Ear: Alice

The Morning Astorian of Jan. 16, 1909 reported the demise of the French schooner, Alice, under the command of Capt. Aubert, with a crew of 24. Capt. Connick, of the Ilwaco (Washington) Life Saving Station, called the paper “over the long distance telephone wires” to report on the incident.

Capt. Aubert apparently lost his reckoning, was too late to turn away from the breakers, and ran hard aground in Ocean Park, Washington on Jan. 15. “We got to her without loss of time and tendered our services,” Captain Connick said, “but as all hands were ashore, and the ship hard and fast and in no immediate danger, all we could do was to invite the officers and men to the station … ”

What’s not mentioned is described by the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum on Facebook. Young Willie Taylor was the one who initially discovered the wreck when his dog, Solano, who had survived an earlier wreck, started barking madly when he spotted the grounded schooner. It was Willie who ran for help to summon Capt. Connick.

“Nothing can save ship nor cargo, in my estimation,” Mr. Gor, who went to inspect the wreck, told the Astorian. “ … She has 11,000 barrels of cement, but as the sea has swept her hatches clear, this is ruined, and contributes to her devastation by holding her down under the tremendous and pitiless pressure of the raging surf.”

Gradually, the schooner sank into the sand. The museum noted that for over 20 years, the mast of the Alice was still visible. (Photo: Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum)