The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-14
ALL HANps ABOARD THE CAR.
INA, EXCEPT ASSISTANT EN-.
ciNEER. ARE LOST.
BRAVE FIGHT FOR LIFE
Six Men Cling to Rigging Throughout
the Stormy Night, Only to Go Down
to Watery Graves Before the Eyes
Of Friends on the Beach Poweriess
to Render Them Assistance.

Marshfield. ore. Jan. l3.-Another
tragedy of the sea has been written
into the record of marine disasters on
the grim north Pacific coast. through
the loss of the staunch iron steam
ship Czarina on the north spit of the
Coos bay bar. with load of 80 lives,
A solitary survivor Harry Kantzel.
first assistant engineer of the wrecked
vessel. is the only living testimonial
to the heroic efforts made by the
United States lifesaving crew and the
citizens of Marshfield to aid the
doomed ships company.
kentzels escape Is wonderful
story of mans endurance and physical
strength. When the ship piled on the
rocks. with six or seven others he took
to the rigging of the foremast. Piled
high by the gale. sea after sea
smashed over the vessel. the decks
We're awash and wreckage was float
ing about. Suddenly a tremendous
sea swept the ship and Kentzel and 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 man and after fight
ing for what seemed to him ages he
managed to get hold of a piece of
timber and was slowly driven shore
ward.
As he neared the beach he could see
rescuers running up and down. Then
consciousness left him and he knew
nothing more unfit he came to on the
beach alongside a big fire. He had
been snatcbed from the water by the
watchers and was brought back to
life after several hours vigorous treat
ment. He Is in the hands of physicians
and tonight is on the road to re-
covery. Kentzel resides in San Fran
cisco.
Boiling combers.
When darkness fell last night it was
believed that all on board the Czarina
were lost. The boiling combers DASH
ed over the vessel and it seemed that
no human being could survive through
CLEAN OF dawn came those on the
beach described six forms in the rig
ging on the only remaining mast and
hope was renewed that the day would
bring their rescue. But the gale
showed no signs of abating and hope
again grew faint. Suddenly one of
the six men dropped into the sea.
There was not long to wait before
another surrendered and then third
was seen to fall into the black water
that battered at the ship. \ little
later and the watchers on shore saw
through their glasses the last fight of
the brave men facing death. As If by
agreement they began to rid them
then together sprang into the surging
sea. They were seen no more.
The identity of the sextette who
survived the terrible night never viii
be known definitely. but the con-
sensus of opinion is that they were
Captain c. J. Duggan of San Fran
cisco: Second Mate John McNichols,
of San Francisco: First Officer James
Huges of San Francisco: Harold
Mills. the only passengers. son of
General Manager c. J. MNlis of the
Southern Pacific company In Marsh
field. and two sailors.
Her last Gale.
The -czarina left here yesterday
afternoon in the face of a storm. bound
for San Francisco. She had braved
many gale and her commander ap-
saw no reason for delaying
her departure He wished to take ad- |
of the tide and steamed slow
ly down the bay toward the bar. a |
few of young Mills friends and |
friends of the crew remaining on the |
wharf to witness her passage over the |
bar. which was breaking badly. Sud |
IDENTIFY series of big seas struck the |
vessel, pitching her about. but she |
continued to fight her way on to-
ward the open sea. Then something |
happened. What it was will never be |
known. The vessel appeared to stop
and sea after sea struck her, some of /
the waves piled over her decks Then
she began to drift rapidly toward the
ugly north spit.
1t is probable that something went !
wrong with her rudder as she seemed
TO be beyond the control Of the helms /
man. Then her anchor was dropped. /
but il would not hold. and with her
rudder out of commission and big seas
her. the inevitable happened. |
She struck the spit and there she |
hung.
oeaeons Lighted.
News Of the disaster spread rapidly /
and in a few minutes the beach was
lined with people. The life crew was
notified and tug boat was sent out.
but no Scat could approach near
Continued on Page Three.)