The San Francisco call., 1909-08-29
SURVIVORS OF
OHIO ARE SAFE
AT VANCOUVER
Passengers Saved by Wireless
Reach Port in Odds and
Ends of Garments
Relate Tragic Stories of the
FierOism of Wrecked Ships
Crew and Officers


stories told by the survivors of the
r.-o disaster who arrived here today
@sH the steamer Rupert City are fun of
alse Of the officers and crew Of the
r.~ecked vessel
The three members Of the Ohio's crew
sa0 perished-Purser Frederick 7
stephen, Wireless Operator George E.
<Eccles and Quartermaster Albert NJ.
!. j.. Aaderson-gave their lives to save
nose Of passengers. The soldier who
>. was drowned, said 10 be Doc" Hayes.
- bound for Fort Lscum from Column
bus. o. was wedged in his state
~toom by the twisting Of the ship. The
.=steerage passenger lost was drowned
while swimming 10 lifeboat
- The Ohio's own crew took the pas
.sangers TO the shore Of Carter bay and
-s-- hen roWed TO Swanson bay, where the
: .h6Libut steamer Kinghsher was at
anchor.
SAVED BK WIRELESS
- Operator Eccles' calls of distress did
.-not reach any steamer, for none was
-:n thin range, but they were heard at
~hetchikan and the operator there
save the news to the Humboldt and
Rupert City, which went later to
!. swanson bay for the refugees. Those
= who wished 10 20 north were carried
10 Juneau on the Humboldt and the
= others were landed at Vancouver by
n lhe Rupert City today.
? II. j. Heney, the Copper river railroad
i contractor, who arrived on the Ru-
p. pert. said:
s.: 1T was a terrible night. pitch dark
+ srith heavy rain and high sea. The
- .Jlio struck with a shock that almost
brew US out Of our berths. / dressed
as best I could and could hear the
shouts of the officers calling TO arouse
everybody and keep order. It was
exactly 1:l0 o'clock Thursday morn
=. ing Il seems TO me that the ship
struck the pointed rock on its side
The force shook the ship till it
: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 OF the rock and the fact that
s1e slid OF was what saved us. Ar
irving in the bay, the boats were put
- of. containing women and children
: first Every man of the crew. from the
>. captain down. and every passenger, in
rel uding the women, behaved with mag
-'nidcent bravery
3 JOKING AMID TRAGEDIES
:. one woman was even joking to keep
up the spirits Of some of the others.
\ <V-h0 began TO cry Eccles, the wireless
operator, stuck bravely to his post un-
:: III the last minute when the ship was
sinking beneath his feet I did not
see him jump, but indications are that
ne did, for we have his body aboard.
: = long. deep cash shows on the mans
.- -1Crehead. which leads to the belief
:. .tlat in jumping or in coming to the
= surface he struck something, rendering
- him unconscious. His was the only
= one Of the five bodies which was re-
covered
The bravery Of everybody concerned
- was very cOmmendabIe, The quarter
. master went back to assist the soldier,
p who was calling out that he could not
- force open the stateroom door and the
crew behaved magnificently, leading TIE
.. women and children without a particle
" disorder, always obeying the hoarse
voice Of the captain, which commanded
The men and led them in perfect order
about their work Even when about
score We're in the water there seemed
,. little disorder as the boats rowed
Z around picking up the people
SOLDIERS DELAY FATAL
r. r. n Reeves Of Merced. Cal. said:
-: Il was the roommate Of the soldier
..-w6o lost his life. When I heard the
- can for everybody to get up the soldier
-aad 7 awoke simultaneously did
V.0t wait to put on my clothes, but
yent out right away The soldier
5 waited to dress. The ship had listed
Efle en- Il struck on another rock, after
reaching Carter bay, and after got out
-.oE the cabin pressure Of the water
<Qcked the soldier in.
--.-: i was talking to him and trying to
@-&ssist Quartermaster Anderson TO do
3 something. I passed Anderson on my
way back from the companion way
=. anderson was carrying a lantern and
trying TO aid the soldier. I was going
- so call more aid as we were not strong
p enough TO break in the door. The ship
= suddenly began TO settle and l raced
for the upper deck Just as the ship
=. vas sinking ] leaped off and saw An
.derson with his lighted lantern just
coming up. That was the last I saw
>af him"
BRINGS 131 SURVIVORS
T. With her decks crowded with pas
:sengers in various stages of undress,
Z. the steamer Rupert City reached Van
-eouver at noon today, bringing lSl
survivors Of the Ohio disaster The