Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-08-26
ALASKAN STEAMER CRASHES IN
TO SUDDEN DESTRUCTION.
slxTY-sEvEN ARE DROWNED
Survivors Tell Thrilling Tales of Dis
aster-One Man Goes Down With
Portmanteau Containing $4,000
Which He Fefused to Abandon
Indians Loot Drifting Wreckage.

Port Townsend, Aug. 20.-lt is now
known that sixty-seven lives were lost
in the steamer Islander disaster. It
will be some time before their names
can be definitely learned as the purser
lost his passenger list. The steamer
Farrallone, the next vessel to arrive
from the north, is expected to bring
Purser Bishop with an additional list
of the dead. Among those saved are
F. Didish Of Racine, Wis, and George
S. Spence of South Dakota.
The Islander, the flagship of the G.
p. N. fleet and the largest and fastest
passenger steamer on the Victoria
Skagway route, collided with an ice
berg off Douglas island, Alaska, while
on her way south with the largest
number of passengers that she has
carried since she was placed on the
run few months ago, and sank with
in fifteen minutes after striking.
Capt. Fouts, her master, and about
sixty-six persons, including passengers
and members of the crew, were
drowned. To add to the horror of the
terrible disaster her boilers exploded
as she went down, causing the death
of many of those who we're struggling
in the water.
The steamer left Skagway in the
evening Of Wednesday last and was
proceeding out of Lynn canal when the
collision occurred. Most of the pas
sengers and the members of the crew
who were in bed were rudely awak-
ened by the shock. The majority gCL
out on deck in time to be saved in the
boats which were quickly manned, but
a large number went down in their
staterooms. 2f gf5 a8
The survivors tell Of thrilling ex-
periences during the disaster. The
story is told Of one man who took his
portmanteau, which contained $4,000
in gold dust, from the purser, and with
his bag of money grasped firmly in his
hand, jumped from the sinking steam
er to the boat close by and failing ia
reacht he boat he went down, together
with his treasure, to rise no more.
DR.. Phillips of Seattle says his wife
and child were caught in the suction of
the ventilators and drowned. He
went down with the steamer, but
caught hold of some wreckage from
which he was afterwards rescued.
Chief Engineer Brownlee had a mi
raculous escape He was asleep and
awakened by Engineer Allen ringing
his bell. He ran to the engine room
where two ffremen died heroes soon
after he arrived. They we're ordered
to close the ''top Wheel and shut off
the water which was rushing from the
forward part Of the vessel They
tried to do so and were drowned
Brownlee went down with the steamer
and was standing on the upper deck
holding to the top rail when the
steamer slid down by it's head. He
rose from the whirlpool and grasped
some wreckage from which he was
later picked up. Another passenger
who arrived says that Thursday when
the tide turned it brought in a large
quantity of debris from the wreck in
Guiding stateroom goods and trunks.
Indians looted the wreckage, smashing
the trunks with axes and carrying off
the valuables. Saturday night con-
cert was given On the steamer Queen
for the sufferers and 1888 was raised
which was given into the care of Unit
ed States Consul Smith. The pas
sengers and members of the crew who
have arrived state that the loss of life
will be over seventy, as there were
several stowaways on board.