The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-08-28
WRECK OF THE ISLANDER
Tragic Stories Told by Survivors
Of the Disaster.
ENGINEERS TOUCHING FAREWELL

Crew of the Steamship sunk by an
Iceberg Did Their Duty and show
ed Great Bravery-Captain Foote's
Goodness.
The responsibility FOR the Islander
disaster is being discussed. and al
though the fast speed-14 knots-is
criticised, the accident seems to have
been unavoidable, says a Victoria Oh.
60 dispatch to the New York Sun.
The stories Of the passengers Of the
captain being excited 10y liquor are
known 10 be untrue.
That Captain Foote acted as he did
In not wanting Immediately TO put the
steamer ON the beach Is easily under
stood in view of the past experience Of
that navigator when i'm command of
the steamer Danube about two years
ago. The Danube struck a piece of Ice
off Taku Arm, which tore hole In the
steamers bow, but bulkheads saved the
steamer from flooding, and she steam
ed into Juneau n little down 10y the
head, but otherwise intact. She was
temporarily repaired at Juneau and
steamed down TO Victoria with a hole
in her bow just at the water line
which was temporarily patched with
canvas and cement.
When the Islander struck. Captain
Foote, who acted coolly and gave his
orders in calm voice, according TO
those who stood by, evidently thought
NAT, as in the instance of the Danube,
tbe bulkheads OF the Islander would
Ssve the steamer. She had four bulk
heads, one about ten feet or there
about from her bow, the second be-
meath the steamers bridge and the
third away aft. Without doubt, ac-
cording to the surviving officers, the
ice struck the steamer on her port
quarter just aft of the second bulk
head, beneath the bridge, and through
the hole torn there the water rushed
into the large portion of the vessel
amidships TO her next bulkhead. II
.yushed into the engine room, and al
,,Sough two firemen endeavored 10 shut
the top wheel and keep back the water
from the engine room all was useless.
The story of the getting out of the
boats as told by the survivors now re-
turned shows that the officers and crew
of the steamer Islander acted with
brave self sacrifice in neglecting TO Sc
cure their own lives and struggling TO
secure the safety of their passengers.
But many of the passengers rushed
into the boats and fought to push Off
before the boats filed, neGlecting
chances to save others in their hurry
TO get the boats away. When Second
Officer Powell jumped from the steam
er to save himself as the steamer was
making her final plunge. there was Il
boat standing by for Mrs. Ross and
offers, but when the steamer plunged
H'sheeEed off at once and did not wait.
In some of the boats there were a
scanty number Of passengers. In one
boat, according TO several survivors,
there were only ten men, and in an
other only II. These facts bear out
Pilot lie Blanc's statement that, had
the passengers preserved order in
launching the boats, the list of dead
would not have been SO large.
From Captain Foote down to firemen
and walters il is shown that the men Of
ed with the vessel as long as was pos
sible. Captain Foote waited on the
bridge until the water almost lifted him
of. Pilot lie Blanc, Second Mate Pow
ell and Mate Neurotsos waited until
the vessel was making her final plunge
before they jumped for safety. Purser
Bishop coolly gave the gold from his
safe 10 those who came for II and
helped with the boats to the end. Stew
ard Simpson waited until the lights had
gone out and the steamer was founder
ing before lie sought safety, and bis
ltcond steward, Horace Fowler went
Down TO death while ascertaining II all
he passengers had left their state
rooms. Chief Engineer Brownlee. Sec
ond Engineer Allan, Third Engineer
Alice, Fourth Engineer Denny, each OF
them waited until the engines were use
less, and there was no use remaining in
the engine room, and then went TO rem
der assistance In getting out the boats,
declining n place themselves.
The farewell of the engineers in the
flooding engine room was tragic
lecture OF the catastrophe. The bell
had changed twice TOR run speed aheau,
ard when the levers had been moved
the only cGect was 10 make the two
screws Of tsc steamer race wildly In
the nonressting air and cause the big
steamer to tremble. SO far had the
sool,ug steamer gone down by the
mead that the propellers and rudder
were out Of the water and the engines
were useless. The changing signals
from the bridge calling for FUN speed
ahead" could not be obeyed, and after
the engines had been stopped and two
fremen had died Ia attempting to shut
the top wheel, which would have
4 blocked the water, the engineers took
, each other by the hand, and then, as
they ran for the upper deck, Second
Engineer Allan said in his Scotch
accent;