Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-19
SHIP ISLANDER SUNK
Sixty-fve Of the Passengers and
Crew Perish,
STRUCK An ICEBERG OFF JUNEAU
ill-Fated Vessel Sank in Fifteen
Minutes After Collision.
SHIP WAS IN YUKON TRADE

VICTORIA, B. c., August 19.-The
steamer Islander, the flagship of the Ca
madam Pacific navigation fleet. and the
largest and fastest passenger steamer on
the Victoria-Skagway route, collided with
an iceberg off Douglas 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 fifteen min
utes after striking. Capt. Foote, her mas
ter, and about sixty-five persons, includ-
ing passengers and members of the crew,
were drowned
To add to the horror of the terrible dis
aster, her boilers exploded as she went
down, causing the death of many of those
who were struggling in the water. The
steamer left Skagway in 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
awakened by the shock. The majority got
out on deck in time to be saved in the boats
which were quickly manned, but a large
number went down in their state rooms.
Some of the survivors arrived here last
evening by the steamer which passed over
the scene Of the appalling disaster on the
Juneau, to which city they had been taken.
Sad Blow to People of Victoria.
The news came as a terrible blow to the
citizens of Victoria, many of the lost being
well known and having families in this
city, and was particularly sudden, as the
steamer had been expected and many were
awaiting her arrival when the Queen came
in with the news. 1t is impossible at pres
ent to obtain a complete list Of the dead, as
Purser Bishop remained at Juneau to at
tend to the forwarding of the passengers
sent a letter to Mr.. Vincent, secretary of
the company, but gave but a few names of
those who had been lost and no details of
the wreck. The officers and passengers
who came down were likewise unable to
give any but very incomplete list. All
estimate the loss of life at about siXty-five,
and give the greatest praise to the officers
for the manner in which they acted under
the most trying circumstances. Fhe Off
GERS, on the other hand, state that had the
passengers not rushed the boats, the loss OF
life would have been very small The sur
vivors were landed on Douglas 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. The papers,
containing $4,000. were left in the purser's
safe, the balance in his possession being
returned before the steamer sank.
The city council Of Juneau promptly Sc
cured Decker's Hall, which was hastily
converted into lunch room and resting
with hot coffee and suitable foods. All 9TH
er assistance possible was also extended to
the survivors.
story of the Survivors.
United States Consul Smith of Victoria,
who was a passenger on the Queen from
Juneau to Victoria, cleaned the following
story of the wreck from among forty sur
vivors who were passengers on the Queen:
'The Islander left Skagway for Victo-
ria on Wednesday evening at o'clock with
12o passengers and a crew of sixty-one
men on board and ten or twelve stow
aways. All went well. the steamer making
her usual record of fife knots an hour,
until about o'clock Thursday morning,
when Juneau was passed and the south
suddenly the steamer encountered an OBJ
struction, said to have been an iceberg, and
stopped with a jar which aroused many
of the sleeping passengers.
Captain Foote was having breakfast, and
the pilot notified him of the trouble. 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 immediate dan
ger, but would run a few miles farther
down, where he knew there was good
landing.
Captain Was Too Confident.
1.-THE captain assured several passengers
there was no immediate danger 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 rush
was made to the purser, who had been
given much treasure for safekeeping.
Purser Bishop handed all out except two
bags of $4,000 each. which were not
claimed and went down with the vessel.
The bow of the steamer steadily sunk,
and twenty minutes later the propeller and
rudder were high in the air and useless,
but the captain remained on the bridge
until the last, and finally jumped on a
life raft. When the steamer went under
an explosion occurred. The captain lost his
hold on the raft and went under.
Owing to a dense fog much difficulty
was experienced in ascertaining the loca-
ton of the shore. After a time water 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. Several persons recovered
hard word by their comrades"
Mrs. Ross Among the Missing.
Among the passengers lost were Mrs.
Ross, wife of Governor Ross of Dawson,
her child and her niece, and DR.. John M.
Duncan of Victoria. The doctor was seen
with a life preserver about him, but no one
saw Mrs. Ross, and 1t was thought that
Duncan lost his life in a futile attempt to
rescue Mrs. Ross and family just as the
steamer sank.
All the rescued speak in high terms OF
the courage and assistance given by Chief
Engineer Brownlee and First Officer Neu-
rotsos, who saved several lives. The in
tense cold of the water caused severe
cramps among many who were on life
RATS, and resulted in death from the ex-
posure. The bodies Of those dying in this
manner turned black.
NJ NJ. Brumbauer.o of Portland, Ore, had
$4,000 in gold S1St in his satchel, but
promptly abandoned 1t, tumbled into the
water and was rescued.
D. H. Hart of Klondike had 10000 in
gold dust, which he abandoned when he
jumped into the last boat and reached
shore safely.
NJ. NJ. Manlin of Winnipeg dropped his
>I~@I f-t