The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-18
WRECKED ON REEF
Not a Vestige of the Steamer
Alpha in Sight.
Eight Persons Drowned IncIud-
ing Head Officers.
PLUCK OF A MEMBER.
Saves Remainder of Crew From
an Ocean Grave.
She Was in Bad Condition When
She Sailed.
'LUCK OF A MEMBER.

Vancouver B. c., Dec. 1S.-News of
the worst disaster of the season in Brit
ish Columbian waters was brought here
by the steamer Gar from Union bay, on
the east side of Vancouver island The
famous steamer Alpha, whose unauthor-
lied trip to Cape Nome last May
May brought her into trouble with the
Treasury department at Washington,
was wrecked on reef near the en-
trance to Union bay and not a vestige
of the steamer remains.
Her managing owner, captain, purser,
two engineers, two able bodied seamen
and a stowaway were drowned, and the
balance of the crew of thirty-four saved
by the pluck of an unknown member
of the ships crew, who swan in rag
ing sea from the wreck to a lighthouse
with a line around his waist
Drowned:
SAMUEL BARBOE of Vancouver,
CAPT. F. n. YORKE. Victoria, mas
ter.
ENGINEER Dunn, Victoria, ,-r,,,,,
MURRAY, Vancouver.
H. L. WHIT, purser, Vancouver,
- CROSBY, able-bodied seaman.
- SULLIVAN, able bodied seaman.
StOWaway; name unknown.
The ship Alpha was valued at $4,000.
Her cargo comprised $50 tons of salt
salmon and $50 tons of coal, consigned
to Yokohama and valued at $4,000. The
total insurance on the ship and her car
go was $65 900.
1t is two weeks since the Alpha first
started from Vancouver for Japan Al
ter she had been four days out she re-
turned to Victoria, partly disabled, and
accusations of tampering with her en-
gines were made. Some of the crew and
several of the officers left the steamer,
declaring that she had been improperly
loaded, and one of the officers was tried
and sentenced to six weeks imprison-
ment for desertiOn. Last Saturday the
Alpha left Victoria for Union to replen-
ish her coal supply. A terrific gale was
raging, and late Sunday night the
steamer ran on rock at Baynes sound,
at the entrance to Union bay. She was
quickly dashed to pieces and all would
have persisted had not one of the crew
made the desperate and successful effort
to swim with a line to the lighthouse on
yellow island. In the raging sea only
part of those on the Inflated ship man
aged to reach safety, the officers and
owner remaining on board and failing to
reach the rock. The twenty-five sur
vivors remained on the Yellow island,
which is a rock 200 yards wide, until
Sunday night, when the sea moderated
somewhat and a sloop was able to call
and take them to Union But the storm
which had wrecked the ship had also
Frustrated all wires and so no tidingS
OF the ShlpWrecK reached tHe OulSlue
world until the steamer Gar brought
the story to Vancouver last night.
The Alpha gained notoriety last spring
when as a Canadian ship, she landed
freight and passengers at Nome in de-
fance of the instructions Of the Treas
ury department, and it is said against
the advice of the British embassy as
well. She was chased on her return
trip from Nome by a United States reve-
nue. cutter, but managed to show her
purs1er a clean pair of heels. Since that
exciting experience the Alpha has been
engaged in the British Columbia coaling
trade until she started on her present
disastrous trip.