Survivors Ships. Rush tio Retrieve of Nevada Details of the tragedy of the wrecked steamship Nevada, which went aground on September 27 on the coast. of Amatigmak Island, in the Aleutian Islands, with the loss of all but three of her crew, and the undaunted heroism of those who went to her assistance is disclosed the unembellished Tog of the President. Madison, of the Dollar Line, which arrived in Shanghai on Nov. 1.
The first intimation the Madison received of the Nevada was from a Japanese vessel, Oregon Maru, tne had. picked up "a faint SES Bignal, and passed it on sto the Madison as she rushed to the rescue the distressed shi The tog continues "We "anxiously awaited news from the Oregon Maru as her Search progressed. She kept constant touch with us, reporting het failure to locate anything at the position given that night or the ext morning, She then said she Was going to Amatignak Island and search the west side as the position of the Nevada was given as about fen. miles S.S.W. of the Island. Later she reported finding nothing along the west side after a long, exhaustive search.
"Phon we received the following:
"Twill search until dark in case Tean't find, Please come and help. course rly. Visibility good Therefore I hope you set your how" Starting to search, the south Amatignak Island.—Oregon Thereafter messages were passed continuously between the President Madison and the Oregon Maru, Which show that the latter never faltered in her search for the ill-until she finally located uth side of Amatignak Island.
Rescue work was started immediately and Ufeboats were dis-Patched to attempt the recovery the survivors who could be seen moving on the shore and waving ting. 'The following message tells how dificult the situation w 3.30 pin, Tuesday. Forty miles from Nevada. Proceeded _immed-lately for rescue. Wind SE 8, Sea high, dense fog. Arrived at' spot midnight attended whistle and fiz3 jgnals but no reply. Have to until ight. Searched up to ten a. above position but found nothing. Triod-search Unihabited Amatignak Island, Found aground on rocks east point of island broken three parts. Sent eleven men including chief officer 12,50 p.m and approached to wreck but nobody left but several men alive on shore. Endeavourins. voscue but high seas. southeaster! dig swell beside precipice very re gret four pin. returned. Smashed Away lifeboat "and hurted two crews, eave vicinity after throwing food materials for them into weather side and try rescue again Yespite our' ship list ten degrees. President Madison coming on Thurs-dag, morning. Oregon Maru.
The President Madison had already chafiged course when the above message was received and was rapidly making for the island. When she reached the vicinity the weather was thick and adverse and) as she cruised about taking soun¢.
igs wreckage, logs, lumber, and Pillows were noticed drifting about in the sea, amid much oil.
Av further extract from the log rated the right agent of an but it became obscured at once, Forty cleared and we saw the Oregon Maru, who now came up to us, toward the island which, we could'also see again, The gale: had moderated to a strong EN: breeze with a high ENE—SE cross Sea. Barometer was 28.96 and ris-'The weather looked very That forenoon there was some readjustment boats's crews, two men who were. married being replaced by single men, though the two married men objected to being loft out. The crews wore in high spirits and eager, to be away. With one exception, they were all native Americans. Everything was in readiness and in these treacherous, unsounded waters we proceeded with caution, sounding, constantly, to a position' about 1! miles east' of the Wreck, over which the seas were breaking. The plan was to have the motorboat tow one. lifeboat as near shore as was fe und the other boat was to be held, in readiness for any emergency such as the rescue of the first crews they got into difficulties. They were not needed however. On the steep, shore some men could be seen through the glasses waving what Tooked to be a flag. There was bad surf pounding all along. the Tocky shore and several breaks dotted the water for some distance on, revealing the presence of isolated Pinnacles.
Messages were then received from the "Oregon Maru warning the Madison of the strong currents which Were running near the beach Which had frustrated. their efforts fat rescue. Captain Healy of the President Madison detailed the Third Officer to take the boats over with the rescue crews, The log continues:
"The Second Officer was held in readiness with the relief crew. The last instructions given by. Captain Healy were "I want may men back here safe. If the motorboat should fail from any cause get the crew out of it and to hell with the motor. boat. Bring my men back safe." There was an oil slick from the Wrecked vessel's fuel tanks extending along the beach to the southward. This promised protection from the combers. The motor and lifeboat were. launched without indent after a lee was made and 0 pumped on the water. "This was at 12:45 p.m. Both the Oregon Mara and the' President Madison whistled repeatedly' to attract attention of any survivors who might be on the wrecked superstructure, hut no sign of life was visible there.
"With" the lifeboat in tow the motorboat proceeded toward shore. Spray was shipped over both at intervals. The motor, thanks to. the good work of the 'First Assistant Engineer' and the machinist in charge, worked beautifully, only stopping once for a couple of min-ures about halfway to shore. The il slick, og anticipated, smethed the sous remarkably when the boats got into it but the sea came in in huge rollers. Small" patches of kelp threatened to foul the propeller here, but they were evaded. The super: structure of the Nevada was frequently washed by seas and it was Impossible to approach closer than about six hundred yards owing to the combers voileing over the sun reef on which she rested. "A white cloth flapped from an awning stan-chien, on top of the bridge but no tone appeared though the rescuing steamers were whistling, "The two boats have-to and watched the wreck closely for a Yew minutes, then proceeded toward the shore. The after half of the ship was marked by the mainmast sticking up out of the water at a sharp angle some distance from the
head, pointing inshore, and near the superstructure. forecastle stoep beach, was about a quarter of a mile inshore of the superstructure. The super structure was parallel to the shore and about one-third miles offshore.
"Another sunken reef, over which combers were breaking, stuck out from the shore a little south of the Jone on which the Nevada had struck. Several rocks below the surface, between these reefs, were seen as the boats set down in the trough of the seas, but it was possible to know just where they all were on account' of the cloudiness lof the water here, due, probably, to something from the cargo of the wrecked, vessel which discolored it The rocks that were breaking were avoided successfully and the motorboat was anchored halfway between the wreck and the shore. Efforts were made to float a long 3" line ashore with a lifering on it, while [she lifeboat was backed toward the shore, still fast to the motorboat by 'a Tong line which was paid out while they backed in, This failed because the current carried the line parallel to the beach. The anchor was then have up and the boats ventured in bit farther and anchored again. Here the anchor dragged and the boats drifted dangerously close to the lower reef before they could be straightened out and way put on hem.
"The Junior Officer in charge of the motorboat then daringly offered to take the motorboat alone closer to shore and try again, but the Third Officer refused to' permit it it was too risky in ease the motor stopped. The boat also had no reverse n it. ° The boats then hove-to clear of the reef and the anchor was passed to the lifeboat which went in to about two hundred yards "of the shore where they anchored in about three fathoms. "Putting all hands on the lee oars to avoid being set down on the lower reef, she backed in, paying out fifty fathoms of anchor line, Although it was dangerous work the crew seemed to enjoy the thrill of it, In fact, when it was seen to be impossible to get a line ashore, several of them offered, without being asked, to be given chance to swim it. Eddie Blomberg and John Davis disputed for the privilege, bug as Eddie had been
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.