The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-23

Port Townsend, Washn., August 49,
The steamer Queen has just arrived
from the north bringing news OF n
of the most appalling marine disasters
on the Pacific coast.
The steamer Islander, sailing from
Skagway, August 14th, when nearing
the southwest end Of Douglass island
at 2 o'clock a. m, August 18th, and rum
ming at full speed. struck a floating ice
berg and in less THAI twenty minutes
went to the bottom of the deep channel,
carrying men, women and children to
watery graves
The Islander had 1O8 passengers, and
all were in bed when the vessel struck.
The shock was so severe that many
We're thrown from their berths and the
widest excitement prevailed. Word
was soon passed that the vessel was
doomed and a .eneral scramble for the
boats eEsued, many jumping overheard
and attempting to swim to the shore,
the distance being short.
In n scramble to get into the boats
many were hurled headlong into the
chilly water, which, according to pas
sengers arriving from the scene, seemed
alive with human beings.
Before all the passengers had left the
vessel gave a lunge and yer down,
bow first. 1t is known that siXty-Sev-
en- lives were lost. 1t will be sometime
before their names can be definitely
learned as the purser lost his passen-
ger list.
United States Consul Smith, of Vic
toria, who was a passenger on the
Queen, CLEANED the following story of
the wreck from among forty survivors
who were passengers on the Queen:
The Islander left Skagway for Vic
toria on last Wednesday evening at s
o'clock p. m. with 125 passengers and a
crew of siXty-One men on board and
ten or twelve StOWawayS. All went
we'll, the steamer making her usual
record of fifteen knots an hour until at
8 O'Clock Thursday morning when
Juneau was passed and the south end
OF island was reached Then
suddenly the steamer encountered an
obstruction. said to have been an ice
burg, and stopped with a jar which
many of the sleeping passen-
gers.
Captain FOOte was having breakfast
and the pilot notified him of the trou-
bic. 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 q mile dis
tant, at once To this the captain OBJ
jected. saying the beach was too
abrupt He thought there was no i'm
minent danger, but would run a few
miles further dow where he knew
there was a good landing.
The captain assured several paSSen-
gers there was no immediate danger
N 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.
1.-THE first officer ordered the boats
let down, but this order was counter
manded 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. to their peril. ap-
peared on deck and q rush was made
to the purser who a been given much
treasure for Safe-keeping. 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 pro-
pellor 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 steam
CT went under an explosion occurred.
The captain lost his hold on the raft
and went under.
Owing to The dense fog much diff
Guilty was XIerienced in locating the
direction of the shore. After a time
water was beard trickling down the
rocks and all the boats reached the
shore. Many persons who jumped off
the steamer we're rescued later, only to