The Washington times., 1913-07-09
IS AVERTED
BY SK|PPER'S WIFE
Standing BY Husband With
Children at Side, AIIays
Fears BY Her Goodness.

SAN FRANCISCO. July s.-Mourning
the loss Of their personal effects, but
thankful for their escape. fifteen men,
bers of the crew Of the big lumber car
rier Riverside. which went to her
fate on the jagged rocks of Sugar Loaf
reef, of the Mendocino coast. have ar
rived here from Eureka. First Mate P.
NJ. knudsen, Third Mate Charles Lind
and engineering STATS of the unfor-
tunate vessel came down on the steamer
F. A. kilburn. Chief Engineer Ernest
de Kalb, First Assistant Engineer Earl
Williams, and w. Kuhme and Charles
Wendell and two sailors, were brought
by the steam schooner Phoenix
While disinclined to say anything
bearing on the cause of the accident.
the survivors talked freely of their ex-
periences In the fog-shrouded hours of
the fatal morning, when from small
boats they watched the Riverside slowly
settle and disappear beneath the waves
tribute to the cruel shoals of the
northern coast
Brave Wife.
The fearlessness of Mrs. Dahlquist
wife of Capt. John Dahlquist, skipper
of the lost vessel, came in for praise
from the seamen. Although burdened
with two small children. the captain $
wife showed rare pluck in the exciting
and anxious moments following the
stranding. In the raw fog of the morn
ing she. with the children. remained at
her husbands side, and her GOODNESS,
the survivors said. was responsible in
a large measure for the absence of a
panic.
1T was shortly before 4 o'clock, when
the watch was to have changed, that
the vessel struck" said one of the Of
flcers. We must have been proceeding
slowly, for the jar failed TO awake me.
the impact that ] was aroused by the
huriyinS of feet above and the voice of
Captain Dahlquist, stentoriously issuing
riders for all hands to come on deck.
II slipped into few clothes and got
a bove as quickly as possible. Already
the steamer was listing badly and /
had some difficulty in getting up the
Mrs. Dahlquist and
the children were already at the cap
tain's side. Not many minutes passed
before We saw that the vessel would
have to be abandoned. The engineer
ing STAFF was soon compelled to leave
its post. as the water was pouring into
the engine room and banking the fires.
the wireless operator was
a BILE to get off a few messages telling
of our condition before the apparatus
went out Of commission.
WIN HUSBAND.
When all hands had been assembled
Captain Dahlquist ordered two Of the
boats launched. Mrs. Dahlquist want
ed to wait for her husband, but we in
sisted that she get into the first boat
with the children. The Riverside was
now trembling on the jagged rocks
and going down by the stern. Quickly
both boats pushed OFF in order to get
free of the impending vortex.
Then we rested on our oars and in
the dim light Of dawn and through the
wisps Of fog watched our ship take the
last dive. Only a portion of the bow
was visible above the surface. which was
lashed in furious confusion by the action
Of the sinking craft
Until broad daylight we drifted about
and then We discerned the steamer
Admiral Farragut, which had picked up
one OF our S o calls She launched a
boat. but in the meantime the tug Relief
came out from Eureka and we were
taken on board the latter craft
During the cold hours spent out there
on the ocean every one felt badly de-
pressed, and would have been more so
but for the encouraging words of the
skipper's wife. who proved true
heroine"