Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1901-08-23
ALASKA BOAT WENT DOWN
F0RTY-Two HAVE MET DEATH.
Steamer Was struck by mn Iceberg
a Number of Lives saved-sixty
Persons AbOard-Sevcrnl Well
Known People Among the Lost.


er Islander. the crack passenger steam
er OF the Alaskan route. operated by
the Canadian Pacific Navigation COM
pany OF this city, struck an iceberg off
Douglas island at 2 a. m. on the morn
ing Of Thursday last and went to the
bottom. carrying 90 to SO souls. includ-
ing passengers and members of the
crew. Some o the survivors arrived
this evening by the steamer Queen.
They report that as the Islander went
down her boilers exploded. causing the
death OF many who might have escap-
ed. Captain FOOte was on the bridge
when the vessel struck and stayed
there, going down with his steamer.
The islander was on her way from
Skagway to Victoria.
Among the passengers lost on the
Islander we're Mrs. Ross. wife OF Gov
ernor James A. Ross OF the Yukon ter
ritory, her child and niece; DIR. John
Duncan OF this city, w. g. Preston and
Henderson, w. H. Heating and two sons
Of this city and Los Angeles, Cal. ]. v.
Douglas of Vancouver. Mrs. Phillips
and child OF Seattle. Mrs. Bell and Mrs.
Captain Nickerson. Mrs. w. Smith, Van
couver; J. A. Blethen, Vancouver; Mrs
J. l.. Wilcox, Seattle.
The members of the crew lost are
Captain FoOte. George Allen. third en-
gineer: Horace Smith. second steward
holder and Burte. oilers: two firemen,
one coal passer. Night Saloon Watch
man Kendall. Joe Beard, second PAN
tryman; two walters. G. Miller, the
barber; N. l.. Law. NJ. p. Jock, Porter
and Moran. coal passers.
II. G. Hinde-Bowker, late manager OF
the British American corporation OF
London, who was q passenger. says:
My first intiMation OF an accident
which woke me UP. was In a cabin
with Mr.. Muchtin. got up looked out
OF the cabin and saw the steamer sink.
Ing at the bow. l woke my partner up
and we dressed. BY this time she was
still lower In the water. BY the time
l got out of the cabin the water was
about level with the smoking room
floor. l went on the upper deck, fol-
lowed by my partner; | saw the boats
were gone; went to the side. but at
this time only the stern was out OF wa
ter saw raft In the water with
eight or ten people on 1t. l slid down
n rope on to the raft and as soon as /
got on the raft the stern OF the steam
err sank and sucked the raft and people
down. We were some time under wa
ter, but held on and when the raft
came up only two OF us were left. We
hailed two men who were swimming
and got them aboard. also Chinaman.
BY this time the steamer had sunk out
OF sight. Many people hung onto the
raft at different times. but 1t was not
air tight and we had much difficulty
keeping afloat. We were turned over
once by others climbing on. but gener-
ally managed to right ourselves.
THE scene was heartrending. The
boats were scattered and overerowded
and people were adrift begging. plead.
Ing and crying for help. We gathered
lumber and made our raft float: We
were picked up by one OF the boats re-
turning from shore. | can not speak
too highly Of the officers and crew."
There was $275.O00 in gold ON the
steamer. 100000 OF which was carried
by passengers. II. II. Part, who has
spent 10 years In the Klondike. lost
$4,000 IN dust.
There was a heavy fog ut the time
and Pilot lie Blanc was on the bridge
Captain Foote was at lunch. When he
heard the crash he ran on deck and
went down with the ship. 1t Is said
however. that he reached a raft. bu,
when he saw the extent OF the damage
he jumped overheard. No accurate lis,
of the dead will be available until the
arrival Of the purser on the steamer
rarrallon tomorrow.
George Mel. Brown. agent of the
Canadian Pacific. after interviewing
the passengers who returned. said:
The purser IL remaining In the
north attending to the forwarding OF
passengers. 1t 10 said he gave partia
list OF those lost. but 1t IL thought II 1:
below the figures mentioned. 1t Is my
opinion that the loss OF life will MOI
exceed 20.'
WORD OF the disaster reached Tread
well at 1896 u. m. by a party Of passen
gers headed by an engineer. who walk
Cd up the beach a distance OF Is mile,
TO appeal to the city for help. TIL,
Treadwell steamers Lucy and Jennikel
and the juneau steamer Flossie prompt
ly responded.
The Flossie arrived from the seen,