A fuming tidbit from The Daily Morning Astorian, June 5, 1894:

Capt. Parker is sorely offended, and “indignantly repudiates the idea” that he deserted two fishermen. The men were over in Youngs Bay when he came upon them. It was low tide, and it was impossible to reach them by steamer, since the men were in 3 feet of water, and the steamer drew 6 feet. 

He could not lower a boat, owing to the heavy sea, so he stood by them and whistled for relief until a sailboat took them off. “The men were in no immediate danger,” he huffed, “and if they had kept their wits about them, they would not have lost their boat.”