The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-11-03
nine WERE DROWNED
Sloop Johnson Swamped In
Turnagain Arm.
OVERWHELMED BY TIDE RIPS
Searching Parties Out Looking
for the Missing Men.

AVS SaAV 0AA0OAok MA00s
Sunrise, Alaska, Sept. 28.-A small
sloop was wrecked in Turnagain arm
early in the morning of September Is.
and nine men lost their lives by the ao-
cident. The men were: Kit Carson
Payne, Of Portland, Or; Frank L. Rob-
inson, Of Santa Cruz, CAL; A. M.
Adams, of Bellevue, Pa; Louis E. Zim-
mer and ]. M. Bonner, Of Pittsburg,
Pa; M. 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 Peters
Creek landing, on Kulk arm, the even.
ing of the 18th. bound for Sunrite City,
near the head of Turnagain arm. She
was overloaded 80 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 30 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 Tyonio. 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 aoQuaintances, but
none Of the bodies have been found. It
is probable that all the men but John
son were asleep In the hold when the
sloop was swamped, and we're carried
down with it. It would have been i'm
possible for 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. The
arm is really rocky cayon, and three
to five miles wide. With precipitous
mountains rising abruptly on each
side, 1t extends nearly through the
Coast range Of mountains. In fact the
large glacier at the eastern end extends
over the narrow ridge of mountains
and Joins that from Portage bay on
Prince William sound. Through this
deep and rocky gorge the wind and
tide rush with terrible force. The tides
rise and fall some 80 feet and run like
q torrent over miles Of mud fats and
reefs of ragged rock. A powerful
steamer can make no Roadway against
them, and a sailing vessel entering the
arm is entirely at their mercy, unless
the wind happens to be very favorable.
Here, when the wind is in certain d.
rections, the waters pile up and tidal
wave sweeps in like rushing wall OF
water.
Adams, Bonner, Payne, thinner and
Scott left for the Copper river country
last February, going over the Valdes
glacier and thence 90 miles mp Copper
river. From there they followed the
Nalcheena waters OF the Matamuska,
which flows into Knik arm. There
they built double-end scow, "a feet
long and 8 feet wide, and started for
civilization. They made the 176 miles
to Knik in just IL hours. so swift is the
stream, and called at Stones camp.
known as Knik City. They arrived
there the latter part OF August, and
remained until they started on the voy-
age that ended in their death. and the
death of the four others who had joined
them there. Robinson was q we'll
known baseball player in California.
The Walcotts had intended starting
store at Sunrise City.
Several parties have made quartz and
placer locations in the mountains west
Of the Matamuska river. and will send
in their supplies this winter. Many
miners from this district will try to
sled their outfits over the new trail az
far as Copper river this winter, and
many others will pack In their sup
plies with horses next spring.