The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-02
PROSPECTING PAR7YL0ST
Four of It's Six Members Are
Dead.
AN OVERTURNED STEAMER
Frail Craft Unable to Withstand the
Fierceness OF an Alaskan Sea-Roan-
oke Brings Down Million and
Half In Gold Dust.

Seattle, Nov. 1.-The treasure ship
Roanoke, which reached here this
morning. 16 days from st. Michael and
II days from Cape Nome. brings the
first story of the death of several New
Workers, members of an Alaska pros
pecting company. The dead are:
MIR. and MRS. EMIL KUHNER.
OSCAR BECKER.
An unknown man.
Beckers body was washed on the
beach at ST. Michael island, and later
was found an overturned steamer and
scow loaded with machinery, which
represented the assets Of the company.
Two survivors are John Becker and
Theodore Diederick
The news was brought to ST. Mich
ael by natives, who claim to have seen
the steamer overturn during a severe
wind storm which prevailed about
September Is. The government launch
Nordica was detailed to the scene of
the accident. She returned two days
later with the scow and Oscar Beck
er's body. Owing to the high surf
the crew Of the Nordica could not make
an examination of the overturned
steamer, which no doubt contained the
| the unknown man.
Upon Becker's body were found pa
| pers, but owing to their water soaked
! condition they were not legible. The
| party was made up in New York City
| in the spring of 1898. The Beckers and
Runners lived. it is said, at ITO East
| list street The Beckers, it is report
! ed, were people in comfortable circum-
| stances. Kuhner, who was a jeWeler,
! had married a Miss Becker. The fam
| lily formed a party and purchased a
| small iron steamer and named 1t the
| Jennie K. 1t was shipped to Seattle
| last June, and from here sent to st.
| Michael on a steamer. From there the
! party sailed for Hamilton station.
| Severe storms were encountered and
! other difficulties caused considerable
| dissension. One day, it is said, Kuh-
ner threatened to shoot Oscar Becker
and Diederick. John Becker left the
| party on July l. Later Oscar Becker
| and Diederick deserted and took up
| new quarters. Oscar Becker rejoined
the original party later, but John
Becker and Diederick secured other
positions. Diederick said to an asso-
ciated press representative at St. Mi
chael,, who interviewed him on Octo-
Der 5: ......g,--.-
September S. Then the steamer was
anchored in midstream between Kuck-
Nk and Hamilton, on the Yukon They
were probably on their way to Cape
Nome Mrs. Becker, the mother;s lives
at the former home on list street in
New York City
Owing to the lateness of the season
it will be impossible to make further
| search for the missing bodies.
The Roanoke had aboard, accord
ing to her owners, drafts and DUST
from Cape Nome amounting to-s1;6oo.
900. The principal portion of this is
represented by drafts held by. John
Brynteson, Jafet Linderberg. p. II.
Anderson and c. J. A. Kjillman, four
of the original locators of the camp:
There were fully 200 others on board
with dust valued at from $500 to $l5, ooU
each. a large portion of the same be
ing beach dust. The principal mold
ings are about as follows: Lindefoers
and Brynteson. 100000; J. r. Ander-
son, 100000; C. w. A. Kjillman,. So
900; N. P. R. Hatch, 100000: F. 8. CHOW
$50 900; H. c. Wilkinson, 1000.
Owing to the alleged impurity of the
water at Nome, typhoid fever was
quite general at the time the Roanoke
left. and IL deaths had occurred. Six
Of the patients who were sufficiently
we'll to travel came down on the Roam
| oke. one of the state rooms haNine
been fixed up as a temporary hospi
tai. Jafet Linderberg, one of cape
Nome's richest men, was among the
unfortunates.
James R. Girling, well known En-
glish mining expert, who went nortf
last June for the Anglo-Alaskan syn
dictate. died October % on board the
Roanoke at Dutch harbor. Typhoid fe
yer was the cause of his death. A
, ITnalaska the body was prepared TO
, burial at the Jessie Lee home and lat
, err inferred He had spent about 2
, wears in South Africa, but considered
| London his home