Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-18
THIRTY MEN MISSING.
A Full Account of the Wreck Of the
Pacific Steamer Alaskan.
THE STORY OF THE CAPTAIN.
He Remained Upon the Ship Until It Sank
Beneath the Waves.
EVERY EFFORT TO SAVE THE VESSEL.
Number Of the Sailors Refused to Take to the Beats
and RaftA

Thirty Of the officers and crew Of the
wrecked steamer Alaskan have not been ac-
counted for, and are probably lost. Captain
Howes has arrived at Portland, and gives
his story of the disaster. Every effort was
made to save the vessel, and the captain re-
mained with her until she sank beneath the
waves.
PORTLAND, ORE, May 7.-Captain z.
+. HoWes, of the foundered steamer Alas
kan, and First Officer Wood, have arrived
here on the steamship Columbia. The
Alaskan sailed for San Francisco from As
toris last Saturday noon and crossed the
Columbia river bar safely, headed down the
coast on Sunday forenoon. A very heavy
gale sprang up, which soon increased to q
terrible storm and the sea ran very high,
and the vessel began laboring very heavily.
In the afternoon the steamer strained and
began taking water. The pumps were kept
going constantly, the officers and crew
vainly endeayoring to stop the leak by stuff
ing in blankets and bedding. The storm
continued with unabated fury, and early
Sunday evening the upper works of the
steamer began going to pieces. The water
poured in on all sides, putting out the fires
in the furnaces and flooding the upper
works.
AT THE MERCY OF THE SEA.
The engines were stopped, and the huge
vessel pitched and tossed at the mercy Of
the elements. The pumps could not be
worked and the vessel began filing. How
ever, Captain HoWes gave orders for all to
stay by the vessel, in hopes the storm would
soon abate. About IL o'clock Monday
night it was evident that the steamer would
soon founder.
Captain 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 eoolness and obeying
orders promptly. There were A men on
board the vessel and three stowaways. All
but seven or eight put on lite-preserTers,
got into the boats and on lite RATS and
drifted away.
Some refused to leave the steamer at all,
preferring to take desperate chances on
board rather than commit themselves to the
hungry waves. At 215 A. NJ. Monday the
steamer took plunge and went down stem
first. Captain Howes gallantly stayed with
the vessel until she sunk, and clinging to
a portion Of the wreckage, hoated away.
RESCUE OF THE CAPTAIN.
he was afterward picked up by those on
one of the RATS. After 80 hours he and
others were picked up by the tug Vigilante.
The same vessel also picked up the first
officer, G. W. Wood, 7. Wallace, W. Col
lins, B. Barnhold. j. Monaghan, ]. W.
Brown, W. Alfred johnson, John Welch
and Geo. Shilderup, the latter person had
leg broken by the falling of the timbers, be-
fore 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 Swain was washed of one of the
RATS soon after leaving the sinking vessel
and is known to be lost. Among those
whom refused to leave the Alaskan and
certsinly lost, were Albert Babies, steward;
s. 7. Week, second officer; W. Jenney, a
seaman. Thirty remain yet unaceounted
for, whose fate is unknown at present
The tug Vigilante, after picking up those
mentioned, cruised about the scene Of the
disaster for over II hours, but saw no signs
Of the others. At the time the vessel foun-
dered fearful storm prevailed, and the rain
descended in torrents. There is little hope
of the other part Of the crew escaping.
Efforts are being made to find them or ascer-
tain their fate.
LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS.
The. United States Lighthouse tender
Manzanitza, now on the southern coast, is
cruising about looking for the survivors, if
any. Cape Blanco is also 200 miles south
of the mouth of the Columbia river, on the
coast of Oregon, and is only a short dis
tance from the north port Of Cape Oxford.
Near as can be ascertained the disaster oe-
Cured about Is miles of the cape.
The tug Vigilante saw a number ofrockets
from the Alaskan short time before the
vessel foundered, and Captain Howes says
he saw the tug lights quite plainly, but the
vessel was some distance away and could
render no assistance amidst the bowling
storm. The VIgilante brought the survi-
vors up to the mouth Of the Columbia, and
then waited until the ocean steamer Colum-
bia came along and then transferred the
survivors.