The Uncharted Drift of the Little Lorenson
A schooner, untethered by high winds, nearly wreaks havoc in the Seattle harbor after snapping its lines near the waterfront.
The schooner Little Lorenson, which is expected to sail soon for the Bering on a fishing cruise, had an adventure this morning which might easily have resulted in a catastrophe. The schooner had been hauled out from the wharf and anchored between Ainsworth & Dunn's fish cannery and the small wharf built a short distance up the railway tracks. A strong wind caused the usually placid waters of Elliott Bay to swell angrily. The Lorenson tugged at her cable, which finally parted. Under the impulse of the strong wind, she was blown out into the harbor, and as her sails were snugly furled, the crew were unable to control her movements. By a very close shave, the long jib-boom of the schooner missed the steamer Glenogle, and the schooner went sailing down the harbor. A signal for assistance was run up at the masthead, and a small tug promptly went out to the vessel. A line was passed on board the Lorenson, the tug started for the docks, and the craft was secured.
“A strong wind caused the usually placid waters of Elliott Bay to swell angrily.”
Long before the high-rises and the modern Great Wheel, the Seattle waterfront was a chaotic industrial zone of competing canneries and tugboats. The 'adventure' of the Little Lorenson captures a time when the harbor was the city's primary, unpredictable artery, mirroring the ongoing struggle to balance commerce and safety in the busy Elliott Bay today.
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