Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-16

NSOHtluuSo . ASAa - 80 OA~r
y
Some of the passengers were dragged
away and then flung back again
Finally the men rishted the boat and
pulled US in. .[.
"They began rowing, but second
time we we're upset. gave UP hope,
but suddenly felt the ground under
me and scrambled through the surf.
"Half of the thirty persons in our
boat were women and children. Near
" everybody was half dressed. We
! huddied together. The cold seemed
icy. The men tried to comfort the
children, which gave the women a
sense Of responsibility and kept them
from crying. MIA
"The second boat got away so near
yurs that we nearly collided.'
-Four survivors are still aboard the
Bear. They are:
Captain Louis Nopandcr.
George Olsen, boatswain.
Hugo Ckrsten, quartermaster
Walter Willeymeyer, winch driver.
The dead.
HERMAN ROSE, ships butcher;
body washed ashore at Capetown.
SECOND COOK, name unknown;
\ washed ashore at Captown.
TWO WOMEN. unidentified;
washed ashore at Captown.
ONE MAN, unidentified; washed
ashore at Capetown.
l74 Land At Eureka.
San Francisco. June ls.--One hun.
bred and seventy-four survivors OF
the steamer Bear have been landed
in Eureka according to statement
made here BY officials Of the San
Francisco & Portland Steamship
company late today. II this is correc,
4 only five persons have been drowned
providing 2l2 were aboard. A list OF
names telephoned from Eureka con-
tanned only Isl.
Amazing Escapes From Death.
Capetown, Cal, June l5.-Amazins
escapes from death were recounted
here today by bedraggled survivor:
from the steamer Bear. Thrown into
a frigid sea in the middle Of he nigh,
and washed against rocky coast
most OF them were only dimly con.
scious OF how they cheated the waves
Among the first to get his thought:
I in order was George H. Leonard, IN
struetor in chemistry at Pacific uni
versity, Forst Grove, Ore. He and hi
wife and baby were saved.
"We three were in the same boat,
l Mr.. Leonard said. 1T upset and W,
were thrown into the water. My witt
was holding the baby in her arms
| could not find them in the water
and did not know what had becom,
Of them. kept swimming and final,
was washed ashore. When ] landed
found they had made the beach be
fore me, Mrs. Leonard still holding
the baby
The order 10 abandon the shil
came at midnight. The passenger
and crew went over the sides into thu
small boats and have not been seer
since. The Bear was leaking badl,
when deserted and at daybreak i
showed signs Of breaking up.
The sea was calr and there wa
but little wind when the passenger
and crew took to the boats. Late
heavy swell started to run and tn
wind freshened. 1t was first believes
all the boats would remain togethe
and be picked up al daybrcak.
When the distress call was sent ouI
twas picked up by both the Oregon
which was steanling south from tn
Bremerton Navy yard on the Puge
sound. t. San Francisco, and tn
Grace Dollar. The radio stations her
also received the calls and lisesayin
crews were dispatched.
Sugar Loaf rock, where the Bea
! Graded IN the fog, juts out of the sc;
at the outermost end Of long ledg
! Of rocks known as Blunt's reef, whic
extends out from Cape Mendocin
for about FIVE miles. During the la.
5 twenty ears dozen boats have bee
8 piled o on the rocks OF the reef, wit
4 the loss OF many lives.
The Bear was bound south froi
z Portland for San FIR; ncisco, carryin
& ll9 passe.. gers for San Francisco an
4 Los Angeles and crew Of eight,
4 two men. The steamer was valued |
approximately $l,00O.000 and has Dee
y III the Pacific coastwise service ev,
\ since she was bull ir Newport New
= seven years ago.
3 Survivors Fatally Injured.
Among the survivors two were r
4 ported to be fatally injured. Mar
+ had sustained minor injuries and a
were suffering from exposure.
Z The two boats landed at the mouI
OF Bear river during the night. Nj
and women, mad with cold, drench,
z and IN yarious stages of exhaustio
dragged themselves from the boa
4 and sought what shelter they mig
8 fnd along the beac... Some ma,
windbreaks from drift wood. Othe
: found no refuge from the wind al
Z cold save the bould.rs that line Il
shore. Others burrowed into i
/ cold sand and spent the night thei
Z Residents Of Capetown, the aeare
settlement. found them at dawn II
4 morning. Farmers and fisher I'd
gathered from throughout the regi,
q render what assistance they cou
The sufviscrs were taken to Car
town as soon as possible and car
4 for in the home Of the townspeop
A The city Of Eureka, thirty miles
The north, has been asked to Sc
= medical assistans, and the mo
seriousi, injured OF the survivors v
be brought to Eureka by automobi
The survivors told how they