The Brookhaven leader., 1889-05-23
THE WRECKED STEAMER.
Serious Loss OF Life Feared by the Wreck
of the steamer Alaskan seventeen

serious Loss OF feaEtu ny
of the steamer Alaskan - seventeen
Missing.
PORTLAND, Ore, May 1S Captain Il
z. 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 tho Columbia river bar
safely and headed down the coast Sum
day forenoon. A very heavy gale sprang
up which soon increased to a 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 by
stuffing In blankets and bedding. The
storm continued with unabated fury and
early Sunday evening the works OF the
steamer began going to pieces. The
water poured in on all sides, putting out
the fires in 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 il
was evident the steamer would soon
founder and Captain Howes then gave
orders to launch the lifeboats and RATS.
| All the boals were launched but one OF
| 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:l5 a. m. Monday the steamer took
plunge and went down stem first
Captain Howes gallantly stayed with tht
| vessel until she sank, aud, clinging to 6
portion of the wrecka2e, hoated away
He was afterward picked up by those OF
| board the RATS. After thirty-t five hour:
he and others were picked up by the tu.
! Vigilante. The same vessel also picked VI
the first officer, g. w. Wood, 7. Wallace
w. Collins, b. Bernard, J. Monag CHAN, j
w. Brown, Alfred Bronson, John Weisl
and George Childrup.
Childrup had a leg broken by the heav
ing of timbers before leaving the steame
and died soon after being pickedup JohI
Welsh was found dead on n piece c
wreckage. Chief Engineer Swaine va
washed off one of the RATS soon afte
leaving the sinking vessel and is know
to be lost
Among those who refused to leave tn
Alaskan and were certainly lost were Al
bert Rallies, steward; S. T. Week, secon'
officer, w. Jenney and A. S. Leman.
Thirty men remain yet unaccounted for
whose fate is unknown at present lii
tug Vigilante, after picking up thos
mentioned cruised about the scene of tn
; disaster for over twelve hours, Lut say
no signs of the Others.
At the time the vessel foundered fear
full storm prevailed and the rain descende
in torrents. There is scarcely any hop
that the other part of the crew escaped
but efforts are being made 10 find them o
ascertain their fate. The United State
light house tender, Mazanita, now on tn
Southern coast, is cruising about looking
for the survivors, if any.
Cape Banco is about 200 miles south o
the mouth of the Columbia river on tn
coast of Oregon, and is only short dis
tance from Cape Oxford. As near as cal
be ascertained the disaster occurred abou
eighteen miles off the cape.