The Perilous Fishing Trip of Two Seattle Daredevils
Two young men’s weekend getaway turned into a two-day survival ordeal when they were swept away by tide and wind in the Puget Sound.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Last Saturday noon, two comely and daring young commission men set out in a small boat for a trip down the straits, armed with Winchesters, tackle, and all the equipment appropriate to such a voyage. The rollicking mood in which they took their departure bespoke their glowing visions of the abundance of game and many prizes from the briny which were to become their prey. It was intended to return home the same evening, laden with prizes. Alas! The fulfillment of human hopes! Like Paddy's ball fight, the pleasure proved to be all in the anticipation, and the return proved to be a grueling ordeal. Eighteen hours later, they wearily poled into Union Wharf. They had gotten a legitimate course near West Point, only to be left at the mercy of the varying tides for two weary nights and days. All around, chilled and thoroughly exhausted, nothing remained but a loaf of bread, a strong pull, and a 'pull together' for home, which was accomplished in three hours.
“The rollicking mood in which they took their departure bespoke their glowing visions of the abundance of game and many prizes from the briny.”
While Seattle’s modern maritime culture includes high-tech GPS and Coast Guard support, the volatile nature of the Puget Sound tides remains a constant reality for amateur boaters. This story serves as a reminder that the same waters that draw weekend adventurers today have long been a place where a bad turn of the weather can turn a day trip into a test of survival.
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