New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-28
HERO SAVES 200 LIVES
WIRELESS OPER R4TOR GOES
DOWN NTH SHIP.
Only FiUe Lost When Steamer Ohio
Sinks off British Columbia
The Last Message.

o.
mans heroism at sea has repeated itself, 1t
Is the tale of the wreck of the steamer Re-
public over again. only this time the wireless
operator who saved the lives of more than two
hundred persons. the victim of his own
bravery and went down with his ship
Five lives were lost I'm the sinking of the
ship-the Alaska Steamship Company's steamer
ohio-off steep Point, in the Highkish Narrows.
British Columbia. early to-day All but two of
the l2s passengers escaped. three of the victims
being members Of the crew. The loss OF the
steamer and the cargo is total.
The dead F. j. Stephens. of Seattle the
purser: George f. Eccles. of Seattle the heroic
wireless operator; the quartermaster. a soldier
and a steerage passenger. The last two were
drowned by the upsetting OF boat
Some of the passengers were taken ashore in
lifeboats and carried by the fishing boat King
fisher TO Swanson Bay. Others were taken on
the Humboldt and the Rupert City The Hum
boldts rescued passengers will be landed at
Ketchikan. while the Rupert City is taking her
passengers to Vancouver
II Is go rsiles nom Seattle 10 steep PoIR,
The rocks where the Ohio sank shelve off rapidly
into unusually deep water. The Ohio was in
sured for $4,000. Captain John Johnson. her
navigator. was regarded as one of the most skill
ful on the Pacific Coast.
Valdez, left the former port on August "a
and proceeded without incident until o'clock
on the morning Of August %. when Booth the
wireless operator at the distant post of Ketchi-
kan. was startled by hearing the message
"C d. flashing over the wire 10 him from
across the Pacific. He had been in wireless
communication with EcCles. the Ohio's operator
for more than an hour previous. and had Just
finished working with him. when the call for
help brought into play all his faculties. Breath
lessly he waited for a repetition OF the message
and in instant IL was repeated - O d.
. d" Booth Immediately answered the mes
sage that told Of impending danger and soon
received this brief story of peril on the ocean:
ohio struck a rock: steamer sinking Send
aid Immediately or everybody will be lost
Signed Captain"
Booth flashed back across the water 10 EccIes
asking him what his latitude was. The operator
on board the Ohio responded with this informa-
ton. and Immediately thereafter added TO his
previous messages:
'Ohio sinking fast-cannot hold out. Pas
sengers being taken off in small boats Cap
tain and crew will stick to the last"
Almost simultaneously with this second mes
sage from Ecces came wireless flashes from the
steamers Humboldt and Rupert City. OF the
Mckenzie Brothers Steamship Company. whc
were near the scene OF the wreck at the Tim.
and in communication with the Ohio. These
boats learned of the Ohio's position from Eccles
and flashed back that they would change their
course and stand by the Ohio soon as pos
sible.
When Eccles's second urgent appeal for helm
was received by the Humboldt and the Rupert
city they answered that they were headed for
tte sinking vessel and would pick the passengers
up. Then back through the night came the
final message from the stricken ship. a mes
sage that was to be left unfinished 1t was
Eccles's final statement. for Immediately after
he must have gone down with the Ohio Swiftly
the wires flashed in connection with the rescuing
steamers and with Booths Alaskan station:
Passengers all off and adrift in small boats
Captain and crew going off in the last boat;
waiting for me now. Goodby. My God,
I'm"-
Booth stunned at his instrument for n
moment; then he flashed back 10 the Ohio. hon
ing to get into communication again with the
operator the steamer. but his efforts were in
vain; there was no answering flash from EccIes
and il became evident that he had stuck 10 his
post until the last when he found ii was too late
to save himself.
There were others ON board the Ohio who
proved themselves of the stuff of which heroes
made when the ship struck the hidden
rocks The purser. +. j. stephens of Seattle.
insisted on helping off all the passengers and
staying with the ship. Stephens might have
been saved from death had he elected to iump
into lifebOat. but he saw every man. woman
and child safely into the lifebOats before he
made move TO save his own life only to find
IL too late.
NJ J. Heney, an Alaskan railroad promoter and
contractor. was another passenger on the wrecked
vessel and he sent the following message TO
Seattle tonight:
stephens and Eccles went down saving the
lives of passengers instead of looking TO their
safety"