Seward daily gateway., 1926-02-03
LIFE OF LATE
 W. J. M'DONNELL
 BIG ADVENTURE
KODIAK CITIZEN WAS LAW GRAD UATE AT McGILL UNIVERSITY RAN AWAY TO THE DEEP BLUE
WAS PIONEER OF TERRITORY
Commanded Famous Clipper Ship:
 "GIory of the Seas," Many Years Ago-commandne Figure in Life.

 Donnell at Kodiak Sunday night pro- bably one of the most interesting char acters of the last frontier, Alaska, has departed. Although a man well into the seventies, with the exception of the past few years, he had always been alert and able-bodied and ready to once more take the helm of the good ship Adventure, and roam again, the Seven Seas.
 Tall, straight as an elm, and with a youthful flash in his eyes, he was in- deed commanding figure. Little would one have believed some of the adventurous yarns he could have spun about himself, if he had so wished. Many times he narrowly averted death while figuring in the limelight as leader of a dangerous exploit among the cannibals of the South Sea Islands. Then again, the tales he could have weaved when he commanded "The Glory of the Sea-" one of the most fa- nous clipper vessels of the past cen tury, and which, not so many months ago, was destroyed by fire, after being razed by junk dealers.
 Capt. Mcdonnell was indeed, an out standing Alaskan, and it is with re- gret his many friends wish him fare we'll on the last voyage. During 1922 he relieved N. E. Bolshanin as deputy collector of Customs at Unalaska. At the expiration of his service at Unal- aska he moved to Kodiak where he resided with his family up to the present time. In 1903-04, he served at Unga as deputy collector of customs, and also as agent for the Northern i Commercial Company.
 Although a graduate in law from McGill University the call of the sea was felt when mere lad and he left long interesting career behind him. At the age of 23 he was in command of vessel in the trade with the can- nibals of the South Sea Island. A part of his career there is portrayed by Julian Thomas in his book, "Canni- bals and Convicts," the scene of which is laid in New Caledonia, the penal colony for France.
 Capt. Mcdonnell some few years ago received letter from friend which was en closed to him in letter of a mutual friend in Washington. The let ter was written from Larika, Fiji, and tells little of the captains South Sea experiencesAas, follows:
 We are surely living in small world. Fancy my old friend McDon- nell turning up in Alaska. He must be man Gf eighty. I remember him as very good friend and we had many a soda water together in the old labor trade days. Gin snizzle was our particular favorite and we could do a lot to it. Those were great days but nave passed never to return. Ten per cent was the yearly loss of life among those engaged If Mcdonnell would tell you of the history of the Marion Rennie' schooner you would have plenty of material for real bloody romance. The vessels last trip was the most tragic of all. She sailed from this port on a trading cruise to the Solomon Islands and never a word rom her again. She is supposed to nave been taken by the natives, all hands eaten and the vessel burned (Those were the South Sea days.)"
 The writer of the above, a Captain Robbie, says of the days of the Marion Renme are true. Capt McDonnell's life in the South Seas was a stirring romance. He was familiar with the language and every nook and crook ot the seas he sailed.