In One Ear: Harrowing episode
The Daily Morning Astorian, May 15, 1887, related the Ocean King‘s harrowing episode at sea. The ship, a four-masted barque said to be the largest American ship afloat at the time, left British Columbia on April 22 with a load of coal, heading for San Pedro, California.
On May 1, they arrived at Cape Flattery on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Capt. Charles H. Sawyer reported. Two days later, they got caught in a heavy southeast gale, with the seas running “mountain high,” and the pumps manned, with a donkey engine helping.
“For five days the pumps were kept continually working,” the captain recalled. “On Friday they became disabled, and the engine could not work them. Then the men manned the broken pump. The gale had moderated slightly that day, and along in the afternoon it came on again with increased velocity.
“The waves carried the pump away, but it was finally recovered and lashed on. Between waves the men would rush forward pump her a few minutes, and then recede and await another opportunity.
“On Saturday, May 7, the gale was still furiously blowing. The men lashed themselves to the pumps, and were working for dear life. Sounding the water in the hold, it was ascertained that she had 7 feet. It was then apparent that it would be an utter impossibility to keep her above water.”
Just as all hope was lost, a sail was sighted, and the Angel Dolly arrived to assist. Capt. Sawyer lowered a boat, but it was “immediately smashed.” Fortunately, the Angel Dolly’s boat stayed intact, and in about two hours, all 26 aboard the Ocean King were safely taken off. They had been blown so far south they were 40 miles from Cape Blanco, in southern Oregon, when the Ocean King went down.
Capt. Sawyer and his crew were later transferred from the Angel Dolly to the steam launch Cosmos at Cape Flattery, and taken to Port Townsend, Washington, safe and sound. (Painting: Montague Dawson)
