Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-09-23
PERISH
WHEN STEAMER
SINKS IN GALE
Men, Women and Children Die
Off Oregon Coast.
TWO MEN ONLY ONES SAVED
Thrilling Story of Rescue Is Told by
Survivor Picked Up From
Wrecked Legqett by An
other Vessel.

Portland, Ore, Sept. 21.-Between
seventy and eighty men, women and
children, cOastwise passengers and
crew, on the three-masted steam
schooner Francis H. Leggett were
drowned when the Leggett was
pounded to pieces in a gale, so miles
south of the mouth of the Columbia
river.
Survivor Tells Story.
Alexander Farrell, the only survivor
30 reach land thus far, recovnted
how, in the height of the storm, Cap
tain J. Jensen of San Francisco, a
passenger, who lost his own ship six
months ago, and for four months sue
ceeding was marooned on an uninhab-
tied island, came to the aid of Captain
Moro of the Leggett, took command
of the passengers and controlled them
until she sank, taking him with her.
The other rescued passenger, George
II Pullman of Winnipeg, Canada, is
on board the Buck, which is now lying
on the Columbia bar awaiting calmer
weather before crossing in
eerably from his exhaustion, said the
Leggett carried a full list of passen-
gers, between forty and fifty, while
the crew numbered about twenty-five.
No Panic on Board.
The craft carried a full load Of
lumber said Farrell Almost i'm
mediately after leaving Gray's Harbor,
Wash, we ran into heavy weather,
which increased in violence until
morning, when it was blowing a ter
rife gale.
Shortly after noon the crew began
10 jettison the deckioad, and most of
the passengers were driven below to
keep them out Of harms way. Sud
denly a terrific sea tore open a hatch,
the water poured in in torrents and
the vessel lurched to one side and
c8psized. All this occurred within q
few minutes, but il the meantime the
crew launched two boats. one contain
ing two women and four men and the
other with four women and their hus-
bands on board.
Threatens to Shoot.
1T was at that moment that the
only excitement occurred. AS the sec
ond boat was being prepared some
men rushed for it, but Captain Jensen
made them stand back, saying he
would shoot the first man who stepped
aboard until all the women were cared
for. The effort was useless. however,
for as soon as the small boats struck
che water they capsized and all in
them were lost
Il was standing near the bridge
when the steamer went over. l went
down with the suction, how far l can
not say, but it was a long way. For
gunately was able to grab a floating
tie. Probably thirty people were in
sight when l first came to the sur
face, hanging to pieces of wreckage,
but they succumbed one by one until
there were only five of us left.
1.Of these was the wireless operator
and the other three besides myself
we're women. The latter kept af1oat
until nearly dark, when they too dis
appeared 1t must have been about
$40 in the afternoon 'yhen the Leg
.gett turned turtle, and it was one
O'Clock in the morning before l was
picked up"
Farrell said the wireless operator
tclung to a railway tie until a woman
WAS tossed against him by the waves.
He helped her grasp hold of the tie,
lint it was not large enough to hold
them both above the surface. Real
zzing the situation, the man let go and
sank.