Two Frozen Men Drowned Within Twenty Feet of a Rescue Line

News reached this city last night by the steamer Utopia of the wreck of the fishing schooner Lily and Maud of Ballard, about three-quarters of a mile to windward of Deception Island, and the drowning of two men who were clinging to the wreck. The Utopia and a schooner named the Justine made heroic but unsuccessful attempts to effect a rescue. It was learned at Capt. Lake's shipyard last night that the schooner belonged to Capt. Jack and had been launched only three weeks before. Capt. Jack was aboard the boat and also a man named William Foley. Every detail indicates that both of these, and others if there were any aboard, lost their lives in the gale. The steamer Utopia left the San Juan lime works yesterday morning at 4 o'clock with a cargo of lime for this city. Southwest winds prevailed and with each minute increased in fury until a gale was on the deep. At about 6:30 o'clock in the dim dawn, as the Utopia was running for Deception Pass, a partly submerged schooner was seen three-quarters of a mile to windward of Deception Island. On closer observation Master O'Brien saw that there were two human beings on the wreck. The steamer was brought around and stood directly for the wreck. As the distance lessened, the cries for help could be heard from the unfortunates. In fifteen minutes' time the Utopia succeeded in getting to windward and passed within twenty feet of the wreck. Master O'Brien and one of the crew threw two lines with life buoys attached, which went within three feet of the poor unfortunates. 'Jump for the buoys,' yelled the master, but his words fell on unheeding ears. They stood on the stern, dumb and motionless, evidently benumbed with the cold. The moment of rescue passed and the heavy sea carried the steamer to leeward, far beyond the two victims. Never in Master O'Brien's life had he seen more agony than was visible in the faces of the two men he had tried to save. As the steamer swept past the wreck they carefully noted that her color was white and that her name was the Lily and Maud. At this time the people on the Utopia saw a small schooner, the Justine, to the windward dropping down on the wreck under a piece of her jib. She, too, passed alongside the Lily and Maud, but failed to get the men off. A later a large sea rolled along and several members of the Utopia's crew saw one of the men washed away. Then the wreck was lost sight of for a short time, and on sighting her again no sign of a human being remained. 'Both drowned,' was the general opinion. The Utopia lay to for several hours, during which time the sea moderated sufficiently for her to cruise around in the vicinity of where the wreck had been. Nothing could be seen—not a vestige of the little white schooner remained, nor was there any trace of her crew. A small ship's boat, about twelve feet long and painted on the outside, was picked up and is now at the Central wharf in this city. O'Brien said last night, when interviewed by a Post-Intelligencer reporter, that when he first sighted the Lily and Maud her stern was about ten feet out of water and appeared to be kept afloat by the air in the after end. When this escaped she must have sunk. 'I have had twenty-three years' experience sailing off and on Puget Sound,' he continued, 'and at daylight this morning there was the strongest wind and heaviest sea running I ever saw in these waters.' A Post-Intelligencer reporter learned at Capt. Lake's shipyard at Ballard last night that the schooner was owned by Capt. Jack, of Ballard, and had been launched only three weeks previous. She was not built by Capt. Lake; she was out on a fishing trip. Capt. Jack has a wife and family living at Ballard. The other man known to have been aboard is William Foley. He has a brother in Ballard. Master O'Brien described the doomed men as follows: 'A large man, with full beard, and heavy clothes; middle aged. A young man, about 23 years old, smooth face.' Some people at Ballard thought neither of the above could be Capt. Jack.