The Red Cloud chief., 1889-05-24
THE WRECKED STEAMER.

Serious Loss Of Life Feared BY the Wreck
OF the Steamer Alaskan -Seventeeo
Missing.
PORTLAND Ore, May 16-CSptain h
F. Howes, Of the foundered steamer
Alaskan, and First Officer Wood have ar.
rived here on the steamship Columbia
They state that the Alaskan sailed for
San Francisco from Astoria last Satur-
day, crossed the Columbia river bar
safely and headed down the coast Sun.
day forenoon. A very heavy gale sPrang
up which soon increased to . terrible
storr., and the sea ran very high and the
vessel began laboring heavily. In the
afternoon the steamer strained and
began taking water. The pumps
were kept going constantly and
the officers and the crew vain
ly endeavored to stop the leak by
stuffing in blankets and bedding. Tho
storm continued with undated fury and
early Sunday evening the works OF the
steamer began going to pieces. Tho
lier poured in on all sides putting e1t
in the furnaces and literally doed-
96k1N ner works. The engines weSe
stoppedsSndhs huge vesse, pitched sud
tossed comNjS02y at the mercy of the
elemeats. Theplaps could not be worked
and the vessel began fiilirg. but Captain
Howes gave ortiers to all to stay by tn"
vessel beping that the storm would soon
abate.
About twelve o'clock Monday Right it
was evident tho steamer wouk soon
founder and Captain HOwes then gave
orders to launch the lisebOats anH RATS.
All the boats were launched but ono or
two. which crushed against the side
Of the steamer. The men behaved with
coolness and obeyed orders promptly.
There were forty -four men on board the
vessel and three stOwaways. About one
o'clock all put on life preservers got in the
boats and RATS and drifted away. Some
refused to leave the steamer at ali. pre-
[ fsrring to take their chances on board
rather than commit themselves to the hun.
I STy waters.
At 2:I5 a. m. Monday the steamer took
a plunge aud went down stem first,
Captain Howes gallantly stayed with the
vessel until she sank. and, clinElng 10 q
portion of the wrecka gAe aoated away.
He was afterward picked up by those on
! board the RATS After thirty-five hours
he and others We're picked up by the tus
Vigilante. The same vessel also picked us
the first officer, q. W. Wood. I. Wallace
W. Collins. Il. Bernard, ]. Monaghan, J.
W. Brown, Alfred Bronson, John Welsh
and George Childrup
Chi;drup had leg broken by the heaS-
isg of timbers before leaving the steame,
and died soon after being pickedup. JoEi
Welsh was found dead on a piece o
wreckage. Chief Engineer Swaine was
wasked of one of the rafts soon afteI
leaving the sinking vessel and is known
TO be lost
Among those who refused to leave the
Alaskan and were certainly lost were Al
bert Rallies. steward; S. T. Week, secone
officer, W. Jenney and A. s. Leman.
Thirty men remain yet unaccounted FOR
whose fate is unknown at present Ths
tug Vigilante. after picking up thoss
mentioned, cruised about the scene of the
disaster for over twelve hours, but saw
mo signs of the others.
Al The time the vessel foundered fear
full storm prevailed and the rain descended
in torrents. There is scarcely any hop:
that the other part of the crew escaped
but efforts are being male to find them ol
|, ascertain their fate. The United State.
light house tender. Mazanita, now on th'
Southern coast is cruising about looking
for the survivors, if any.
Cape Blanco is about 200 miles south o.
the mouth of the Columbia river OF ths
coast of Oregon, and is only short dis
tance from Cape Oxford As near as car
lie ascertained the disaster occurred a5oa
= eighteen miles off the cape.