Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-19
WRECKED BY ICEBERG.
Consul Smith. Of victoria. Tells.
Of Sinking Of Klondike Steam.
er islander.
Stubbornness Of Captain Came
Near Losing the Lives Of lz5
Passengers.
Nearly All Landed on the Rocky
Shore BY Means Of ! Lille
Raft.

Victoria, Aug. 19.-United States Con-
sui Smith, of Victoria, who was pas
senger on the Queen from Juneau to
Victoria. CLEANED the following story of
the wreck of the steamer Islander,
which struck an iceberg off Douglas Is
land last Thursday, from survivors, for
ty Of whom We're passengers on the
Queen:
"The Islander left skaguay for Vic
toria Wednesday evening, the 14th, with
120 passengers and crew of sixty-one
men and ten or twelve stowaways. All
went we'll until o'clock Thursday
morning, when the south end of Doug
las Island was reached. Then suddenly
the steamer encountered an obstruction,
said to have been on iceberg, and stop
ped with a jerk which aroused many of
the sleeping passengers. As soon as the
vessel struck the water rushed in for
ward in great volumes, and the pilot adj
vised that the vessel be run on the
beach, not over half a mile distant, at
once. To this the captain objected, say
ing the beach was too abrupt. He
thought there was no immediate danger,
but would run few miles further down,
where he knew there was good land
ing. The captain assured the passen-
gers there was no immediate danger,
and that they could go back to bed. He
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
that the boats be let down. but this or
der was countermanded by the captain,
who, however finally realized the seri-
business 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 purser, who had been
given treasure for safe keeping. Purser
Bishop handed all out, except two bags
Of $4,000 each, which were not claimed
and which went down with the vessel.
The bow OF the steamer steadily sank,
and twenty minutes from the time 1t
struck the front deck was under water
and the stern. with propeller and rud-
der high in the air useless. The captain
remained on the bridge until the last
and finally jumped on a life raft, where
he STAYED a few minutes, when the
steamer dove forward entirely out of
sight. AS it did so an explosion oc-
Cured the captain lost his hold on the
life raft and sank. Considerable diff
Guilty was experienced in ascertaining
| the location of the shore. tho 1t was only
a short distance away. owing to the
dense fog prevailing. Finally Preston,
| of Seattle, who, with his bride. was on
wedding trip, and both of whom were
saved in the last boat which left the
reck. heard water trickling down the
rocks and all the boats reached the
shore. A number jumped off the steam
err into the water and We're rescued only
| to die Of exhaustion from the intense
cold. Several recovered only after four
or Ave hours continuous hard work by
their comrades"
/ Among the passengers lost were Mrs.
| Governor Ross, Of Dawson, child and
niece. and DR.. John NJ. Duncan, OF VIC
toria. 80 .o.,,,s
All Of the rescued speak N high terms
/ of the courage and assistance given DS
| Chief Engineer Brownlee and First ON
| cor Neurots, VINO saved several lives
\ The intensely cold water caused severe
cramps among many who were on the
raft. resulting in death from exposure
and the bodies turning black. NJ. M
| Rrumbauer, of Portland, Ore, lost $14,-
| 0oO In gold dust and D. III. Hart, the
Klondike king. $4,000, NJ. NJ. Manlin. OF
winnipeg. $4,000 and his friend $4,000
Another Klondiker is reported to havs
lost $4,000.
The officer in charge Of the steamer al
the time of the wreck says: The nigh
i was fine and as we always expect t
meet ice sharp lookout was kept
i About 2:4s a. m. the crash came. Th'
4 toat was under full speed and no ict
4 was in sight, and there was no fog. Th'
fatal berg was no doubt even with thu
water. The Islander was the larges
passenger vessel of the Canadian Pacific
Navigation Company. She was built a
4 Glasgow in 1883 and cost 100000.