The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-08-22
SIXTY persisted
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF pisAs
TER TO STEAMER ISLANDER
IN ALASKAN WATERS.
C0LLIDED WITH An ICEBERG

Shock So Severe That Every Door
Was damned Fast in the Slater ooms
and the Inflated Occupants Were
Forced to Break Through the Win.
dows-ExpIosion of Boilers Kills
Many Who Had Escaped From Ship.
Victoria, B. c., Aug. 20.-The ISL
ander, the flagship of the Canadian
Pacific Navigation feet and the larg.
est and fastest passenger steamer on
the Victoria-Skaguay- route, collided
with an iceberg off Douglass island,
Alaska, while On her way south with
the largest number of passengers that
she has carried since she was replaced
on the run few months ago, and sank
within few minutes of striking. Cap
tain Foots, her master, and about 60
persons, including passengers and
members of the crew, were drowned.
To add ito the horror of the terrible
disaster her boilers exploded as she
went down, causing the death of many
water. The steamer left Skaguay on
the evening of Wednesday last and
was proceeding out of Lynn canal
when the collision occurred. Most Of
the passengers and the members of
the crew who were in bed were rudely
fty got out on deck in time to be saved
by the boats, which were quickly
manned, but a large number went
down in their rooms.
1t is impossible at present to obtain
a correct list of the dead as Purser
Bishop remained at Juneau to attend
to the forwarding of the passengers
and kept the ships papers with him.
Officers and passengers who came
down were likewise unable to give
anything like complete list. All es-
innate the lost at about IS and give
praise to the officers and men, who
behaved nobly under the most trying
circumstances. The officers, on the
other hand, state that if the passen-
gers had not rushed the boats the loss
of life would have been very small, If,
indeed, any at all were lost. The sur
vivors were landed on Douglass island
and the mate was sent to Juneau for
help, the steamers Flossie and Lucy
responding and taking them to Juneau.
A small amount of the gold On board
was saved.
Stewards Story of the Disaster.
The description of the disaster by
the survivors is heartrending. They
say that the Islander struck an iceberg
and so severe was the shock that ev-
cry door was damned fast in the state
numbering 107, and crew of IL were
forced to break through the windows
to reach the deck. Steward Simpson
lost 10 in his department and his de-
scription of the wreck is clearly given.
He was awakened by the shock and
til he'broke out the window. He
reached the bridge where Pilot La
Blonde was on watch, and with the
mate ordered out the lifeboats. The
vessel was then taking water fast and
the engineer 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
immediate danger, but would run a
few miles further down where he knew
there was a good landing.
1.-The captain assured several pas
sengers there was no immediate dan
ger and that they could go back to
bed and sent the first officer down to
examine. That officer reported there
was great danger and urged that the
vessel be beached at once. The first
officer ordered the boats let down, but
this order was countermanded by the
captain, who, however, finally realized
the seriousness of the situation and
allowed the first officer to get down
the boats. Meanwhile the passengers,
aroused to their peril, appeared on
deck and a rush was made to the pur-
ser who had been given much treas
ure for safe keeping. Purser Bishop
handed all out except two bags of $10-
900 each, which were not claimed ant
went down with the vessel The bow
of the steamer steadily sank and 20
minutes later the propeller and rud
der were high in the air and useless.
The captain remained OF the bridge
until the last and finally Jumped on a
liferaft. When the steamer went un-
der an explosion occurred. The cap
tain lost his hold on the raft and went
under.
Dense Fog Prevailed.
sowing to a dense fog much diff
Guilty was experienced in ascertaining
the location of the shore. At that time
the water was heard trickling down
the rocks and all boats reached shore.
Many persons who jumped off the
steamer were rescued later only to die
from exhaustion and the intense cold.
Several persons recovered conscious
ness only after four or five hours
work by their comrades"
Among the passengers lost were
Mrs. Governor Ross of Dawson, her
child and her neice and DR.. John M.
Duncan of Victoria. The doctor was
seen with a life preserver about him,
but no one saw Mrs. Ross and it was