The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-27
WERE COMPLETE WRECKS
Steamers Gamecock and Stag
hound lowed Into Port.
PASSENGERS WERE WILD
Many of Them Had Never Before Beer
on the Ocean and Were Crazy
With Fright When They
Struck the First Swell.

Portland, Ore, June 26.-The steamer
Elihu Thompson, which left the Column
bia river last Friday for Alaska, hav-
ing in tow the two river steamers
Gamecock and Staghound. put back
INTO the Columbia river this morning
with her two tows a complete wreck.
The chief mate of the Thompson tells
the following story:
I'VE left the Columbia river Friday
evening with fair FEATHER and a fair
sea. At 10 o'clock Friday night the
Gamecock displayed a red light, and
also the Staghound did likewise. which
was the pr~econcerted signal of danger.
The Thompson slowed dow and wait
ed for daylight. At break of day they
woke me up and Captain Garlick told
me to take the small boats and see
what was the trouble. With the sec
ond mate n three men of our crew
/ put out for the Gamecock. On ap-
preaching her i saw that she was In a
bad condition., the oakum streaming
cut from her seams. | asked Captain
Fisher what was the trouble and was
Informed hat when they struck the
first swell off the Columbia the passen-
gers were frightened beyond reason
and that the boat commenced to rock
badly.
Il went on the Staghound and found
the condition of affairs worse. The
passengers and some of the crew were
imploring me to take them off. I told
them to keep quiet, as there was no
immediate danger. The passengers
were running about the decks like de-
mented persons with their life pre-
servers on and their possessions piled
up In promiscuous heaps. l went back
to the Thompson, and securing more
boats. returned to the wrecks.
AT this time we were 80 miles at
sea. Reaching the Gamecock, we COM
menced transferring passengers and
crew. Captain Fisher and two or three
men refused to leave their boats. He
had a crew of 80 men and IA passen-
gers. The Staghound, in charge Of Cap
tain Lane, had about the same number
of people aboard, and a few of them
stood by him also. refusing to cave
the boat. IRE others behaved we'll, but
the passengers on boil boats were like
crazy people.
About this time the pilot schooner
San Jose came up and took the Game
cock in tow. while / took care of the
other boat. All who wanted to be
transferred were safely taken care Of,
and a few OF their personal effects were
taken aboard fSs Thompson. The tow
line and chains remained intact and I
attribute the fact Of the breaking up of
the boats to their extreme length.
which was 175 feet.
Captain Fisher of the Gamecock had
a trying experience Friday night.
Even before he signaled us many of the
passengers. most of them from Mis-
souri, and Kansas who never before had
seen the ocean, came to him with re-
volvers and threatened to shoot him If
he did not put back to port. Fisher
kept his head and coolly old them to
go to bed and he would keep them safe.
But many OF them bothered him all
night"
The Gamecock and the S~taghound are
owned by the Yukon Transportation &
Navigation company of San Francisco
and cost about $3.50 0 each. The boats
are twins and are 173 feet in length.
36l2 feet beam and seven feet depth
Of hold. They were completed in Port
land about two weeks ago. The Elihu
Thompson was to have received SIS, 900
for towing the boats TO st. Michaels.
The steamers will be beached and re-
paired.