The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-09-23
THE PERILs OF THE SEA.
Told in Report Made by d. c.
Foley Of the Behring Sea
Fleet.

Washington, D. c., Sept. IA
story of the sea perils, which are,
faced every year by the men of the.
revenue cutter service, is told in the,
report made by Captain D. P. Foley.
commander of the Boring Sea fleet,
upon the wreck and abandonment OF
the cutter Perry.
Narrow escapes have been many,
but the Perry, thanks to the skilB
of the cutter service, is the
first loss which has been sustained
by the government in what are per-
haps the most perilous condition Of
navigation in the world.
The wreck occurred on the Tonkf,
Point Reef at st. Paul's Island. Cap
tain Foley says in his report: "Thes
Perry was hard and fast ashore, for
ward and amidship, and all her
compartments below the decks were
filled with water. I decided tor
abandon her after consultation with,
the officers of the Perry and Man.
ming, being convinced that it was
absolutely impossible for us to save
her without wrecking appliances that
were not on hand or available. Even,
II we should succeed in plling her off
the rock it would be only to have.
Sher sink and we should be risking
another and much more valuable YES
sci / wrecking the foul ground
around her.
The Perry is lying in a very ex-
posed condition, the tide ebbs and
nows In her, and in my opinion, she
Will break in two in the next blow
from any quarter, except directly
from land, which may occur at any
time now. I therefore ordered her
stripped. A large part of her stores.
and outfits had already been put
ashore.
"The accident happened while the.
Perry was on her way from North
east Point to East Anchorage. St.
Paul's Island, for mail. The Ia
bona Captain Foley's cutlery heard,
the DISTRESS signals of the Perry at
st. Georges Island and proceeded at
full speed to her assistance, but was,
unable to give assistance, because ON,
he arrival the hold and fireroom. NJ
the Perry were full Of water and she.
was pounding on the reef.
Navigation about the Pribi1oa
Islands, and in particular about St.
Pauls Island, which is fringed with,
dangerous reefs, is very difficult be-.
cause of the fogs, dense at times.
which prevail during the sealing sea-
son, and the treacherous currents.
varying in force and direction accord.
ing to no known law.
The vessels must cruise in foes
to make the patrol efficient. be-
cause it is in foggy weather that the
sealers approach the rookeries and,
the cutters must keep in touch with,
the land in order not to lose the
islands. In the past season the Bear
lost them for three days and other
vessels have cruised about them for
days without finding them"
The revenue cutter Adams struck
Tonki Point in 1898, and the Cor
win. Bear. McCulloch and Manning
went ashort there, but those vessels
had wooden bottoms and escaped.
In the case of the Perry the rocks
! piero ed the metal hull and there was
no hope Of escape.
1T is as Captain Foley says, the
waters around the seal islands !,
the worst in the world" Said Cap
tain Worth G. Ross, chief of the
revenue cutter service, in comment
ing on the report: "You strike a
current sweeping along and wheH
you get into it again it = Ginning IN
| the opposite direction -