The morning call., 1890-05-26
DISASTROUS
SHIPWRECK.
Seventy.seven Chinese Lost in the
Arctic Sea.
III e Ship Oneida Strikes Upon a Rock OF
Sanak Island and Sinks Before All
on Board Are Saved.

A disastrous shipwreck occurred on the
26th of April at Sanak Island, Alaska,
when the ship Oneida from San Francisco
to the Aleutian canneries. was lost with
seventy-seven of her Chinese passengers.
The captain. forty-ive white men and
thirty-three Chinese passengers we're saved,
and it is thought probable, Judging from
the meager accounts of the disaster, that
had it not all come so suddenly upon The
unsuspecting officers and crew the terrible
loss OF life would have been averted.
The first news of the shipwreck was re-
ceived in most casual way last evening
in this city from Captain Anderson, who
was master of the lost ship on her last voy-
age. He called upon an old friend and re-
lated his misfortune, and then disappeared
from view of all persons interested in hear
ing an account of the ships loss.
In just such peculiar way the captain of
the schooner Alice Kimball, which brought
Anderson from Alaska, went to see his
friends without makiEg an Ineligible re-
port Of his voyage to the Merchants Ex-
change or giving any particulars of the
shipwreck officially according to the observ-
ance OF seamen ON returning to port. An
derson himself did not go near the Mer-
CHdute LACudHBc, AOE ulO IG IIOuOLt dUUuL
making an official report.
LOST IN A FOG.
The Oneida sailed from San Francisco
March 2Sth with a cargo of supplies and
provisions, 110 Chinese and 40 white men,
for Sanak. She was cleared by the Thin
Point Packing Company, a corporation
contr oiled by Louis Sloss & Co. of the old
Alaska company.
On the 26th of April she was nearing her
destination, and it would seem more quickly
than the officers believed, for she was then
dangerously near the hidden rocks that jet
upward from the ocean depths SO treacher-
OuSly in portions of the Alleutian seas. 1t
was fCggy, though the winds were fair that
evening and the good ship was given her
head; but little did the master think that
she was then scudding blindly along to GER
tain destruction in the gathering gloom.
The captain had taken his bearings be-
fore the Arctic fog settled upon the sea, but
only soundings could be relied on later, and
they were puZzliug in the bewildering diff
ference of depths among the islands. He
and his mate imagined themselves twenty
seven miles away from the rock on which
the vessel split when jar and grinding
of breaking timbers terrified them. The
ship had gone uron the rocks with a sud-
den and appalling force that threw men for
ward, stunning many and wounding others.
AN AWFUL SCENE.
In an instant wild and paralyzing scene
of struggling men, frantic with fright and
utter terror, perfect panic that it was i'm
possible to subdue, was upon the decks,
following the idle evening amusements.
The exciting jabbering OF the Chinese
mingled with the shouts of the white men
and the officers orders. The Chinese lost
all control of themselves and many gave
way to their fate without a struggle.
An order to put out the boats and man
them was promptly obeyed, but not a mo-
ment too soon, for no sooner were the frail
DarkS out upon the waves than the Oneida
went crashing and creaking to the bottom
There were many desperate men strug-
CLING among the floating wood and drifts
who had not time to secure a seat in the
boats, and they were picked up afterward
But this was necessarily slow work in the
heavy fog that hid everything a few yards
distant from the view of those in the
boats and the seyenty-seyen men were left
behind.
The party then headed for the Island of
Sanak, where they arrived safely shortly
after. Captain Anderson returned to this
city, but the others remained on the island.
THE FATAL ROCK.
The rock on which the Oneida struck is
known as Hennines Rock, and is situated
on the southwesterly portion of Sanak ISL
and. Captain Anderson believed that he
was twenty-seven miles away from it south
ward when his ship struck.
The captain left Sanak May 9Th on the
sealing schooner Alice Kimball. Captain
Rasmussen, aid arrived in this port after
sail of twenty days. When towed into the
stream she cast anchor and the captains
came ashore, disappearing before evening
from their old haunts. a diligent search
could not find them, and SO the details of
the disaster could be had only from the
captains friend.
In the short report submitted at the
Meiggs Wharf Station of the Merchants
Exchange, no ailusion was made to loss of
white men, but only that SO many were
saved.
HIS FIRST VOYAGE.
Captain Anderson had been a mate in the
employ of Louis Sloss for many years and
made good reputation for himself as
mariner. He was given charge of the
Oneida on her trip to Alaska last March,
but did not succeed in taking her to her
carelessness or was caused by uncomfortable
circumstances is not definitely known here
yet. An investigation will be made into
the cause of the disastrous loss of life.
The Oneida was handsome two-Gecker
ship of American make and type having
been built at Searsport, Maine, in 1866. She
was registered for gross tonnage as 1130 and
net 1914 tons. She was owned by Louis Sloss
of this city, who is at pre- sent living in San
Rafael.