The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-20
STORY OF SURVIVORS
TERRIBLE SCENES WHEN THE
ISLANDER WENT DOWN.
MEN RUSHED FOR THEIR GOLD.
hut THREW 1T INTO THE SEA TO
SAVE THEMSELVES.

Rats and Into the Boats Only to
Die From Exhaustion and the In
tense Cold-The Ship Running at
Full Speed when She Struck the
Iceberg, which Must Have Been
Floating Level With the Water.
Port Townsend, Wash, Aug. 19.-The
steamer Queen has just arrived from
the north, bringing news of one of the
most appalling marine disasters on the
Pacific coast.
The steamer Islander, sailing from
Skagway, Aug. A. when nearing the
southwest end of Douglass Island. at :
a. M, Aug. Is, and running at full
speed, struck a floating iceberg and in
less than twenty minutes went to the
bottom of the deep channel, carrying
men, women and children to waIcfy
graves.
The Islander had 10S passengers, and
all were in bed when the vessel struck.
The shocx was so severe that many
were throwl from their berths and the
widest excitement pre- vailed. Word
was soon passed that the vessel was
doomed and & general scramble for the
lifeboats eusued, many Jumping over
board and attempting to swim TO the
shore, the distance being short. In the
scramble t. get into the boats many
were hurled headlong Into the chilly
water which, according to passengers
arriving from the scene, seemed alive
with human beings. Before all the
passengers had left the vessel she gave
a lunSe anC went down, bow first. 1t
is known that sixty-seven lives were
lost 1t ,ill be some time "cfore their
names can be definitely earned, as th-
purser lost his passenger list.
Consul smiths story.
United States Consul Smith of Vic
toria, who was a passenger on the
Queen from Juneau to Victoria, CLEAN
ed the following story of the wreck
from among forty survivors who were
passengers on the Queen
1.-The Islander left Skagway for Vic
toria on last Wednesday evening at
O'Clock with 125 passengers and crew
of sixty-one men on board and ten or
twelve stowaways. All went well, the
steamer making her usual record of fii-
teen knots an hour, until at 5 clock
Thursday morning, when Juneau was
passed and the south end of Douglass
island was reached. Then suddenly the
steamer encountered an obstruction,
said to have been an iceberg, and stop
DeQ- with a jar WHICH dIOuoC0 many Va
te sleeping passengers.
Cant. Foote was having breakfast
and the pilot notified him of the trou-
BILE When the vessel struck water
rushed in forward in great volumes and
the pilot advised that the vessel be
run on the beach, not over half mile
distant, at once. To this the captain
objected, saying the beach was too
abrupt. He thought there was no i'm
fovy
miles further down, where he knew
there was a good landing.
1.-The captain assured several passen-
gers there was no immediate danger
and that they could go back to bed,
and sent the first officer down to ex-
anime. That officer reported there was
great danger and urged that the ves-
sci be beached at once. The first Of
ficer ordered the boats let down, but
this order was countermanded by the
captain, who, however, finally realized
the seriousness of the situation and al
lowed the first officer to get down the
boats. Meanwhile the passengers,
aroused to their peril, appeared on
deck and rush was made to the purs-
er, who had been given much treasure
for safekeeping.
"Purser Bishop handed all out except
two bags of $4,000 each, which were
vessel. The bow of the steamer steadi-
ly sunk and twenty minutes later the
propeller and rudder were high in the
air and useless, but the captain re-
manned on the bridge until the last.
and finally jumped onto life raft.
when the steamer went under an ex-
plosion occurred. The captain lost his
hold on the raft and went under"
saved to Die of Exhaustion.
Owing to dense fog, much difficulty
was experienced in ascertaining the To-
cation of the shore. After a time wa
Aer was heard trickling down the rocks,
and all the boats reached shore. Many
persons who jumped off the steamer
were rescued later, only to die from
exhaustion and the intense cold. Sew
eral persons recovered consciousness,
only after four or five hours hard work
by their comrades.
All the rscued speak in high terms of
the courage and assistance given by
Chief Engineer Brownlee and First
Officer Neurotsos, who saved several
lives. The intense cold of the water
caused severe cramps among many
who were on life RATS, and resulted in
death from exposure. The bodies of
those dying in this manner turned
black.
M. NJ. Brumbauer of Portland, Ore,
had $4,000 in gold dust in his satchel,
but promptly abandoned ii, tumbled
into the water and was rescued. 1
u. II. Hart of Klondike had $40, 900 in
gold dust, which he abandoned when he
jumped into the last boat and reached
shore safely.
Another Klondiker, whose name is
not given, is reported to have taken
his portmanteau containing $4,000 in
gold dust from the pursuer and jumped
from the sinking steamer, but he fall
ed to reach the boat. Both the man
and his treasure sank.
The Pilots story.
Pilot LaBlond. who had charge of
the steamer, said:
"The night was fine. AS we always
expect to meet ice. a sharp lookout
was kept About 2:4S a. m. the crash
came. The boat was under full speed
and no ice was in sight and there was
no fog. The fatal berg was no doubt
even with the water After she
struck / stopped the engines. Then
Capt. Foote appeared with the night
watchman, who reported the ship leak
ing forward. ] told Capt. F'oote that
we would better hold for the beach.
but the ship was making water so
fast she would not answer her helm.
Then / called the mate and ordered the
boats. This was done and they were
loaded with passengers. Many passen-
gers jumped overheard with life pre-
servers on I Jumped overheard and