Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-08-21
alaska BOAT WENT DOWN
FORTY.TWO MET DEATH
Steamer Was Struck by an Iceberg
A Number of Lives Snved-Sixty
Persons AbOard-severnl Well
known People Among the Lost.

er Of the Alaskan route, operated by
the Canadian Pacific Navigation com
pany OF this city, struck an iceberg of
Douglas island at a. m. on the morn
ing Of Thursday last and went to the
bottom, carrying 55 to go souls, includ
ing passengers and members of the
crew. Some the survivors arrived
this evening by the steamer Queen
They report that as the Islander wen
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 were 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
bride Of Seattle, F. Mills, Mrs. J. c.
Henderson, W. H. Heating and two sons
of this city and Los Angeles, Cal, J. v
Douglas of Vancouver, Mrs. Phillips
and child Of Seattle, Mrs. Bell and Mrs
Captain Nickerson, Mrs. w. Smith, Van
couver, ]. 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 !;
S. ]. Pitts, cook: two Chinese; Buck
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.
| F. G. Hinde-Bowker, late manager of
the British American corporation of
London, who was passenger, says:
my first intlmation Of an accident
was the running OF passengers on deck
which woke me up. | was in cabin
with Mr.. Muchtin. got up, looked out
of the cabin and saw the steamer sink,
ing at the bow. woke my partner up
and we dressed. BY this time she was
still lower in the water. BY the time
| 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 a raft in the water with
eight or ten people on 1t. slid down
a rope on to the raft and as soon as
got on the raft the stern OF the steam.
er sank and sucked the raft and people
down. We were some time under wa.
ter but l 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 a 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 afoat. 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 overcrowded
and people we're 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. I can not speak
too highly of the officers and crew."
There was $275,0O0 In gold on the
steamer, 100000 OF which was carried
by passengers. II. II. Part, who has
spent Is years in the Klondike, los'
$35, 900 in dust.
There was a heavy fog at 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, bui
when he saw the extent of the damage
he jumped overheard. No accurate list
of the dead will be available until the
arrival Of the purser on the steamer
fFarrallon tomorrow.
George Mel. Brown, agent OF the
Canadian Pacific, after interviewing
the passengers who returned, said:
THE purser is remaining in the
north attending to the forwarding oi
passengers. 1t is said he gave partial
list OF those lost, but it is thought 1t IL
below the figures mentioned. 1t Is my
opinion that the loss of life will moi
exceed 90"
Word of the disaster reached Tread
well at 1925 a. m. by party of passen
gers headed by an engineer, who walk
cd up the beach a distance OF 25 miles
to appeal to the city for help. The
TreadWell steamers Lucy and JennikeI