Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-02-22
SHIP is DESTROYED
Crew of Tuscan Prince
Makes Way to Barren
Coast of Village Island.
ENDURE THE COLD

Seattle, Wash. Feb. ia story of
a long battle through thick fog and
heavy seas that eliminated in ship
wreck on the barren coast of Village
Island, of a long wait in bitter cold
and driving snow before rescue finally
came was told by survivors of thhe
wrecked steamer Tuscan Prince on
board the coast guard cutter Snoho-
mish today. Their story was flash
ed into Seattle by radio as the Sno-
homish neared the entrance of the
The strait of Juan de Fuca on her
way to Port Angeles, where the ship
wrecked men were to be landed late
tonight.
The Tuscan Prince bound from
San Francisco to Seattle with car
go of pig iron and coke struck a
reef at Village Island near Ucluelet,
at 8 o'clock Thursday morning. At
that time, according to officers, the
reckoned position was in deep water
somewhere south of Cape Flattery.
An unknown northwesterly current
and series of soundings which when
applied to the chart gave a wrong
position, were blamed by them for
the error in reckoning which resul-
ted in disaster.
The Tuscan Prince hove to until
daylight to make navigation less haz-
ardous and menaced by huge seas,
struck without warning. There was
a brief call for help by radio, then
a great wave smashed over the side
and put the wireless set out of COM
mission. In ten minutes the vessel
was stranded and had broken in two.
The first wave had carried away the
propeller and rudder.
Grinding on the rocks, the steamer
crashed over a ledge and wedged
tightly. Seas broke over the decks,
carrying away the weather boats.
Captain Milders ordered rockets and
flares sent up but they were not
seen. One of the port boats was
launched, but it was dashed ashore
almost Immediately and destroyed.
Its one occupant, seaman, was
saved by being thrown on the beach
by the waves.
The seaman carried the line ashore.
A heavier line dragged to a vantage
point by means of the first one, en-
abled those who so desired to aban-
don the wrecked. vessel.
AAC IHSH HlalldSeu W DTluS WIN
them as they left the vessel guam
t1ty OF food and water and fires were
lighted and then without shelter
they prepared to wait for rescue.
Their Island prison was 100 yards
long, and 80 yards wide, bush cover
ed.
"There were 70 trees" said the
message from ene Snohomish.
Day finally came and at low tide
detail went back to the ship f,r
more provisions. Their rations wera
limited to one biscuit I'D two oSnces
of canned meat each day. Thoy suf-
fered badly from exposure for they
had little clothing.
Snow was melted to furnish more
water.
The day, they said was heart
breaking. Once as mall boat appear
ed and the crew hoisted signals and
shouted until their voices were
hoarse, but without avail. The boat
passed by.
Some time during that night the
lights of what appeared to be a large
ship shone through the darkness.
Rockets and flares were sent up, but
although they burned brightly the
ship gradually drew away and dis
appeared. 1t was the derelict Nika,
drifting by with flames smouldering
in its hold, the aftermath of a fire
that had destroyed it the day before
off the Washington coast.
On Friday the men had about given
up hope, as the day wore on without
sign of ship or boat. Late in the day
a surf boat appeared. The men had
been seen and rescue was at hand.
The surf boat, from the life saving
station at Manifold, and the Spoho-
mish, summoned by report that a
Japanese fisherman had sighted the
stranded vessel, had hurried up the
coast for point near Clo-Ose, where
the 32 members of the crew of an
other steamer, the Santa Rita.
wrecked in the same gale that brout
destruction to the Tuscan Prince were
likewise huddled together on the
beach waiting for rescue.
By nightfall last night IA of the
Tuscan Princes complement of 43 Of
ficers and men had been transferred
to the Snohomish. Darkness made
further work hazardous and the 9TH
ers remained on their island for the
night. They were taken off today.
Then the Snohomish steamed for
Clo-Oose where at noon the Santa
Rita men were taken aboard. They
had previously been brought out to
the cutter Algonquin from the beach
IN small boats through the surf. One