, 1889-05-23
SUNK AT SEA.
The o. Il. & N. Steamer Alaskan
Sinks Off Cape BlancO.
Most of the Grew are Lost in
the Terrible Wreck.
The Details Of the SAD A Atiair-.A Scene at
the Portland Whsrf-"List
OF the Lost.


the ocean somewhere Of Cape Blanco, on
the southern coast OF Oregon. Five OF the
crew are known to be lost and sixteen
more are either drowned or difting about
ia the ocean in two Of the ships boats,
while thmteeu were picked up by the tug
Nigilant and turned over to the steamer
Columbia, which will arrive late tonight.
The Alaskan was worth 1880, 600 and
was insured for 100000 The news of her
loss reached here at IL 80 this morning,
when the Columbia arrived ut Astoria, an
hour before information was wired to this
city. As nearly all the men lived here re.
cept Of the
NEWS OF THE DISASTER
created great Excitement. The Alash an
steamed out of Astoria at IL SOP. NJ. Sat-
urday She was bound for San Francisco
where she was to go into the drv dock for
repairs, after which she was to be brought
to Portland and paced on the route be.
tween Seattle. Tacoma, Olympia and Vic.
toria during the summer season Her
crew numbered forty seven men, the most
competent seaulen that could be picked up
III this vicinity. Though many applied 70 Z
passage the company refused to allow any
one to 20 on the vessel beside the officers
and crew and no freight WAS taken. Cap.
tain Howes OF Astoria was in
toria, was the first officer,
Pilot Weeks OF that city was
second officer, Mr. Swain Of Seattle, who
was first engineer on the T, j. Potter, Oc.
cupied the same position on the i'll fa.ed
steamer; Al Rhales of Astoria was steward.
hnn th. n l..aly l.(t A
the weather was warm though indications
were for foul weather. The barometer was
falling rapidly in Oregon and rising In
California.
SATURDAY A STORM BfaAS
and since then the weather has been bols
ferrous all along the coast Sunday night
the steamer behaved fairly we'll. Before
sailing for San Francisco she was thor.
oughly rebraced and her rear guards taken
ell to allow the water plenty Of play. Her
forward guards were not removeo and It is
supposed that on account of the guards she
caught water under them. which ran into
her hold. She was liked up in much the
same manner she WAS when coming
around from the Atlantic.
Monday morning early found the steamer
riding hard. Three hours after midnight
it was found she was sinking and all hands
took to to the boats. Captain Howes,
Captain Woods and eleven of the crew
were all In one boat and the remainder OF
the crew in others. The wind was blow.
ing in westerly direction at the
time and the men were
DRIrrrD TOWARD THE LAsp.
The tug Vgilant, IN tow of big dredger,
on her way from San Diego to Tacoms,
ran across Captain Howes and his party
and picked them up. Captain Bolles OF
the steamer Columbia, sailed up from San
Fraucisco last Tuesday at 10 A. NJ, and
when shortly this side OF Cape Blauco ran
across the tug and took the passengers
aboard, bringing them up with him. What
the fate OF the Others was is not yet kIrowD,
but hopes are entertained that they drifted
andward and were saved, 1t Is positively
known that all got into the boats, escaping
from the SINKING steamer.
The Alaskan was built In 1883 at Ches.
ter, Pa, by John Roach II Son for the
Oregon Railway II Navigation Compa
She was launched August of that wear,
but did not start for her destination for
some months. She arrived in Portland,
after having made good passage around
the Horn, April u. 1854. Her hull was
steel and iron, and her dimensions were.
length 275 feet, beam 10 u feet. depth IL S
Ieet, gross tonnage l.Tl7 55, net / ,259 O3,
according to the inspectors certificate. She
had fifty -iOur state rooms, los berths and
was allowed to carry
THREE HUNDRED PASSkNGEkS.
The full crew consisted OF master, pilot,
two mates, two engineers aud thirty men.
Throughout she had iron bulkheuds, Her
machinery consisted OF a low pressure en-.
gine 13 inches In diameter and ~ foot
stroke; four boilers 1915 feet lous and IN
feet in diameter made ui steel aud wa, AL
loved to carry hfly pounds of steam to the
square inch. Of life saving apparatus the
Alaskan had four iifehsats, four III. rafts
metal life hrafS :
She WAS furnished with u Gates steering
appliance, o
the survivors of the wrecked steamer WA,
dOcked ut the steamship wharf at s,Il to-
night The crowd that WAS on the wharf
rehiihueu one of the early days when
steamship communication WAS ali Portland
had with the outside world. There were
wives, mothers, daughters, SOUS, relatives
and friends by the hundreds. Some had
come out VI ouriosi while many, it not "a
inajority OF them, came to
CLEAN rIpINss uY A FRIEND
or relative ~,,u WAS among the o Ulcers and
crew OF the ill-fated steamer. One VttIe
fellow Of 10 psered into the ewes oi .verv
passenger that descended the gang planr
ana when the officer aboard anrio,rnced
that aii mac gone ashore he burst into tss rs
and cried "Oh. my father"
what Is your name, SONNY" asked a
half.drunken fellow who wns sn,"n., ,hs
rescued. '"'
Stephenson. SIR"
"Ah, my boy" said the fellow the last
i saw OF your father the wind was biowinv
lively gale and the raft he wa, on wa,
tossing about IN great big pillows ~ hieh
as 2 thfeestory baiiding"
The little fellow resumed his tears and
went home to break tho news to mi,
mother. "'
Captain Bales OF the Columbia. who wa,
first seen said he found the tug Vinitnnl
Oh the Columbia river bar vt Tclock thi,
morning rna took the survivors aboard his
bar for ten hours waiting Tor son,e vs.sal