The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-09-01
Save "a; FORMING
FAIL TO FOR new
FIND ll|ATTACK!
Mystery
Solved; Gallant
Ship and Crew
Are Discovered

The Canadian steamship Canadian
Importer. with - officers and men
on board. has been rescued thou
sand miles off the California coast.
The vessel. drifting heipiessly off
the Travelled water lanes. was dis
covered last night by . sister ship.
the Canadian Observer. which
flashed wireless messages 10 the
coast today. reporting the cheerful
news and ending one Of the big mys-
teries Of Pacific commerce.
HOPE HAD BEEN
ABANDONED
Hope for the Importer. first re
ported sinking two weeks ago ana
later reported ~ disappeared. had
been abandoned In coast marine
circles.
No trAos has been found Il two
oeflcsrs anl nins nen who put ofe
In Z ufeboat from the Importer at
the time of the fisst trouble on .
hazardous errAnd to get aid for the
distressed vessel.
Two other ships. the Algerine and
the Cana dian Winner. answering the
Observers call. started full speed
early today for the scene to be Of
assistance IN the rescue.
The Seattle harbor department at
::1s .. m. Thursday. received first
word Of tho discovery Of the I'm
porter In q wireless message from
the Observer.
The message read:
canadian Observer reports Cana
dian Importer found 1870 y. m. iati.
tude 1929 n. longitude 1877 w. Crew
all safe. slight list Want powerful
tug. Observer putting lines aboard
at daylight. Algcrine and Canadian
Winner proceeding to Observer i'm
medIately."
SAILED WITH
LUMBER CARGO
August 10. the Importer put to sea
from Puget Sound with 3.5o0.oQe feet
OF lumber bound for Australia. She
was not heard from again until a
wireless from the Cordova flashed
word that the Importer had been
found helpless and adrift SIS miles
southwest OF Columbia river light
ship on the morning OF August 25.
with IL feet OF water In her hold. her
engine room flooded and her wireless
out Of commission.
The Cordova also flashed the
warning for all ships to be on watch
for the lifeboat with two officers and
nine men which the distressed I'm.
porter had sent for assistance Au.
gust 20. This little boat has not been
heard from to this day.
II was thought that the Cordova
would tow the Importer In. But
Captain Bissett. OF the Importer. told
Captain Westerlund. OF the Cordova,
that his vessel would ride easily.
II IL thought now that he would
submit TO tow only from vessel
Of his own line.
MANY VESSELS
AIDED SEARCH
Whefh the Cordova steamed away
with fin assurance OF the Import
er's safety. Captain Bissett's. "Oh,
she's all right" cheerily sent dane
Ing over the water in answer 10 Cap
tain westerlund's repeated proffer
Of aid, was the last heard from the
Importer until the message this
morning flashed from the dark
which veiled the Pacific.
Many vessels had searched for the
Importer. The Canadian Observer.
the vessel which finally found her.
the tug Algerine. the steamer Cana
dian Winner. the cutter Snohomish
all had combed the ocean for
week. but without finding anything
except the sinister traces OF
foundered vessel. lumber. a floating
spar, bits Of wreckage.
Marine men gave the distressed
steamer up as lost and credited an
other score to Davy Jones.
But the lifeboat and the fate Of it's
gallant crew Is as much OF mystery
today as It was two wesks ago.
Whether IL foundered. was picked
up by sailing schooner. or has
landed on some deserted portion Of
the coast between Point Arena or
Cape Bianco. IL a mystery yet to be
fathomed. The cutter Snohomish Is
continuing its tireless search for the
little craft.
In view of the Observers reference
10 "a slight list" OF the Importer. It
II assumed that Capt Bissett had
some of the lumber cargo jettisoncd
IN order to relieve the vessels posi-.
tion. This also would explain float
ing lumber found recently, which