendaers. went insane
with the pain of splinter driven into
his head and the lack Of fresh water
for all or TINS had been ruined by the
ocean washing over the smail reSsel
and il was not until he had been on the
FairhaVen for several hours that he
regained his reason
Chris Erickson, first mate. was al
most killed by crush Of timber that
the waves swept against his side. and
Immediately on arrival here he was
treated at the harbor emergency hos
pital for several broken ribs J. Goes
cOvey. another seaman. had his left
index finger torn OF by a rope saving
against the gVnwale. He. also. was
treated by the emergency surgeons.
MainSaiI Carries Away
we left Eureka wednesday morn
ing Captain Rappmundt explained
yesterday evening before taking his
wife and family to his home at Six
teenth and Bryant streets All sails
were set, but by noon we were running
under close reefed fore and mainsail
Then the mainsail and main sheet car
ried away and the boom swung clear,
sweeping everything before it.
we struggled for hours TO make the
boom fast and il was during this time
that Cosscovey lost his finger
AT that time we discovered that
there was three feet of water in the
hold and we got TO the pumps The
mate was crushed under some lumber
that the seas threw against him and he
couldn't 90 anything. so We were short
handed. We kept at the pumps all
Wednesday night. but the schooner
water gained on US right along.
"Al day Thursday we ran north be-
fore the strOm. helpless to do anything
else. with the water gaining on US
continually. Wednesday midnight
had ordered the deck lashings cut and
the deckload Of lumber went by the
board This lightened US, but the water
kept coming
Spend Night of Terror
Thursday night those on board the
doomed San Buenaventura spent hud-
died on the cabin steps. the mate sick
with the pain of his crushed side. and
Cosscovey carrying the raw stump Of
his finger wra pped in a cloth. Mrs.
Rappmundt held her months old child
and sat ali night with the water above
her knees.
When we sighted the San Buena-
ventura" SECOND Nate Martin Silvert-
sent of the Fairhaven, who commanded
the boat that went to the rescue of the
10 persons on the little craft, said last
evening. She was down so far that
only her cabin and either end Of the
vessel. with the two masts. showed
above the water. Captain Paulsen hove
TO and I was sent out with four men in
the lifebOaJ"
The gale was still sweeping the sea
with undiminished strength. but Sill
vertsen and his men managed TO row
their boat alongside the san Buenaven-
tura. The little craft was dashed
against the schooner at one time, and
stove in. fortunately above the water
line, but still the crew held her close
TO the windjammer.
After being assured by her husband
that he would come with her Mrs.
Rappmundt got into the boat. wearing
some Of her husbands clothing. after
seeing that her baby. wrapped in a
-four sack. had been pa ssed safely along
= rope to the lifeboat the crew, one
after the other swung over the side
and dropped into the boat as best they
could.
Would Stay With Ship
still Rappmundt stayed, and not until.
his wife had threatened to jump into
the sea with her baby did he leave his
command.
The San Buenaventura would not
have stayed upf through the night.
though she was floating on the lum-
ber in her hold" Second Mate Silvert-
sen OF the Fairhaven said yesterday.
ITO stay on her would have meant
death TO Rappmundt."
The Fairhsven was bound from Port
Gamble to this port with a cargo of
lumber when she sighted the San
Buenaventura.
Captain Rappmundt was on his first
voyage IN the old schooner. which he
had purchased with number OF others
Rappmundt had an eighth interest in
the schooner. He was taking 170 900
feet OF pine and redwood lumber to
Altsta and then the craft was to be
used in trade along the Mexican and
Central American coast for the next
two years or more. She was OF 10
tons burden.
The crew or the schooner are: Mate.
Chris Erickson; F. W. Beecher. J. An
derson, J. Cosscovey. Gus Malendaers
and A. Tomissen.
Feared Only for Baby
Mrs. Paul Rappmundt when seen on
board the Fairhaven, was in a cheerful
frame OF mind and expressed herself as
being glad TO be home again after her
fea arful experience. She said.
I was not afraid except for my little
boy For myself I had no fear at all
and did not cry once. not even Thurs
day night. wnen we were compelled TO
sit on the cabin steps all night waist