The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-13

dians-<inxIe survivor OF the Dis
aster-AIl the Bodies Found We're
Buried Near the Rivers Mouth.
The Post-Intelligencer recently published
a story to the efrec, that Alaska Indians
had reported the wreck OF the prospecting
steamer Jesse, Capt. Murphy. In which
Barneson & Chilcots, OF this city. are In
terested. in d3ering sea, at the mouth OF
the Kuskokwim river. during severe
storm on the night OF June :. According
to the report every soul on board was lost.
eighteen In all. including a Moravian mis-
sionary named Weber, who with his wife
and child Joined the party at Dutch har-
Dor, intending to pilot the little steamer up
the river Confirmation of the story Of
the wreck was brought II this city yester-
day by E. s. Wishaar. who arrived on the
Garonne. The Jesse at the time of her
loss had the barge Minerva in tow. con-
was wrecked and washed ashore. bringing
with Il an Indian. the sole survivor OF the
tragedy.
The first information Of the wreck
reached the Yukon at the Russian mission
early In August, brought there by Mr..
Lind, In charge Of the Alaska Commercial
Company's trading post at Bethel. on the
Kuskokwim. and who went north from
there as soon as he got all possible facts
in the case. taking a trail across the noun
tains and making the mission IN six days.
Such meage, details as he was able TO
gather from the Indian brought ashore on
the barge. Mr. Lind gave at the mission
TO Mr.. j. Koch, Of Seattle, and member
Of the Circle City Fur Company. who had
been a passenger on the Lakme when the
and who, at the time Mr.. Lind reached the
mission, was on his way back to Seattle
on the steamer Powell.
The Jesse was sent north from here on
the deck Of the barge Admiral In tow OF
the steamer Lakme. sailing from this port
last Decoration day. and carried the party
| listed, which intended to prospect along
the kuskokwim river. A sand bar extends
for several miles out in the ocean on the
south side of the mouth Of that river. and
! the Lakme, finding good beach on the
| coast on the south SIDE of this bar. ran the
| launched the little steamer and her own
| barge, the Minerva, together with all the
members o; the party and their stores,
| which latter were packed in the barge. AZ
| Dutch harhor the party was joined by a
| Moravian missionary named Weber. wife
| and child. Mr.. Weber being very fami.-
| lar with that river. had agreed TO pilo,
| them up over its most dangerous parts.
| The next day, June 81, the I.akme sailed
| away for ST. Michael. just as a severe
| southwest gale was setting in. which gale.
| by the way. blew for three days and IS
! reported as the worst in that section FOR
| many years. The Jesse in the meantime
| had gotten up steam. and with her barge
| in tow started cut 10 sea around the bar
in order 10 get into the mouth of the river.
| Her movements were closely watched from,
the deck Of the Lakme. though no anxiety
| was felt for her safety. and she was sesn
| to be struggling bravely against wind and
waves.
| At first she had some difficulty with her
I tow lire. which fouied her wheel, but the
| last seen OF her everything appeared all
| right and she was not considered as being
| in any peril, and the Lakme so left her.
| From the disastrous results Il Is evident
-,.-5- - - !,
| ha- she found herself exposed 10 the full
| force Of the storm. IN a sea too great Cox
| her capacity and being handicapped by the
| barge. became unmanageahle and soon
| flied and capsz"3 Her hull was subse-
| quen;ly found on the beach bottom side up,
| with her boiler and machinery all dropped
| out The barge Minerva. with her cargo
| intact. was washed ashore and bEough; 10
| land an Indian. the only survivor OF the
| party. who reported the wreck 20 Mr.
| Lind at Bethel late in July. saying tina,
| everybody but himself was drowned. M.
| Lind at once came down to the coas, 20
| look into the matter. and saw the wreck
| o. both steamer and barge. Both had been
! stripped ard robbed Of everything portable
/ By the Indians.
| -..e-.n boaies were also found on the beach
! by Mr.. Lind. and from the papers on them
| one was Identified as that % Capt Mur-
! phy and the ether that Of the Moraviar
missionary Weber. The bodies were IN
| an advanced stage o. decomposition. show
| ing that they had been in the water q;
| =. least one month. These had also beer
| robbed AID stripped ~ the Indians. aac
| ere Of them was openly wearing me mis-
| s.onary's watch Mr.. Lind. after recover
| Ing such property as he could. toge;he'
| with AL ire papers. had the ba9iss buriet
| on the beach nesr the mouth o. the river
lie also learned of ;wo more bodies lyins
| exposed on the beach on the opposite slds
| q the Kuskokwira river. ard he SET: SOM
! Indians over With instructions % secs1r'
| the pagers and valuahlfs and then % hurs