TWENTU-TWO LIVES LOST.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 102, 5 March 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

TWENTU-TWO LIVES LOST.

The ship Harvey J. Mills,. Captain Crawford, sailed from Seatle on 12th iteceraber, with coals for San Francisco. Shortly after hp-r departure she experienced a fierce gale frornithe south-east wfth a mountainous sea. The sails were blown, away, and the vessel labored and strained so &e---•tterely that she made water rapidly. The men were repeatedly washed away from, the pumps by the heavy seas. The weather 1 got gradually w.orse, and at last the decks were aontinually under water, In any attempt to get her before the wind, the qabin was stove in. and filled, and the head sails: were all blown aWay in fiibbons. Then the vessel struck, and s.he went over on her beam. ends. To ease her the main and mizzen masts were out away ; but in falling the mizzen stove in ; the afteriiouse, and, tyie water- rushed mto the hold. It was then decided to, abandon the vessel. The lifeboat, the only oneleft, was launched, and the captain, and a portion, of the crew had got into it when, she rolled over and capsized, and, all in. her.Were lost. There now seniained, only, 12- out of &■ crew; of. 2£ onboard. A heavy sea washed; over her,, and swept all the deck-houses, away,. and immediately after the ship, went down, stern first, four, seamen, managed, to- ■ secure a piece of wreckage,, and at daylight they saw five more of their comrades on, a portion, of, the deckhouse, In. the few. moments .which-, elapsed,, before the-poor fellows were separated, it waslearned that one of the men had died during fihe night.. The five men on the deckhouse were then swept away by the Luge seas, and were never seen again. Eor, three days the four men existed on, a, bare plank, which was- almost always under water, without either fpodor water. Their sufferings were ao horrible that one of the sailors became delirious, and threw, himself into- the water.. The following morning the barque Majestic,, of Ban; Francisco , discovered the poor unfortunates,. and rescued them, in au almost unconscious state. The three survivors were afterwards transferred ftp & coasting steamer, which conveyed tuein.to San Francisco, where they were landed in a helpless state, consequent on ; the, hardships which they had experienced. The Harvey Mills Was built in 1876 at Maine, and was considered one of the';first-class American, clipper ships. The names of the saved men were Cushman, chief offiseiyand Volgens and Brown, seamen. The vessel when, she went down was a.bput 70 .miles off .Clape Flattery.