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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1889)
WEST SHORE. LOSS OF THE " FIDELITY." A S far as the life saving service of the United States H is concerned, the Pacific const fares illy in com- parison with the Atlantic. On the latter there are long stretches of bench where the pntrols of one station meet those from another, while on our rock-bound and dangerous const the stations averngo nearly one hundred miles apart. To be sure five new stations were established this summer, giving ub a to tal of twelve, but only a few of these nro fully equip jied with crews, tho others containing only apparatus to be used in times of emergency by bravo, but un skillful, volunteers. The record of service of theso fully equipped stations is a bright one, and shows what could bo accomplished with greater facilities. On tho const, from San Francisco to Puget sound, there are but a few harbors of any kind and none that may be entered in security in rough weather. Especially 1b this the case with those not sheltered by a projecting headlnnd on the north. In this rcsjx'ct tho Columbia river is especially favored, tho promon tory of Capo Hancock jutting far out beyond tint bar and thus partially protecting it from tho northwest storms and heavy sens, Two cases of loss of life occured within a week, one at the entrnnco to Humboldt bay and one nt the mouth of tho Umpqua. Enrly on the morning of the sixteenth of November tho schooner tWily, in tow of the tug Vi'iifcr, crossed tho HumlMildt bar, having just returned from a voyage to Santa Parbara. The sea was running high outside, and only a short time lie fore a huge wave had washed a man overboard from tho tug iWrr, and nearly carried away the pilot house. Just as the schooner reached the inner edge of tho bnr sho was struck by a heavy sea, which caught her under the port quarter and capsized her instantly. So quickly was it done- that not a soul on Ixuid hail an opportunity to escape and not one of them was seen afterward by the men on the tug. Tim VnnUr clung to the capsized vessel for half an hour, making strenuous efforts to tow her into the harbor, but as they both drifted steadily toward the breakers she was compelled to out loose. Tho schooner drift"! Umhi the bench and was completely broken up. The crew, con sisting of Capt. Christopherson and seven seamen, probably drifted out to sea, as it was high tide ftt the time of tho accident. For several days the beaeh was patrolled by searchers for tho lilies of the drowned seamen, but none came ashore. The same day, at Point Stewart, an open roadstead not far distant, the timer Ilirhar,lm, while taking on a cargo at a IuiiiImt chute, was blown ashore and wrecked, the crew all lin ing rescued. Tuesday night, tho 21st, another vessel was lost. this time at the mouth of the Umpqua. The tug JViir lmt of Coos bay, Captain James Hill in command, ran on the north spit at the entrance to that river And he came a total wreck, all on board, from ten to fifteen souls, being lost. She was on her return trip from Astoria, where sho had to go to take a lot of China men, lately discharged from tho canneries on Coos bay. At three p. m. Tuesday, she win seen oil' Upper Ten Mile, steaming slowly down the const just outside tho breakers, which won running very high, and at six o'clock her whistle was heard otT the mouth of tho Umpqua. At a quarter before seven she gave three sharp whistles, which was the last seen or heard of her until the next morning, when her pilot house with tho end stove in, a small boat, the stern, one side of her hull and numerous small pieces were discovered coming up tho river with the tide. The steamer Juno at once steamed down to the mouth of the river and put a searching party ashore, and the bench was pa trolled for miles to the south, but no liodics were dis covered. Other parties who came down the const from the north rcjiortcd that they had seen no liodics In that direction, The general impression of seafaring men is that she had sprung a leak, and thnt the cap tain was attempting to get into the river In order to save tho lives of those on Iniard, and either miscalcu lated his position or was blown out of his course by the heavy wind prevailing at the time, The number lost is said to he from ten to llfteen souls. The I'ntr m was not generally considered seaworthy. She was built on Coos bay alsmt seventeen years ago nnd was owned by Simpson Ji Co, On Vnshon island, In Puget sound, the mantifno turo of pressed brick has been commenced. The brick nre subjected to a pressure of oO,Kl pounds be fore burning. The present capacity of 10,1X10 bricks ht day will soon Ih doubled, and the manufacture of terra ootta ami common pottery will 1st added, Tim kilns are so m ar the water that brick are carried di rect from them to the scows on which they are trans ported to market. At McMinnville, Oregon, mains are In the ground for A water works plant and the wires am up for an electric light service, both of which will 1m in opera tion by PccemW 1. The electric light plant will run sixtccn-randlo incandescent lights. There Is a good prosjiect for having a motor line soon to extend through the city additions and osibly to Payton and some others of the neighboring towns. The Kooky Fork coal mines, Montana, are putting out oW) tons M-r day, which will soon lie doubled. It is nil used by the X. P. II, K.