The Wreck of the Lily Grace

Yesterday afternoon, Captain Charles Wall, late master of the ill-fated Chilian bark Lily Grace, arrived in Seattle by the messenger, and he kindly consented to an interview to tell the story of the loss of his vessel. The Lily Grace sailed from Port Discovery on December 13th with a cargo of 100,000 feet of lumber for Valparaiso. I was master of the vessel, having been in her for nearly four years. She carried a crew of twelve men all told. We were towed to Protection Island by the steamer Virginia. We had a fresh east wind to Race Rocks, when it calmed down and then blew strong southwest. I found we were being driven on the Vancouver shore, and carried sail hard to get back on the American shore. In crossing the straits, we came within ten feet of running against the masts of the Belvidere, which vessel's topgallant masts were out of water. At midnight on Wednesday the deck load commenced breaking up, and the vessel was in a bad state and the crew urged me to abandon her. One boat had been carried away, and the forecastle deck house, galley, and forward cabin were all washed out and gutted. On Thursday, the 16th, the weather commenced worse than the night before. At 5 a.m. we commenced to throw the deck load overboard. We worked all day at this. On Friday the 17th, the vessel was like a log. All hands were pumping or getting the raft or boat ready. On Sunday, the wind was weak, with a heavy sea. We were powerless to do anything but drag toward the shore, as the leathers were in the water. We eventually made the land, and the vessel broke up. I then took the crew to a railroad to Olympia, and Captain Heraldic of the Tug Willapa, generously carried us to that point free of charge. I lost all my instruments, books, clothing, watch, money, and personal effects. Fortunately, my logbook washed ashore, and I recovered it.