The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-10-28
OVERLOADED SLOOP LOST
Overwhelmed by Tide Rips
in Turnagain Arm.
Two Searching Parties have Been Sent
Out to Find the Missing Men-Im-
possible to Swim Ashore.

Two Searching Parties Have Been SEN
Out to Find the Missing Men-Im
possible to Swim Ashore.
Sunrise, Alaska, Sept. 2S.-A small
sloop was wrecked in Turnagain arm
early in the morning of September 16
and nine men lost their lives by the ac
cident. The men were: Kit Carson
Payne, of Portland, Or; Frank L. Rob
inson, of Santa Cruz, CAL; A. NJ
| Adams, of Bellevue, Pa; Louis e. Zim.
mer and ]. M. Bonner, of Pittsburg,
Pa; NJ. Walcott and his son Oliver, OF
New York; Mr.. Scott, of Scottsburg,
ILL.,, and Chris Johnson, of Sunrise
City, owner of the sloop.
This three-ton sloop left Peter's
Creek landing, on Kulk arm, the even
ing of the 18th. bound for Sunrise City,
near the head Of Turnagain arm. She
was overloaded SO that her deck was
only six inches above the water, and
some of the men objected to making
the trip with her on that account, but
they all started finally. She left with
favoring wind and smooth water. At
about 10 o'clock the sloop passed Fire
island and steered toward the entrance
to Turnagain farm, some 90 miles away.
This was the last that was seen of the
johnson sloop or her passengers.
Somewhere between the island arm the
tide rips overwhelmed and swamped
the overloaded boat. The dog belong
ing to the sloop swan to the south
shore and made it's way to the mining
camps on Bird creek, and was brought
from there to Sunrise. The steamer
Perry brought in the small skiff belong
ing to the sloop, which was found float
ing bottom up near Tyonic. Broken
pieces of the sloops's cabin and several
small articles were found On the north
shore by Mr.. Duncan, of this place.
Two searching parties have been out
from this town, where the men have
many friends and acquaintances, but
none Of the bodies have been found. 1t
is probable that all the men but John
son were asleep in the hold when the
sloop was swamped, and were carried
down with it. 1t would have been i'm
possible for a man to swim ashore from
the middle of the rough channel where
the disaster occurred. Several of these
men had just returned from the Copper
and Tanana rivers, by way of the new
trail just opened by Captain Glenn's
party. They were feeling jubilant over
the discoveries they had made, and
were going back with supplies this
winter.
The entrance to Turnagain arm, at
the northeastern extremity of Cook |
inlet, is known as the most perilous
water in this part of the world. tbs /
arm is really rocky cayon, and three |
70 five miles wide. With precipitous
rising abruptly on each
'ide, it extends nearly through the
Coast range of mountains. In fact the
arge glacier at the eastern end extends
,ver the narrow ridge of mountains
md joins that from Portage bay on
Prince William sound. Through this
ieep and rocky gorge the wind and
ide rush with terrible force. The tides
Use and fall some 80 feet and run like
! torrent over miles of mud flats and
eefs of ragged rock. A powerful
teamer can make no headway against
hem, and a sailing vessel entering the
rm is entirely at their mercy, unless
he wind happens to be very favorable.
1ere, when the wind is in certain d.
ections, the waters pile up and a tidal
Vave sweeps in like rushing wall of
Vater.
Adams, Bonner, Payne, thinner and
colt left for the Copper river country
ast February, going over the Valdes
lacier and thence 90 miles up Copper
iver. From there they followed the
Ialcheena waters OF the Matamuska,
'hich flows into Knik arm. There
ney built double-end scow, "a feet
,ng and 6 feet wide, and started for
They made the It's miles
} Knik in just IL hours. so swift Is the
;ream, and called at Stones camp,
nown as Knik City. They arrived
1ere the latter part of August, and
until they started on the voy-
ye that ended in their death, and the
sath of the four others who had Joined
lem there. Robinson was a we'll
nown baseball player in California. !
he Walcotts had intended starting a
ore at Sunrise City.
Several parties have made quartz and
acer locations in the mountains west :
the Matamuska river. and will send !!
their supplies this winter. Many
iners from this district will try to
ed their outfits over the new trail as :
r as Copper river this winter, and
any others will pack in their sup :.
les with horses next spring.