Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1914-11-25
.eREATsDISASIER OFF
SAN FRANCISCO

=
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 24.-The
steam schooner Hanalel, ashore on
Duxberry reef. just north Of the Col
den Gate, broke in two just before
dawn today with 81 souls on board.
Two women, small boy and 81
men who were on board battIed their
way to safety through the surf, and
were dragged ashore by lifesayers and
citizen volunteers. A few OF the others
could be seen in the water fighting the
strong current and the heavy timbers
with which the sea was Uttered.
Forty-three survivors and is dead
had been accounted for at noon today.
Even while the work of rescuing the
weakened survivors was going on, the
grim evidence of the tragedy which
had followed the night of heart-break-
ing struggle against the strength of
the sea, began to drift ashore. The
first body was that of an elderly wo-
man, which was washed up among the
wreckage.
A few hours more would have saved
every soul on board An hour would
have saved many. After all hope had
been given up, ashore and on board
the wreck, the sixth line fired by the
Golden Gate Park life saving crew un-
der Capt. Norman Nelson went over
the vessel. A breeches buoy was rig
ged, and then the line parted. Almost
Immediately thereafter the Hanalei
broke apart amid cries which rose
above the thunder of the surf.
Efforts to take off the Hanaleis pas
sengers and crew from shore began
late yesterday, after a dozen vessels
had tried to reach her and were pre-
vented by fog and surf. .....
The Fort Point life saving. crew
from the beach. fred lines which fell
short, until, in desperation, they dou-
Discharged their mortar and it burst.
An effort to launch a boat from the
Hanalei failed and passenger was
drowned. A sailor tried to swim ashore
with line. and the men on the beach
could see his arm swing above the
waves, but at the line of breakers he
sank and his body drifted out to sea.
A passenger, Elwood Schwerin, of Ber-
kelley, took line and got ashore, but
the line united itself as he swan.
-, One other man also reached shore,
1t was reported, but the details were
lacking. A life saving crew which went
out toward the wreck was upset. The
captain reached shore and the remain
ing five men got aboard the Hapalei.
Two later were washed off and drown
ed and there seemed not spark of
hope for, any rescue.
At two o'clock in the morning, the
Golden Gate life saving crew with a
larger mortar appeared. Through the
enterprise of a local newspaper it had
heen ferried across San francisco bay,
loaded on a motor truck and sent 10
miles over mountain roads in the
night. Itybegan to shoot lines toward
the wreck as the tide rose. After the
third shot water was waist deep on
the schooner and the fireless operator,
who was sending with an improvised
outfit held In one hand, reported that
the passengers were desperate.
1--WE will get ashore as best we
can," he reported. I'VE cannot stay
here"
But they dared not trust the waves.
"Try once more. Hurry! Hurry"
called the operator little later Three
more shots were fired and the sixth
was successful, for the moment.
When the hulk was in possibly 800
feet Of shore, 1t struck a submerged
rock and keeled over. burying the
spar beneath the waves. All the per-
sons who had been hanging 70 the