Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-05
RESCUE DUR|NGST0RM
Six Taken From Sinking SIoop
in Darkness of Night.
MAN is CRUSHED TO DEATH
Dim Light at Masthead Brought
Steamer to Aid of Party.
ALL HALF CRAZED BY THIRST
Woman One of Those Saved by the
hwestern-Nugget
Left to Fate.


Northwestern, Capt. John A. O'Brien, is
| in port.
On her trip bound this way she went
to the aid of the sinking sloop Nugget
| and took off six persons. The seventh
was crushed to death as the sloop surged
against the steamers side.
| On the sloop had been Daniel and
Henry Wagner and Charles Byron. its
owners; c. Lukan, his wife. her brother.
Louis Jordan, and John Finlay. Col
| lectlvely 1t was a prospecting party.
Leaving Lituya bay Monday. February
| s, the par y had fine weather for two
days 1t was expected that the run to
Juneau would be made in two or three
days. the distance being 100 miles. The
men intended to camp ashore each night.
as the cabin of the sloop could not &C.
commodate he entire party.
Arriving off Cross sound. February 10.
the Nugget ran into a stiff northeast
wind and nearly capsized. For two days
the sloop was driven off shore. Then
it Gained. and. with westerly wind.
course was set for Cross sound.
Land was in sight again, when a
strong southeast gale sprang up with a
| terrific sea. During the next two days
the Nugget drifted out into the open
sea. it being impossible to beat against
the wind.
By last Sunday the water supply was
almost exhausted. The members Of the
party were nearly crazed with the pros
pect of dying Of thirst or of being
drowned in that waste of angry waters.
Story of the Rescue.
at was about 0 o'clock Sunday night"
said Wagner. when heard F1nlay shout
There's a boat I was asleep, but the
good news woke me up.
Sure enough, we saw a large steam
or not far away and we all hallooed as
loud as we could. We asked to be taken
off. and the vessel steamed away. Our
hearts sank.
1--WE thought that they were going to
abandon us. But soon we saw that the
| Northwestern was only maneuver.ng to
get to the windward side, preparing to
| take us off.
1--WE had told the captain that we could
not stand by until morning for the sloOp
was sinking. They had seen the lantern
attached to our mast.
"Then came the work of taking us off,
and it was indeed a dangerous task.
| made sickening by the death of poor Jor-
| dan. During our hardships Mrs. Lukan
| showed a most courageous spirit and she
was constantly cheering up her young
| brother.
| ITO Capt O'Bren and his brave crew
we feel most thankful. for the vessel
was handled most skillfully in q sea in
| which no H1cDOdC cOulO uVc
The lookout on the Northwestern. which
was bound from Valdez to Seattle. was
the first to see the faint light On the
crest of a sea- Then it disappeared. only
| to show again.
| Capt O'Brien rightly concluded that
some vessel was in trouble. Bringing
his vessel as close as he dared. he talked
with the half-crazed people on the sloop
through the megaphone.
| Capt. O'Brien, owing to the high sea.
feared to take a chance of re cue dur
ing the night, and offered to stand by
until morning. The Nuggets party. how
ever. asked for immediate assistance. as
| the sloOp was rapidly making water and
| threatening to sink.
A Worthy Son Of the Sea.
| Steering the Northwestern to wind
ward Capt. OBrien brought his ship
| into the most advantageous position
possible, the big vessel sheltering the
tiny sloop. Lines were thrown, but those
| aboard the Nugget were unable to make
them fast.
A large freight port was opened and
by ropes and taken through this opening.
SO great was the swell and so much did
the Northwestern roll that several times
the sea rushed through this port.
Young Jordan had been thrown bow
line. which he slipped under only one
arm. The line came loose as he was be-
ing hauled up, and he fell into the water
between the sloop and steamer.
grimly to the guard of the Nugget near
the bow.
Three or four times the sloop rose
and fell with the great waves Finally
the stern of the sloop swung outward
and the stem crashed into the Northwest
ern with terrific force.
The unfortunate youth was crushed be-
fore the eyes of many passengers and his
lifeless body sank into the waters. Had
members of the crew not been engaged
in lifting the others of the party, they
would have been able to save the youth.
Rescue Of the Woman.
The rescue of Mr.. and Mrs. Lukan fur
nished one of the dramatic features of
the episode. Mrs. Lukan is a large
woman. weighing about TO pounds.
Bravely her husband seized her with one
arm and with the other he held to the
rope ladder which hung down from the
Northwesterns rail- Unable to climb the
ladder with his burden. he could only
cling with one arm. Willing members of
the crew pulled the ladder up as rapidly
as possible, although the vessel was roll
ing heavily.
One of this party was Second Engineer
avenue. While thus engaged Mr.. McGin-
lite was struck by the truck of the sloop's
mast breaking two ribs and painfully
bruising his shoulder and side. He was
left in the Marine Hospital at Juneau.
When the six exhausted people had
been safely taken on board they received
every attention. and the big steamer re-
| sumed her course to Juneau. The Mug
get was left to her fate and probably
sank within a short time.
Louis Jordan, ST., of Georgetown Is the
father of Mrs. Lukan and young Jordan
The elder Jordan was north last fall. but
returned several months ago. Lukan for
! merly ran a foundry in Seattle. After
| marrying. two or three years ago. he and
his bride went north, where Lukan 10
Gated some placer ground on Lituya uay
Capt. Byron of the Nugget was formerly
in the revenue cutter service in Alaska
Finlay owns property at Georgetown, but
has lived In Alaska for some time. The
Wagner brothers hail from Indiana, Dan
lei having worked for some time at Tay-
| lor. Wash. for the Denny-Renton Clay
and Coal Company.
Finds Wife Dead at Foot Of Stairs
BALTIMORE. April 5.-Mrs. Mary
Schroeder. sixty-seven years old. "a North