The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-08-28
PASSENGERS FROM
OHIO ARRIVE
TELL STORIES OF TERRIBLE EN-
POSCRE-GREEkS ATTEMPTED
TO RITSH BOATS-STOOD OFF
BY ARMED SEAMEN.

vancouver, aug. Co. WIN noA
deck crowded with passengers In
various satges of distress the steiner
Rupert City reached Port Townsend
bringing 131 passengers OF the Ohio
wreck The passengers told or ter
rible experiences following the shock
of the wreck and the lack Of life
boats. The boat came in after long
wait for daylight, while rain poured
down and men and women huddled
together on exposed rocks until the
Vancouver fishing steamer Kingfsher
came to their assistance. Every pas
senger and member of the crew
Joined in praise of the fishermen who
gave them every possible assistance
ami gave them clothing after landing
them at Swanson bay. A grim note
of the tragedy was struck by the
presence of a rough coffin on the up
per deck which contained the body
of the wireless operator, Eccles. The
coffin was obtained at Swanson Bay.
A big bruise on the forehead shows
that the man was struck on the fore
head by floating piece of wreckage
when he jumped from the liner. The
disaster came with appalling swift
ness and 80 minutes after the Ohio
struck she went down. Only her
fractured head and six feet Of her
smokestack is showing.
AS the liner was proceeding up
Finlayson Channel on Thursday
night, bound for Alaska points, a rain
storm came on and the weather be-
came very thick. Shortly after l
O'Clock 1t became heavier and became
impossible for the outlook to see
ahead. Then came terrific crash
and a noise as If thousands of boiler
makers were riveting. The liner
seemed to give jump and the alarm
spread that the ship had struck a
rock. Captain Johnson ordered the
ship full speed astern and the Grip
pied vessel backed off the rocks. She
then steamed into Carter bay, where
she took beach about two lengths
from shore and the work of trans
ferring passengers to safety was be-
gan. Rain was falling in torrents
and the officers had trouble with a
crowd of Greeks in the steerage.
These men tried to rush the boats,
and only signs of revOlvers backed
by resolute seamen kept them off.
The boats were launched with diff
Guilty. Boatload after boatlOad were
sent away to beach, women and child
rem going first, while some men took
life belts and swan ashore. Mean
while Operator Eccles had been send
ing calls for assistance. Ketchika1
got them 1t was staying at his post
so long that caused Eccles to lost his
life. He left on the last boat to leave
the Ohio.
The boat was overcrowded and 20
men had to swim. Eccles and the two
freight clerks jumped overheard and
the clerks were picked up by the life
boat. Eccles was struck on the head
and drowned but his body was recov-
cred and taken ashore. The dynamos
kept working until half the passen-
gers had been transferred and thea
the lights died away and darkness
added horror to the situation.
Blue flares were lighted and by
their aid the pallid faces of passen-
gers huddled on rocks could be seen
from the shore. Swanson bay was 20
miles away and several men were
sent there for aid. At Swanson bay
the Kingfisher was found and she
was headed for the wrecked vessel.
In As minutes everyone of the pas
sengers and crew with the exception
of Captain Johnson, the mate, the
chief engineer and boatswain, these
electing to stay yb the wreck, were
transferred By the time the warm
hearted fisherfolk had given the
wrecked people something to eat and
warm clothing she had run to Swan
son. In the meantime the steamer
Rupert City was hurrying to the scene
and the 131 people were transferred
to her and brought to Vancouver The
S. S. Humboldt took % passengers
who wished to continue their jour-
ney north. The known dead are
Operator Eccles, Purser Frederick
Stevens, Quartermaster Burt Ander-