The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-12-01
FIND EIGHT BODIES
OF P|RR|ES CREW
CAPTAIN OF SANTA RITA FORCED
TO CUT CABLE AND LET
BARGE DRIFT AWAY.

Seattle-RecOvery of eight bodies
including those OF Captain and Mrs
Alfred B. Jensen and First Officer
Peter HOhlmann, washed upon the
beach near the mouth Of the Qui1la-
yute river on the Washington coast
as reported by telephone to the Asso-
ciated Press from Clallam lay
Wash last night, establishes the fate
of the missing barge w. ]. Pierrie
which was caught in the terrible
storm off the Washington coast last
week.
The other bodies recovered today
were those of Chilean members cf the
crew
| 1t was stated no trace had yet been
found of Captain Jensen's baby boy.
Searching parties Of Indians from
the Quillayute reservation are work
ing up and down the coast covering
stretch of about five miles between
Cape Johnson and James Island foE
other bodies of wreck victims
According to Captain Austin, in
command of the coast guard cutter
Snohomish, which responded to q S.
o. S. call from the Santa Rita last
Friday night and has been standing
by ever since, there is little doubt
that the Pierrie went ashore on the
nest Of rocks known as the Giants
Graveyard at the mouth of the Quilla-
yute river off James Island Cake
rock, which is a part of the Giants
Graveyard, is believed to have been
the point on which the vessel was de-
stroyed.
The coast in the vicinity of the
wreck is dotted with jagged rocks and
the escape alive of two members of
the Pierrie crew, who were found un-
conscious and almost dead with ex-
pOsure last night, is considered by
shipping men here as little short of
miraculous. The men, who were able
to speak but little English, were un-
able to give very clear account of
their experience but it was evident
from the information they gave that
the Pierrie was lost. 1t was through
information they gave that the bodies
were found
One or Both Must Go
Port Angeles, Wash.-Captain j. K. |
Tibbetts, master of the steamer Santa
Rita, which cut adrift the steel barge
w. ]. Pierrie in the storm off the /
Washington coast last week, was
forced to send the ill-fated vessel to
almost certain destruction to prevent (
the wrecking Of both ships, according
to officers of the coast guard cutter
Snohomish which put into this port
today for coal, after standing by with
the Santa Rita since last Friday
night.
Captain Tibbetts was faced with a
,f%x, loo ,cfo yI,n in,
height of the storm he realized he
Austin of the Snohomish tonight.
"Both vessels were within 800 yards
Of the rocks and facing certain de-
struction and there was only one
thing for the master of the Santa
leasing the Pierrie, to save the Santa
Rita and her crew"
According to Captain Tibbetts'
story, the Santa Rita and her tow
we're first struck by the storm near
Destruction Island, after leaving Ia
coma and standing out by the capes,
iown the coast It was "dead on
shore" wind and the worst ever ex-
)erienced by the master of the Santa
Rita. He put about and headed back
or the straits of Juan De Fuca but
vas unable to make way against the
gale and hove to heading into the sea
md wind hoping his vessel would be
lble to hold her own. 1t was not un-
IL both vessels were within less than :
lalf a mile of the rocks, that Captain
ribbetts decided to cut the Pierrie
drift
Meantime his s. O. S. calls had
cached the Snohomish and the coast !,
,uard cutter was on it's way to the :
Gene. The Pierrie was quickly lost
0 view according to Captain Tibbetts
yho said, he soon gave up all hope
or the barge although hoping until =
be last that her master might have !;
ucceeded in making sail and work r
lg his way off shore. h