Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1899-08-04
HEAVY WINDS N ALASKA.
WRECK AND RUIN THERE
All Along the Western Ceast-No Lives
Reported Lost-Large Number Of Boats
Were Destroyed-Financial Loss Will
Amount to Thousands Of Dollars.

st. Michaels, July 3l.-The most sever
windstorm seen here in many years swep
over this bay. Boats anchored in tn
stream We're torn from their fastening
and either swept ashore OF sent fyin,
seaward, the direction Of the wind bein,
southeast.
Fortunately no lives were lost, as tn,
I majority Of the vessels wrecked wer,
small steamers, built in 1897, for the Koy
ukuk rush and which since early spring
have been idle at anchor in the bay. Then
owners in many instances have either
gone to Cape Nome or Calvin bay, giving
up all hope of selling or leasing their yes
sells.
The damage will amount to many
thousands of dollars
Beginning about o'clock in the morn
ing the velocity Of the wind increased un-
til it approached a hurricane at noon
Ocean craft and large river steamers tug
ged at their ponderous anchors, firmly
rooted in the mud, but try as he would
the Storm King was uneaqual to the task
and turned his attention to the smaller
fry with great success, as the beach for
several miles will testify.
The point of land on which the Alaska
Commercial Company's plant is built got
the full benefit of the wind and consider
able damage would have occurred had
not the greatest care been taken, and as
it was, the company lost its lately ac-
quired tug boat, the Anna Eva Fay, pur-
chased last winter at Unalaska.
The stern wheel City of Paris, lately
purchased by the Alaska Exploration
Company, snapped her anchor chain and
drifted rapidly to sea with two watchmen
aboard. AS soon as possible the st. Paul
got under way and went to the rescue,
oyertaking the Paris about 10 miles out.
Owing to the high wind and choppy sea
it was difficult to get line to the Paris
but this was finally accomplished and the
stern wheeler pulled back to port.
The ting Anna Eva Fay dragged her
anchor opposite the Alaskan Commercial
Company's wharf and drifted on the rocks
few feet astern Of the river steamer
Louis, which was firmly tied to the wharf.
All efforts to get the Fay off were in vain
and she pounded to pieces in few hours
The river steamer Dorothy, owned by
James Dietrich, dragged her anchor and
went ashore, but there are hopes that she
can be saved. Along the beach several
other small steamers and numerous sloops
and Yukon river boats are total wrecks.
Among the wrecked craft is the steamer
William Mckinley. The river steamer
Anna Wanda is smashed to bits. The May
West and the Weseig are also on the |
rocks One of the new barges belonging
to the Alaska Exploration Company was
blown to sea with a valuable cargo.
Captain Brant and mate, of the four
masted schooner Carrier Dove, while try,
ing to row to the wharf, We're washed
ashore, but were pulled out, narrowly es-
Gaping drowning.
News Of the storm at Cape Nome is anx-
iously awaited. The barrenness of the
beach upon which the city of Nome is
built and the high surf that continually
rolls in will make the storm unusually
fatal to shipping. With such wind as
prevailed here, none of the dozen vessels
anchored off the city could have escaped