Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-05
HEROIC RESCUE
Of TAHOMA TOLD
|. IN C0RO0vA' LOG
Merchantmen Cruised 1000
Miles to Wreck of L. S.
Revenue Cutter in Aleu-
tian Islands.

Seattle, Wash. Nov 3.--Giving the
first details Of the pcrilous voyage Of the
rescue ship Cordova to the Far Western
Aleutian islands in search Of the survi-
vors of the wreck of the Inflated United
States revenue cutter Tahoma, tie log
of the merchantmen reached Seattle
aboard the Alaska Steamship company's
liner Mariposa.
As soon as the heroic work Of Capt.
Thomas Moore, commander of the Cor
dova, became known, movement was
started by shipping men to ask the treas
ury department and Congress to take
proper cognizancc of the rescue work
Extracts from the log prepared by II
c. Mcdowell purser of the Alaska Steam
ship company's liner, follow.
1--WE arrived nj Nome about five p. m.
September 90 from Kotzebue, and were
taken on cargo for the south, when our
wireless operator caught the IS O S"
call Of the United States revenue cutter
Tahoma stating that she had struck an
unchartered reef in latitude 5t.42 north.
longitude 1854 east, and asking that
assistance be sent as soon as possible, as
the ship was making water rapidly.
TWO SHIPS ORDERED TO THE
RESCUE.
Our operator also caught a messag e
from the ST Paul station, that the Sen
ator then on her way north. would be
sent to the scene of the wreck, and that
the Tacoma Mara of the Osaka Shosen
kasha, then within two days steamng
of the scene. would also 20 to the res
cue.
THE steamship Cordova left Nome just
before midnight of the same day, south
bound, weather fine.
Capt Thomas Moore Of the Cordova
took the precaution before leaving Nome,
In case he should be ordered or asked
to proceed to the wreck. to send ashore
for a chart of the Aleutian islands to the
westward. but he might as well have ask
ed for n plan of some of the strong Ger
man fortresses the frontier of that
: unhappy country as to ask for anything
that might aid him in navigating his ship
in those treacherous and practically I'M
known waters; but he did secure an old
Paleconc chart of rather an ancient date.
and with this we proceeded south.
= TOLD VESSEL WAS BREAKING Up
= AT BIS a. m. September u. our OPP
orator caught the message sent by the
breaking up. and that If forced to ahan-
don her the officers and crew would try
to reach the island of Agattu, sixty miles
away.
ASK HELP FROM CORDOVA.
AT 8 :i5 q m. the following evening
September %, and when over 1870 miles
south Of Nunivak island and only 1874
miles from Cape Sarichef, Unimak pass,
Captain Moore received a wireless mes
sage from Captain Reynolds Of the Uni
ted States revenue cutter service, sta
toned at Unalaska. asking him to pro-
, coed to the relief of the Tahoma with all
possible speed. and to advise him of his
ships position then, and her speed.
} After verifying the ships position the
order was given to hard-a- port, and at
, nine p m. course was changed from
| southeast by south to southwest by IS
degree west magnetic, and within a short
space of time the Cordova was plouEhing
( along toward the scene OF the wreck at
8 the rate of eleven knots Weather quite
moderate, light westerly winds
September 80. at 6 40 Il. m, we had
the island of st. George, one of the Prb-
ilofs abeam on the starboard side, bear
ing northwest by 1-2 degree north, and
= thirteen miles away.
D Captain Moore of the Cordova had
= been requested and intended to call at
= liiska island in case weather conditions
4 We're such as to force the castawaYs to
n seek landing place to the eastward of
the wreck, instead of the westward as
= stated in their wireless call and SO Kiska
' Harbor became our first objective point.
: WEATHER BECAME THICK.
Soon after passing the island of st.
u George it closed in thick weather, and the
: following day. September "a no obser-
vations were had 1t continued thick,
= with moderate northeast gale, raining
= hard at times.
"On Friday morning, September %.
- land was sighted at daybreak, but it was
!. too foggy to verify the ships position so
e Captain Moore had the vessel stopped
s and then manoeuvred around waiting for
: the fog to lift
Y AT 80 a m it cleared up enough
= so that a satisfactory position was had
Y from the westerly island of the Chugal
= group, and at 9:25 we We're going full
= speed for Kiska Harhor where we ar
| rived Mt noon of the same day. We circed
around blew the ships whistle several
J., times, and not seeing any signs of life
again headed Tor the open sea and west
:. ward toward Budir island, which We
, passed fairly close on the north side
AT nine p. IN. We played our search
light on the island to attract attention
should any person he in that vicinity.
II The weather was rainy, with strong wes-
IL terly winds.
"The ship was slowed down at 30
for the night. as It was deemed wise not
to travel fast in case we might he on the
! line navgated by the lifeboats of the
> Tahoma a good lookout was strictly
u maintained and Captain Moore had taken
the preCaution to have everything pre-
pared in case we should come in sight
of the castaways. Staterooms We're made
ready, the between decks cleared on the
port side and tables arranged, and a
gangway was hung on the starboard side,
with tackle ready to he lowered i'm an in
, slant.
Saturday. September 26. the ship was
. put under full speed at four a. m. on a
| course for AGattu island. At $40 our
chief officer. Gustav Blombere. sighted a
light little on the starboard bow, ana
, he steered for il.
ION approaching il proved to be the
:, gig of the Tahoma. with Captain Richard
; 10. Crisp in charge, and ten other persons
9 W. h. Hastings, deputy United States
marshal r. II. Yeager, chief engineer