, 1923-02-15
PACIFIC GALES
WRECK 4 SHIPS;
FEAR MANY LOST
LIVES IN STORM
Tuscan Prince Ashore on
Vancouver Island
Nika Burns to Water S
Edge.

a lie about his body Seaman
Victor HautOpp, n member of the
crew Of the steamer S~antarlta. ashore
on a reef one mile east Of Clo-Oose. on
the west coast Of Vancouver island.
Ieaped into the heavy sea and made
shore after n heart breaking fight
with the WIVES. A brooches buoy was
rigged and all members OF the crew
saved. The Sarrtsrita is n total
wreck.
SEATTLE. Wash, Feb. ia
nunbe OF lives were believed to have
been lost early today when the British
fre1ghter Tuscan Prince went ashore
near Esteven, Vancouver island, ae-
cording to a message received here
from the tug Sea Monarch.
The Sea Monarch, at the time the
message was sent, was rushing to the
aid Of the vessel, which was said to
be a total loss. The message gave no
details and did not state the source
OF tho information concerned.
"Ship breaIdng up. we arc going
to drown" was the last message from
the Tuscan Prince, which came
through the air and was picked up
by the radio station Of the Seattle
hHrbor department.
SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 1b-out of
the wind.whipped winters of the Pa
cinc. off the Washington coast, came
a series OF wireless appeals today
that told of two freight steamers on
the rocks. a third drifting helplessly
a fourth aground, and a further,
more mysterious report CT a glare
south Of Cape Flattery, that looked
like a ship afro at sea. The scores
OF men forming the crews were in
peril. as daylight lifted over the
stormy ocean.
The British freighter Tuscan Prince
the last to succumb to the gale, re-
ported that she was 7'on the rocks
and breaking IN fast" but her posi-
ton was not learned and efforts to
communicate with her failed. she
was believed to be somewhere nenr
the mouth of the Columbia river. She
was bound for Seattle from San Fran
cisco.
The steamer Santarita. which left
San Pedro. Cal. for Seattle February
10, apparently deviated from her
curse last night to look for the
steamer Nisa, earlier reported in dis
tres5. ETiy today the Santarita
broadcast the news hat she was on
the rocks near Tatoosh, at the en-
trance Il Puget Sound. Her captain
expressed the belief that she would
not sink. though he said she was be-
ing pounded by heavy seas.
The Nika, a wooden vessel, sent s.
o.. s. calls last night reporting that
she had lost her rudder off Umatilla
reef, south Of Cape FIattery and was
helpless before the gale. The fire
at sea was reported near this position.
nnd shipping men feared It was the
Nika. Several ships started to her
rescue but none had reached her at
last reports.
The motorshlp Coolcha around near
Victoria. B. c.. was believed beyond
salvage. Her position vas dangerous.
Her crew has been removed. All night
staccnto stories Travelled up and down
the coast from the wireless sets from
the distressed ships n from the
shore stations.
The coast guard cutter Algonquin
was searching for the Tuscan Prince
this morning while tho steamer Ke-
waee. in sight of the Santarita at $50
was preparing to aid her.
The weather off Cape Flattery had
moderated to some extent this morn
ing. the United states weather bu-
reau station al Tatoosh reported and
the wind had shifted TO the southeast
In the "a hours ending at 8 a. M.
the precipitation there wns 4.2a
inches, an unprecedented rainfall.
The heavy rain according to the re-
port made navigation especially haz-
artous.