The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-20
INT0XICATI0N
Is CHARGED.
Passengers Saved From the
Wreck of the islander
Bitter in Denunciation of the
Ships Officers
THRILLING INCIDENTS
Many Persons Had Large Sums
of Gold.
Lives Sacrificed in Efforts to
Save 1t.
THRILLING INCIDENTS

Seattle Wash, Aug. GOV. c. Pres
ton and wife. who We're in the first dis
patches yesterday reported drowned in
the wreck Of the Islander, We're the last
to leave the ship. When seen last night
Mr.. Preston said:
THE officers of the ship handled the
situation in an extremely incompetent
manner. No warning was given to the
passengers in their state rooms and af-
ter they had come on deck Of their own
accord they We're assured that there
was no danger. This. Notwithstanding
the fact that the ship sank within 20
minutes
There is no truth in the statement
that the passengers were panic stricken
and by their action in casting off be-
fore the boats were sufficiently loaded,
were responsible for any of the loss of
life. The only boat which was greatly
underloaded was the first to get away
This was the steel life boat, the best on
the ship. 1t contained but seven men,
all of whom were members Of the ship s
crew and this fact was remarked on
when the boat reached the landing
point. The passengers retained their
presence of mind and did most of the
work of lowering the boats and getting
away. A notable exception to the con-
duct of the majority OF the officers was
that of First Officer Neroutsos. He was
on deck and gave able assistance to the
passengers"
Mrs J. b Houston, of Auburn. n. Y,
a passenger on the steamer Queen from
Alaskan ports. was robbed of a large
amount of jewelry while the vessel was
tied up at the wharf at Skagway- The
total value OF the jewels is quite large
and in addition there was $3.50 in money
stolen. The loss was not discovered un-
til after the steamer left SkagWay and
Ia 1c
do much in the way of an investisa-
ton, the vessel having also stopped at
Victoria and Port Townsend before
reaching this city
S. Robe, one of the passengers on the
Inflated Islander. wrecked off Doug
lass Island. returned with one of the
most intelligent accounts OF the terri
BILE disaster While he would not con-
sent to be quoted on this branch of the
subject, his demeanor Enthusiastically
indicated that he believes the officers
of the Islander We're derelict in their
duty. Indeed, the charge is being more
or less freely made by the survivors
that the officers had been drinking
heavily. The vessel, too, had not obey
ed the marine law requirements in the
quantity and character of life saving
equipments.
Mr. Robe declares that there were 1s1
persons on board, including the crew
There are 113 survivors, and he argues
that IS must have been drowned
John L. Wilcox, of SOB Sixth street.
San Francisco, makes the unqualified
assertion that the pilot was intoxicated,
having gone on board in that condition
and that the captain had also been
drinking during the evening. There
was plenty of time between the time
the vessel struck the iceberg and the
time she sank to have beached her and
rescued the passengers
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
Vancouver, B. C.,Aug. 20.-The steam
er FarallOn has arrived here from
Skagway bringing the remainder of the
passengers who narrowly escaped death
in the wreck of the Islander.
The total number of dead is placed at
~, although the FaralIon did not bring
an official list of the drowned
According to the statements of pas
sengers very few people died on board
the steamer, but most Of them persisted
in the water and around the RATS and
ship as the latter went down. Those in
the water suffered from exposure,
among them CAPTAIN FOote, succumb-
ing and sinking from sheer exhaustion.
A number of passengers of the
wrecked steamer Islander tell of thrill
ing experience during the disaster. Mr.
NJ. Blumauer, of Portland, who was
bringing out a satchel containing $14.-
600 in Klondike gold. rushed up to the
upper deck when the boat was settling
by the head and Captain FoOte told
him there was little danger. Soon there
was a rush for the boats and when he
was boarding the life boat he was
afraid to throw his satchel of gold
down from the deck into the boat be-
fore steadying down into a place for
fear that the weight Of the gold would
stave a hole through the bottom of the
life boat and thus cause the loss OF
the lives of those in the boat as well
as the losing his own chances of safe
ty He concluded to abandon his gold.
and dropping the satehel on the deck
he slid down into the water and was
hauled to the boat. thankful to have his
life saved though he lost his treasure.
Sam Starten, of Winnipeg, also drop
ped satchel laden with 81. 900 gold and
a friend lost his portmanteau with 3d.
0OO in it and each escaped to tell the
story; while one man who had just
come out from the KIondike. (his name
could not be learned), is reported to
have taken his pOrtmanteau from the
care of the purser. Mr.. Bishop. and with
the grip containing dust amounting to
$4,000 in value. grasped firmly in his
hands, jumped from the sinking steam
er to a boat close by. and falling to
reach the boat, he went down together
with his treasure, to rise no more.
n. A Belcourt of Ottawa ana
George Ray. of ottawa, were asleep
when the accident occurred Being I'M
able to open their stateroOm door they
broke out through the window and
jumped from the upper deck into the
life boat
A passenger who arrived by the Queen
says that on Thursday morning when
the tide turned it brought in a large
quantity Of debris from the wreck. in
Guiding parts of cabin stores, state
rooms, trunks. etc. The Indians looted
the wreckage. smashing trunks with
axes and carrying off valuables.
On Saturday evening a concert was
given on the Queen for the sufferers
and 1888 was raised which was given
into the care of Z. S. Consul A E
INIT NJ Tf7s.r
ger on the Queen
Passengers and members of the crew