The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-22
LOST In A H0WLING GALE.
THE ALASKAN IS DOWN OFF BLANco.
Some of the Crew Remain With the
Vessel and Are Lost-rhe Chief
Oficers Rescued-Story of
the Disaster.

PORTLAND, Ore, May 17.-Cspt r. Z. Howes
of the foundered steamer Alaskan, and First
Officer Wood, have arrived here on the steam
ship Columbia. The Alaskan sailed for San
Francisco from Astoria last Saturday and
crossed the Columbia river bar safely, headed
down the coast. On Monday forenoon a very
heavy gale sprang up, which soon increased to
terrible storm. The sea very high and
the vessel began laboring heavily. In the aft
ernoon the steamer strained and began to leak.
The pumps were kept going constantly and the
officers and crew vainly endeayored TO stop
the leak by stufing in blankets and bedding.
The storm continued with unabated fury,
and early Sunday evening the upper
works OF the steamer began going to
ieces. The water poured in on all
sides, putting out the fires in the
furnaces and literally looding,the upper works.
The engines were stopped and the huge vessel
pitched and tossed. completely at the mercy of
the elements. The pumps could not be worked,
and the vessel began filling. However, Capt.
Howes gave orders for all to stay by the vessel,
IN hopes the storm would soon abate. About II
o'clock Monday night it was evident the
steamer would sooG founder. Capt. Howes
then gave orders to launch the life-boats and
RATS All the boats were launched but one,
which crushed against the side of the steamer.
The men behaved well, acting with GOODNESS
and obeying orders promptly There were
forty-four men on board the vessel and three
stowaways. All but seven or eight put on life
preservers, got into the boats and on lie RATS
and drifted away. Some refused 10 leave the
steamer at all, preferrlng TO take desperate
chances on board rather than commit them
selves 10 the hungry waters.
At 2:15 a. N. Tuesday the steamer took
plunge and went down stem first. Capt. HOwes
CALAMITY stayed with the vessel until she sunk,
and, clinging to portion or the wreckage
fOated away. He was afterward picked up by
those on one of the RATS. After thirty-three
hours he and others were picked up by the
tug Vigilante. The same vessel also picked up
the first officer, q. w. Wood, I. Wallace, w.
Collins, b. b. Rernhold,J. Monaghan, J.W Brown,
w Alfred Johnson, John Welch and George
Shiderup. The latter had leg broken by the
falling of timbers before leaving the steamer
and died soon after being picked up by the
Vigilante. John Welch was found dead on
piece of wreckage, clinging to some ropes.
Chief Engineer STafne was washed off one of
the RATS soon after leaving the sinking vessel
and is known to be lost Among those who re-
fused to leave the Alaskan and are certainly
lost were:
ALBERT RAHLEs, steward.
S. 7. WEEK, second officer
". JENNEY, a seaman.
The following is complete list of the officers
and crew OF the Alaskan: Master, r. E. Howes;
first officer, J. \. Woods; second officer, 5. L.
Weeks chief engineer, w. Swine; first assist
ant engineer, H. g. Michel; steward, Albert
Rahles Watehman, James Stevenson; water
tenders, L. Emerson and James McGarry; OIL
ers, NJ. Mckean and I. Wallace; quartermas-
teTs, John Brown, j. NJ. Graham, George Shield
Tup, Walter Hunter; fremen, Thomas Colli-
gan. Patrick Many, Patrick COnnor, F. E.
Wheeland, John Carrington,EM. Kepler; coal
p;lsserS j. A. Horn, William Coils, Henry
Mahan, Edward Sharpless, o. H Rose, Patrick
s. Tohr eli
William Johnson; pantryman, L. Ward; chief
cook Emil Wenzle; second cook, James Kew
ley; waiter, j. Monaghan; baker, Fred Nor
man; mess boys. B. Bernhold, +. II. Carlson;
seamen, w. Alfred Johnson, Andy Nelson, z.
Jewell ". Denny. J. Roscoe, w. Norris, Tneo-
dore Frold and three stowaways whose names
are unknow7, making a total OF forty-seven
persons.
Thirty remain yet unaccounted for, whose
fate is unknown AT present. The tug Nigilante,
after picking up those mentioned, cruised about
the scene of the disaster TO over twelve hours,
but saw no signs OF the others. At the time
the vessel foundered fearful storm prevailed,
and the rain descended in torrents. There is
scarcely any hope that the other part of the
crew escaped. Efforts are being made to hnd
them or ascertain their fate. The L. :. light
house tender Manzanta, now on the southern
coast, is cruising about looking for the survi-
vors, if any. Cape Blanco is about two hun
dred miles south of the mouth Of the Columbia
river on the coast of Oregon, and is only
short distance from the north point of Cape
oxford. AS near as can be asceTtained the dis
aster occurred about eighteen miles off the cape
The tug Vigilante saw numbers of rockets from
the Alaskan short time before the vessel
foundered, and Capt. Howes says he saw the
tugs lights quite plainly, but the vessel was
some distance away, and could render no
sistance in the howling storm. The Vigilante
brought the survivors up to the mouth of the
Columbia, and waited until the ocean stea mer
Columbia came along, and then transferred the