Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-09-01
FIVE LIVES LOST
IN OCEAN DISASTER
STEAMSHIP, OHIO, GOES DOWN
OFF STEEP POINT,
ALASKA.
1873 PASSENGERS ABOARD BUT
ALL WE'RE SAVED BY
SMALL BOATS.

Seattle, Wash, Aug. 28.-F1ve lives
were lost in the sinking of the Alaska
Steamship company's steamer, Ohio,
off Steep Point, Alaska, early yester-
day. There were 1913 passengers ON
board. but all escaped, the victims be-
ing from among the crew. The loss
of the steamer and cargo is total.
The drowned were: Purser F. ].
Stephen, Seattle; Wireless Operator
George E. Eccles, Winnipeg; two sea-
men, names not given; quartermaster,
name not given.
wireless dispatch says the Ohio
sank in three minutes. This probably
means that she was on the reef
considerable time and that the passen-
gers were all off before the ship slid
into deep water, which she did so
speedily as to carry down five of the
crew.
Some passengers were taken ashore
in lifeboats and picked up by the fish
ing boat, Kingfsher, and taken to
Swanson bay others were taken on
the Humboldt and Rupert City. The
Humboldt's passengers will be landed
at Ketchikan and the Rupert City is
taking her passengers to Vancouver.
Early reports said that so or more
lives had been lost, but the steamship
company fixes the list at five on the
strength of wireless dispatches from
NJ. J. Henry, railroad builder, who was
taken off by the Humboldt.
Purser Stephen and Operator Eccles
struck to their posts and gave their
lives to save the passengers.
The Dolphin, another Alaskan steam
ship company boat, which left Seattle
Wednesday night, due at Ketchikan at
midnight, was notified by wireless 70
stand by in Swanson Bay and give
assistance. 1t is but 800 miles from
Seattle to Steep Point. The rocks
where the boat went down shelve off
rapidly into unusually deep water
Captain John Johnson, the Ohio's navi
gator was regarded as one of the most
skillful on the Pacific coast.
The Story by Wireless.
New York, Aug. 2S--The United
WlT010SS COMPANY Oil- VI W1lOoS OPOh
ators, G. E. Eccles, of Winnipeg, per
ished in the sinking of the Steamship
Ohio off the Alaskan coast yesterday
received an account of the disaster
from Operator Booth, at Ketchikan
Alaska, late yesterday. Booth says IN
, the dispatches to the headquarters OF
the company here:
q M I sitting with
nv receivers clapped to my ears, hav
ing just finished working with Oper
ator Eccles on board the Ohio, wher
| was startled by hearing him cal
&C. @. D., C. @. d. | Immediately an
swered, and he sent the following mes
sage:
Ohio struck rock-steamer sinkins
send aid Immediately or everybody
will be lost
THE steamships, Humboldt and Ru
pert, happened to be rear at>the time
and both called the Ohio, asking fol
her latitude. Eccles gave it immedi
ately, and Rupert flashed back tina
they would change their course ant
stand by the Ohio as soon as possible
meantime Eccles sent another mes
sage, saying:
Ohio sinking fast-cannot hold out
Passengers being taken off in small
boats. Captain and crew will stick t.
the last.
1.-THE Humboldt and Rupert both re
piled that they were headed for thu
Ohio and would pick heE. passenger
up. Then came the Tinal message
from the stricken vessel. 1t wa
never finished:
Passengers all off and adrift i,
small boats it said. Captain ant
crew going off in the last boat, wait
ing for me now-good-bye.
Il was unable to get him again,
concludes Booth. '.and l knew he hal
gone down with his ship