Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-10
WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
4 Disaster on puget sound.

SEATTLE, February 9.h.-Fhe steamer Gem
left this port at 9 o'clock yesterday morning.
having on board 500 sacks of fl 5ur, 80 bales
OF bsv, furrisurs and other freight for Port
Gaab.e Z, Seabeck and Union City. She also
had fou- passengers. She called in at Port
Madison, aud at in the afternoon started for
Port Gsmb.e. When FIVE or six miles cut
tie engineer and Captain both noticed
smoke coming from tee hay and Immediately
gave the alarm. The Captain headed the
boat for the shore aud fastened the wheel.
With assistance from the hands he got the
lifeboat from the hurricane deck into the
sound, but owing TO the intense heat and the
moving steamer they were unable to hold i,
aud it went sdrift and af5erward sank. La
three minutes all bat the extreme forward
part If the boat was mass of flames, and
several of the persons aboard became crazed
vi h excitement and terror. The Chinese
cook and two deck hands showed the remain
ing boat into the water and jumped for it.
They fell into the water, and, being unable to
get into the akiff, all were drowned. +. Q.
Vickery, passenger going from this city TO
take the position OF teacher at the Sno-
houish Indian reservation, cried TO has
wife to follow him and he would save her,
and with that plunged into the sound
and was quickly drowned. His wife at once
followed MIN, and sank in moment. A
sis er Of his, Miss Fanny Vickery, made re-
psated efforts to leap into the water but was
forcibly restrained. The two deck hands lost
were named George Gowan and E Raybsck,
and they, vita Vickery and wife aud the
Chinese cook, complete the list of the
drowned. The only other passenger was +.
c.. B7ffum, a commercial traveller of Port
land, who lost $500 worth of sample goods,
but otherwise was uninjared. He Captain
Williamson and the others on board threw
the anchor overheard, and so kept the burn.
ing craft with her head to the windward. By
raising the hatch way and pouring on water
they kept the bow free from fire and them
selves safe until taken off by the boats from
the shore, which was two miles distant. Two
steamers subsequently came along, one OF
which brought the six survivors to this city.
The other steamer took what was left of the
Gem in tow, but before getting it TO place
OF safety il sank to the bottom. The Gem
was stern wheeler. of fifty. eight tors meae-
urenent, and was built here IN 1878 She
belonged to John McCreary & Co., of Union
City, and was valued at Sc 600. The cargo
belonged principally TO the Puget Mill Com
pany. Thr9 wss no insurance on either yes
sell or cargo. The fire undoubtedly had its
origin in spark from the smoke stack fall
ing on the hay. This is the only steamer
ever burned on Puget Sound.
Libel Subtitle Markets.
SEATTLE, February .h,-A libel has been
fled in the District Court here by Samuel
Blair aud Francis j. Burns, owners of the
ship Oriental, of San Francisco, against the
British ship Louderdsle, for damages done
the Oriental by the Louderdsle in the storm
at Tacoma on the night of January 165h.
They claim to be damaged in the sum of
$40 000 The United States Marshal is now
in charge Of the Louderdale.
The market for home produce is in an ex-
cellent condition. Eggs have not in twenty
years been so high as at this time. They are
now selling readily at 40@45 cents per dozen.
A poor article of beef retails readily at Is
cents per pound, and % CENTS is threatened
by the butchers ere long. Hay is also high,
being worth $40 a ton, delivered in town.
Pork, by the carcass, brings 81 cents per
pound. Potatoes are low. and they can be
bought in any quantity at $500 cents per
bushel.