Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-09-04
ship OHIO WRECKED
SEVEN PEOPLE DROWNED ON
TRIP To ALASKA.
Survivors Give Graphic Description Of
Crews Efforts to Save Passengers
Many Proved Heroes Wireless oper-
ator Geo. E. Eccles Sent Messages
Bringing Several Boats to Rescue.

Seattle, Aug 29.-Mr. and Mrs. John
F. Gray, Harry White and Clarence
Cunningham of Wallace, Idaho, were
among the IS survivors Of the werck
of the steamship Ohio, who reached
Seattle tonight by train from Vancouv-
err, B. C.
Vancouver, b. c., Aug. 29.-The stor-
les told by the survivors of the Ohio
disaster who arrived here on the steam
cr Rupert City are full of praise of
the officers and crew of the Ohio. The
three members of the Ohio 5 crew who
perished-Purser Frederick j. Steph-
ems, Wireless Operator George E. Eccles
and Quartermaster Albert N. Anderson,
gave their lives to save those of pas
sengers. The soldier who was drowned,
said to be Doc Hayes, bound for Fort
Liscum from Columbus, Ohio, was wedg
ed in his stateroom by the twisting Of
the ship. The steerage passenger lost
was drowned while swimming to life
boat.
The Ohio's own crew took the pas
sengers to the shore of Carter bay and
then rowed to Swanson bay, where the
halibut steamer Kingfsher was at an
Choir. The Kingfsher FASTENED to Car
ter bay, took the shivering passengers
and crew aboard fed and clothed them
| and conveyed them to Swanson bay.
Operator Eccles' calls of distress did
not reach any steamer, for none was
within range, but they were heard at
Ketchikan, and the operator gave the
news to the Humboldt and the others
were landed at Vancouver by the Ru-
pert City today.
NJ. ]. Heney, the Copper River rail
road contractor, who arrived on the
Rupert City, said:
Pitch Dark and Raining.
cit was terrible night, pitch dark,
with heavy rain and high seas. The
Ohio struck with a shock that almost
threw us out of our berths. I dressed
as best I could and could hear the
shouts of the officers calling to arouse
everybody and keep order 1t was ex-
actly ITO Thursday morning. 1t seems
to me that the ship struck the pointed
rock on her side. The force shook the
ship till she groaned.
"The captain showed remarkable
presence of mind. AS soon as the ship
struck he ordered full speed ahead and
pointed toward the nearest shore, which
was Carter bay, in northern British
Columbia. This took the ship sliding
off the rock, and the fact that she
slid off was what saved us. Arriving
in the bay, boats were put off, those
containing women and children first.
Women Were Brave.
All the crew, from the captain down,
and every passenger, including the la
dies, behaved with magnificent bravery.
One lady even was joking to keep up
the spirits of some of the others who
began to cry. Eccles, the wireless OPP
orator, stuck bravely to his post till
the last minute when the ship was
sinking beneath his feet. l did not
see him jump, but indications are that
he did, for we have his body aboard.
A long, deep cash shows on the man IS
forehead, which leads to the belief that
in jumping or in coming to the surface
he struck something rendering him un-
conscious. His was the only one of
the five bodies which was recovered,
The soldier who persisted had enlisted
in Columbus, Ohio and was bound
north to Fort Liscum, Alaska. The
bravery of everybody concerned was
commendable. -