Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/397



Since the report of Lieutenant Neil M. Howison, of the United States Sloop of War Shark, was published in The Quarterly for March, 1913, a survivor of that ill-fated vessel has been found in the person of Mr. Burr Osburn. The following letters from him, throwing additional light upon that disaster, together with the naval record of Lieutenant Howison, form a valuable supplement to what has already been published: Union City, Michigan, Feb. 17, 1913.

Postmaster, Astoria, Ore.

Dear Sir: Would you please hand this letter to some old pioneer that you think might answer it. I would like to know how many inhabitants Astoria has, and I would like a map of the river coast from Astoria down to Clatsop Beach.

In 1846 I belonged to the U. S. S. Shark, and we kedged, sounded and buoyed the channel from Cape Disappointment to Vancouver, and on our return, coming out of the mouth of the river, we were driven with adverse winds upon the breakers, and the quicksands soon put us out of commission. Subsequently, with a great deal of suffering, we landed upon Clatsop Beach without the loss of a single man. Neil M. Howison was commander. After landing at Clatsop Beach we made for Astoria, which had three log houses and one small frame house. There were seventy-six of us sailors besides the officers. Two of the log houses were not occupied; the third one was occupied by the Hudson Fur Company officers. Us sailors occupied