Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-01-14
NIGHT OF HORROR ENDS IN
DEATH OF SURVIVORS
THREE FALL FROM MAST;
OTHERS LEAP INTO OCEAN
Steamer czarlna Beaten to Splinters.
Owner Sees His Son Fighting
Gale for Hours, Then
Drown
Associated Pressl

WTlIleu INTO the TeCOIu VI lldl HtS us
asters on the grim north Pacific coast
through. the loss of the staunch iron
steamship Czarina on the north spit
of the Coos Bay bar with a loss OF
thirty more lives.
A solitary survivor, Harry kentzel,
first assistant engineer Of the wrecked
vessel, is the only living testimonial
to the heroic efforts made by the
United States life saving crew, and
by the citizens of Marshfield to aid
the doomed crew of the Inflated
steamer.
Kentzel's escape is a wonderful
story of human endurance and phys
ical strength When the ship piled on
the rocks Kentzel with six or seven
others took to the rigging of the fore
mast.
Driven by the gale. sea after sea
smashed over the vessel; the decks
were awash and wreckage was float
ing about Suddenly tremendous sea
swept over the vessel and kentzel ana
his companions were washed from
their places.
Kentzel was swept toward land but
time and again was carried out TO sea
by the shifting currents. he Is
strong swimmer and liter fighting Tor
what seemed to him ages ne ilaIldse9 5
to get hold of a piece of timber ana
Could See Rescuers
AS he neared the beach he could see
the rescuers running up and down;
Finally he lost consciousness ana
knew nothing more until he came to
alongside a big fire.
He had been taken from the water
nv watchers and was only brought
back to life after several hours Wig
orous treatment. He will recover.
Kentzel lives in San Francisco.
When darkness fell last night it was
believed that all on board the CzaTlha
were lost. Mountainous seas dashed
over the vessel, sweeping It from stem
10 stern. The wind, bitter cold,
shrieked and howled. 1t was thought
beyond the power of human endurance
for anyone on the doomed ship TO sur
vive the terrible night.
The Czarina sailed yesterday after
noon in the face of a storm, bound Tor
San Francisco. She had braVed many
n gale and her commander apparently
saw no reason for delaying her depar.
ture. He wished to take advantage OF
the tide and steamed SLOWLY uo"h lie
bay toward the bar.
< few of young Mills friends and
friends of the crew remained on the
wharf to witness her passage over the
bar which was breaking badly. sud
denly a series of big seas struck the
iasssel. pitching her about, but still no
danger was anticipated and she con-
tinued to fight her way on toward the
open sea.
Accident Happens
Then something happened; what II
was may never be known.
The vessel appeared to stop and sea
after sea struck her, some of the
waves washing her decks. Then the
big vessel started to drift rapidly
toward the fatal spot. Her anchor was
dropped, but it would not hold, and
with her rudder apparently out of
and big seas pounding
against her, she piled on the rocks.
News of the disaster spread like
wildhre and in few minutes the beach
was lined with people. The life crew
was notified and a tugboat was sent
to the scene, but no boat could APP
proach near enough to the vessel and
keep af1oat.
The lifesaving crew made several at
tempts to fire lines over the steamer
but all fell short.
Huge beacon fires were built on shore
and all night long through wind and
storm scores patrolled the beach in
the hope that others, like Kentzel,
might reach land with some spark of
life still in them.
This morning when the first CLEAN
of dawn came out of the east, six forms
could be made out through glasses,
still clinging to the rigging OF the only
mast. Hope of rescue was
but fate decided otherwise.
Accident Happens
AS the day advanced and the storm
failed to abate, the watchers on shore
realized that no help could reach the
men who were making such grim
fight for life.
1t was beyond human skill and pos
sibility to approach the pounding ship.
No tug or lifeboat could live for mo-
ment in such a sea.
Half frozen and numb from the cold,
weakened by hunger and the buffet
ing waves, one of the six men lost
heart and dropped into the seething
water A second man gave up his
slender thread of life, and little later
a third was seen to fall.
Among the scores of watchers on
the beach none spent such night OF
agony as c. J. Mills, general man
ager of the steamship company, whose
son Harold, aged 20, was aboard the
Czarina. The young man was return
ing to the University of California
after passing the holidays with his
parents.
All morning Mills kept his glass
glued on the ship, whose superstruc-
ture was barely visible through blind
ing spray and foam. AS the men be-
gan to drop off the rigging Mills low
cred his glass and turned away, his
face white and drawn.
For short time remaining the trio
could be seen clinging to the wreck
Then, through the glasses, it appeared
as if they had resolved together to
make one last desperate effort to reach
shore
Removing a portion of their drenched
clothing, not to be handicapped in
what they realized was a desperate
swim for life, the three survivors
jumped into the sea. They never re-
The identity of the sextet who had
survived the night will never be
known definitely, but the consensus of
opinion is that they were Capt. C. J.
Duggan of San Francisco, Second
Mate John McNichols of San Fran
cisco, First officer James Hughes of
San Francisco, Harold Mills and two
sailors.
Aside from portions of a body torn
asunder on the rocks, nothing has
come ashore.
Survivors Narrative
'The Czarina was simply over
by the storm. Her engines
and machinery worked perfectly until
/ shut them off to take to the rigging