The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-18

Special Dispatch 70 the Post-Intelligencer
VANCOUVER. h. c., Dee. 1.-THE
picturesque career of the steamer Alpha
is ended. On Saturday night. in dense
darkness, between and 10 o'clock. and
I'm a howiing gale that swept down the
Gulf of Georgia. the Vancouver steamer
went TO the bottom. Nine of her crew
of thirty-four were drowned. Her cap
tain. managing owner. purser and three
engineers are among the dead. The vessel
struck on the ledge running out from
the Yellow island light house off Union
bay. VANCOUVER island In three hours
the storm had swept 80 clean the place
where she struck that not a vestige of
the vessel remained In sight.
The dead are: Capt. II. NJ. Yorke,
Victoria; Samuel Barber, managing own
er. Vancouver. Chief Engineer Matterson
Vancouver and Victoria: First Assistant
Engineer Murray. l., Barber, brother OF
owner, Vancouver purser: Sullivan and
Grossly. seamen: stowaway. unknown.
Had started for Japan.
News of the disaster was brought
here this evening by the steamer Gar
Capt. Christensen, which arrived in port
shortly after O'clock She brought a
barge load of cars across the gulf and
herself nearly foundered making the trip.
The wires out of Union, which is the
best known Vancouver island coallng
station for north and transpacihc
steamers, went down I'm the storm else
the news would have come out early on
Sunday. The Alpha had left Victoria on
Saturday morning for Japan She had on
board an $4,000 cargo of salt salmon and
was heavily weighted forward with
400 tons and over In her hold.
by night she had run up the gulf op-
posite Union, where she intended getting
more coal before she proceeded across
riiic gale and the Car and other steam
ors were afraid TO venture out The
passage into Union Is famed all over the
Coast for it's many difficulties. The mar
rows between yellow island lighthouse
and the mainland is only 400 feet across
and on the side OF the island opposite
the channel Il is fully $50 feet narrower.
Engineers Were Heroic.
The Alpha missed the channel and drift
ing past the island was compelled To at
tempt the narrow passage. In doing this
she ran straight into the lighthouse and
commenced rapidly 10 20 to pieces on
the sharp ledge. She was exposed TO the
full force OF the gale, and was pounded
heavily against the rocks. as she swayed
backward and forward in the grasp OF
mountainous waves that fairly smothered
her from stem to stern
Capt Yorke WAS carried of the bridge
almost before the unlucky ship had
touched the rock. Mr.. Barber. the oWuor
and the purser We're the next To be lost
no one knows how II was a case OF
every man hanging on FOR himself amid
the tremendous rush Of seas that came
aboard The engineers stuck hravclv Ia
their posts. and 10 was probably their
work that enabled many OF the mem
beers of tho crew TO reach safety In tho
end The three officers stayed Ia tho
engine ROOM and that was the last heard
Of them Hail an hour after the FIRST
Erouuding ii was seen that tho vessel
was rapidly going O. pieces
The Work Of Re-cue.
one member OF tho crew. named Hardy.
piuckily volunteered to take iino ashors
and with the assistance Of the iightkeepar
DE was pulled thrcagh the breakers and
the work Of rescue hegafl. In an hour
twenty-five men were on. including eleven
Japanese OF the crew and & Was moi "a
moment too soon. The line held an
through the work ot rescue and IN an
hour hardly a Nestire remained OF the
steamer as she had piled up on the rocks
The members Of the crew all STAYED on
the islaud WITH the hghtkeeper over sun
day. and it was not tin last evening that
they were taken away by a steamer and
brought ia TO Union Some II them are
in a very low condition from their suf-
ferings. ana Hardy. especially, was bat
frightfully bruised while he was trying 10
get the line ashore. A steamer will be
sent un from Victoria 10 look after the
shlpwreckei party.
The present trip OF the Alpha mas been
SO unlucky that II came To be said she
was the victim o. hoOdoo She was
scheduled TO sail early in September. with