The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-24
THE WRECKED STEAMER.

Serious Loss of Life Feared by the Wreck
of the steamer Alaskan Seventeen
Missing.
PORTLAND, Ore, Nav 1S-Captain r
E. 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
storm, 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 b.
stuffing in blankets and bedding. The
storm continued with undated fury and
early Sunday evening the works of the
steamer began going to pieces. The
water poured i'm on all sides, putting out
the fires i'm the furnaces and literally flood.
ing 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, but Captain
Howes gave orders to all to stay by the
vessel, hoping that the storm would soon
abate.
About twelve o'clock Monday night it
was evident the steamer would soon
founder and Captain Howes then gave
orders to launch the lifeboats and RATS.
All the boats were launched but one or
two, which crushed against the side
! of the steamer. The men behaved with
GOODNESS 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 all, pre-
ferring to take their chances on board
rather than commit themselves to the hum
, cry waters.
At 2:15 a m. Monday the steamer took
plunge and went down stem first,
| Captain Howes CALAMITY stayed with the
/ vessel until she sank. and, clinging to a
portion of the wreckage, hoated away.
I He was afterward picked up by those on
! board the RATS. After thirty five hours
: he and others were picked up by the tue
! Vigilante. The same vessel also picked up
/ the first officer, G. w. Wood, L. Wallace,
I W. Collins, 3. Bernard, j. Monaghan, j.
, W. Brown, Alfred Bronson, John Welsh
! and George Childrup.
| Childrup had leg broken by the heav.
| ing of timbers before leaving the steamer
and died soon after being picked up. John
/ Welsh was found dead on a piece OF
wreckage. Chief Engineer Swaine was
/ washed off one of the RATS soon after
/ leaving the sinking vessel and is known
I to Toe lost.
Among those who refused to leave the
| Alaskan and were certainly lost were Al
| bert Rahles. steward; S. I. Week, second
officer. W. Jenney and A. s. Leman.
Thirty men remain yet unaccounted for,
whose fate is unknown at present The
/ tug Vigilante. after picking up those
! mentioned, cruised about the scene of the
| disaster for over twelve hours, but saw
! no signs of the others.
| At the time the vessel foundered fear
I full storm prevailed and the rain descended
! in torrents. There is scarcely any hope
| that the other part of the crew escaped
! but efforts are being made to find them Oh
ascertain their fate. The United States
| light house tender, Mazanita, now on the
| Southern coast, is cruising about looking
| for the survivors, if any.
Cape Blanco is about 200 miles south OF
! the mouth of the Columbia river on the
coast of Oregon, and is only short dis
! lance from Cape Oxford As near as can
| be ascertained the disaster occurred about
| eighteen miles off the cape.