Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-28
.CNN
Steamer Ohio Strikes Ledge o,-SsN ,.,N'
Point, Alaska, and Sh "
Thirteen Minutes.
C. Q. D. CALLS ARE EFFECTIVE
Three Ships Rush to Rescue and Pick
Up Passengers.
ONLY FIVE LIVES ARE LOST
Four Members of the Crew and One
Passenger Drowned.
CREW STICKS TO THE LAST
Final Message from Operator Says
Last Boat f. Waiting for
Him, Then All IL
My FIVE LIVES ARE LOST
CREW STICKS TO THE LAS

SEATTLE, Wash, Aug T.-One man, a
wireless telegraph operator, gave his life
! that more than 200 might be saved toda!
when George e. Eccles Of Seattle wen
down with the Alaska Steamship com
pany's steamer Ohio, while sounding th'
&C Q D." His call for help as his vesse
was sinking brought the steamers King
fisher, Humboldt and Rupert City to tho
rocks off Steep point, in Hishkish narrows
British Columbia. and all but himself and
four others were saved. only one pas
senger lost his life.
The Ohio went down within thirteen min
utes after it struck.
The drowned:
PURsER FREDERICK J. STEPHEN,
WIRELESS OPERATOR GEoGE e. &c.
Giles, Seattle.
THE QUARTERMAsTER A SOLDIER
AND STEERAGE PASSENGER, names
unknown.
Pilot Snow was on the bridge when the
ship struck. The boats were lowered al
once and women and children taken off
first. The soldier and the steerage pas
senger were killed by the upsetting of a
boat during the rescue of the passengers
Ketchikan, Alaska The others will ar
rive at Vancouver tomorrow on the Rupert
City.
Operator Eccles assisted valiently In res
cue work and is reported to have been
drowned while so engaged. Putser stephen
is also said to have given his life that the
passengers and other members of the crew
might be saved.
The Ohio left Seattle August "a for Fort
Graham and Valdez, Alaska, and including
crew and passengers had 30 persons on
board.
Some of the passengers were taken
ashore in life boats and picked up by
the fishing boat Kingfisher and taken to
Swanson bay. Others were taken on the
Humboldt and Rupert City. The Hum
boldt's passengers will be landed at Ketch-
ikan and the Rupert City is taking its
passengers to Vancouver.
Early reports said that fifty or more
lives had been lost but the steamship
company fixes the list at five on the
strength Of wireless dispatches from M. ].
Heney, railroad builder, who was taken
off by the Humboldt.
Purser Stephen and Operator Eccles
stuck to their posts and gave their lives
to save the passengers.
The Dolphin, another Alaskan Steamship
company boat which left Seattle Wednes-
day night due at Ketchikan at midnight,
was notified by wireless to stand by in
Swanson bay and give assistance. 1t is
$50 miles from Seattle to Steep Point. The
rocks where the boat went down shelve
off rapidly into unusually deep water. The
Ohio was insured for $220O OO0 Captain
John johnson. her navigator, was regarded
as one Of the most skillful on the Pacific
coast.
Goes Down with His ship.
NEW YORK, Aug H.-The United Wire
less company, one of whose operator, G.
e. Eccles of Winnipeg. perished in the
sinking of the steamship Ohio off the
Alaskan coast today, received an account
OF the disaster. from Operator Booth at
Ketchinkan, Alaska late today Booth
says in the dispatch to headquarters of the
company here:
About a. m. I was sitting with my re-
ceivers clapped to my ears, having Just
finished working with operator Eccles on
board the Ohio when l was startled by
hearing him call C. Q. D., c. Q. D.
Immediately answered and he sent the fol-
lowing message:
"'Ohio struck a rock-steamer sinking
-, Co.z-a