The record-union., 1899-11-02
Lost Their Lives Through the 0verturnIng
Of Their Little Steamer.
We're All Residents Of New York
City-Typhoid Fever Raging at
Cape Nome, Many Deaths Hav-
ing Occurred-A Million and q
Half Dollars Brought Down
From Alaska ON the Roanoke.

SEATTLE, Nov. 1.-The treasure
ship Roanoke, which reached here
sixteen days from St Michael and
eleven days from Cape Nome this
morning, brings the first story OF the
death of several New Yorkers, members
of an Alaskan prospecting company.
The dead are: Mr.. and Mrs. Emil
Kuhner, Oscar Becker and man
whose name is unknown.
Becker's body was washed on the
beach at ST. Michael Island, and later
was found an overturned steamer and
a scow loaded with machinery, which
represented the assets of the company.
Two survivors are John Becker and
Theo Diederick.
The news was brought to St. Michael
by natives, who claim to have seen
the steamer overturn during a severe
wind storm which prevailed about Sep
tember 10Th. The Government launch
Nordica was detailed to the scene of
the accident. She returned two days
later with the scow and Oscar Becker'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 bodies OF
Mr. and Mrs. Kuhner and the unknown
man.
Upon Beckers body was found
papers, but owing to their water
soaked condition, they were not legi-
BILE.
The party was made up in New York
City in the spring of 1898. The Beck
ers and Runners lived, it is said, at
10 East Seventy-first street The
Beckers, it Is said, were people in COM
Portable circumstances. Kuhner, who
was jeweler, had married Miss
Becker.
The family formed party and pur-
chased small iron steamer and named
it 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-
nersathreateneds to shoot Oscar Becker
and Diederick. John Becker left the
party on January 1st. 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 Associated Press
representative at St. Michael who in
teTviewed him, on October 9th: 1.-The
last saw of the party was on Septem-
ber Sd. Then the steamer was anch-
ored in midstream between Kucklik
and Hamilton, on the Yukon. They
were probably on their way to Cape
Nome. Mrs. Becker, the mother, lives
at the party's former home on Seventy
first 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 on board, according
to her owners, drafts and dust from
Cape Nome amounting to $1,500.000.
The principal portion of this is repre-
sented by drafts held by John Brynte-
son, Jafet Lindeberg, p. s. Anderson
and C. w. A. Kjillman, four of the
original locaters of the camp. There
were fully 200 others on board with
dust valued at from $500 to $4,000
each, a large portion of the same being
beach dust.
The principal holdings are about as
follows: Lindeberg and Brynteson,
sS400, 600; ]. r. Anderson, 100000; c.
w. A. Kjillman, $4,000; N. P r.
Hatch, $4,000; F. Schow, $4,000; H.
C. Wilkinson, 100000
Owing to the alleged impurity OF the
water at Nome typhoid fever was quite
general at the time the Roanoke left,
and twelve deaths had occurred. Six
of the patients who were sufficiently
well to travel came down on the Roam
oke, one of the big state rooms having
been fixed up as a temporary hospital.
Jafet Lindeberg, one of Cape Nome's
richest men, was among the unfortun-
ates.
James H. Girling, a well known En-
glish mining expert who went north
last June for the Anglo-Alaskan syndi-
cate, died October 22d on board the
Roanoke at Dutch Harbor. Typhoid
fever caused his death. At Unalaska
the body was prepared for burial at the
Bessie Lee Home, and later inferred.
He had spent about twenty years in
South Africa, but considered London
his home.