New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-06
PILOT RUNS ALASKAN
STEAMER ON A REEF
Princess Nav Sinks Within Two
Hours. but All on Board
Are Saved.
AT FATAL SENTINEL lSlE1
Scene of Former Wrecks-Can'
adian Pacific Vessel Was
Boarded by Pirates While
in Chinese Service.

Juneau. Alaska. Aug. 1.-THE CanaoIah
Pacific steamship Princess May WHO"
left Skagway, Alaska, southbound for van
5ouver al 9 o'clock last night, with eighty
passengers and a crew oil SlxlS-eish|
struck the north reef Of Sentinel tslet Al
: o.clock This morning. in the dark but not
tosey weather. and in a smooth sea, and
sank two hours later
All tho Messengers and their baggage
were taken TO the lighthouse on Sentinel
rsle-. whence they viii he brought TO
Ff1uea1J nv steamers that have gone 10
fl,eir relief The lightkeeper did every
thing in his power to make the casfs"a avs
,.orafo-.able None 81 the passengers or
crew is injured.
4 hoa-,s crew Of six was picked up by
y fishing launch and brought TO Juneau
Later 4 second boats crew. with Richard
son. the pilot. arrived. The members Of
the crew who are here say that the steam
- VIII be total loss the bottom being
,o-u open. so that il viii be impossible to
ra;ee the vessel CAPTAIN Mcleod and q
timber Of the crew will stand by the ship
~ the time Of the accident Captain Nc
cod was in his berth and Richardson
Was on the bridge. The approach 10 Sem
tinaI Rock at the southern end Of Lynn
canal is one Of the most perilous stretches
of water in Alaska A ship must clear
rocky islands on both sides, the smallest
variation from the course entailins de-
e+rlIcfion. The walls of the canal are pre-
ririfous and the waterway deep. and IN
many places narrow
Sentinel Islet. situated about four miles
: o-th and east Of shelter Island. is the KEY
80 the narrow passaEeway by Shelter Isl
and. This passage is strewn with reefs.
no At some points IS less than half a ulis
vide Sentinel Islet is q Jagged rock about
+7rc hundred and fifty yards long. with long,
1os,thlike reefs projecting al the north ana
-,utb ends
Richardson. the pilot. who arrived late
today. said that the Princess May struck
the reef at O'Clock this morning
We were going al a twelveknot speed, =
he said. Because Of the haze that hung
over the water IL difficult TO see far
ahead and the rocks were not visible IN
I'll Ne were almost upon them and 1t was
too late 10 avoid disaster. Every effort
WIS made 70 keep the ship off the reef.
hlit it struck and sank in two hours
There was no panic when the Princess
May, struck the reef. but the women and
Children suffered much from cold In the
small boats. the majority leaving the sink
ing ship scsntily clad
Canadian postoffice officials believe that
: shipment Of gold from Dawson for
Seattle went down with the vessel.
Sentinel Isiet is about forfy-five miles
r-cm where the steamer Islander foundered
Witt loss Of sixty-four passengers, after
striking ice in August. several years ago
s.rC almost opposite where the Clara Ne
7-ada blew Up and was lost with all hands
during the klondike Iush.
The Princess May was a single bottom
vessel. steel twin screw steamer OF 1898
tons built in 1883 for the late Nfceroy
Chang Chih Tung. Of China, as the HaitinS.
and used with sister vessel between
F-cnE Kong and Fornosa- While on this
route she was boarded by pirates and a
Jl,lr-,ber OF passengers were killed. She had
changed hands q number OF times. being
III Own also as the NanChow. AT Hong
Kong she was bought ten years ago by the
Canadian Pacific Railway for the Skagway
route. Captain Mcleod was in command