Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-06
ALASKAN STEAMER
HITS REEF, SINKS;
ALL ABOARD SAFE
Princess May Total Loss on Sen
tineI Island Rocks in the
Lynn Canal
PINNACLES RIP OPEN HULL
Passengers and Crew Landed at
Lighthouse in Wrecked
Ships Boats
PINNACLES RIP OPEN HULL
(Ass .iated Press)

JUNEAU, Alaska, Aug. 5.-The
Canadian Pacific steamship Princess
May which left Skagway, Alaska,
southbound for Vancouver at 9 o'clock
last night with eighty passengers and
a crew of sixty, struck the north reef
of Sentinel islet at o'clock this
morning in dark but not foggy wealth.
er and in smooth sea, and sank two
hours later There were exciting
scenes but no panic as the vessel be-
gan to settle. All the passengers and
their baggage were taken on the ships
boats to the lighthouse on Sentinel is
let, Wence they will be brought to
Juneau tonight by steamers which
have gone to their relief. The light
keeper did everything in his power to
make the castaways comfortable. None
of the passengers or crew was injured.
A boats crew of six was picked up
by a fishing launch and brought to
Juneau. Later second boats crew
with Pilot Richardson arrived. The
members of the crew who are here
say that the steamer will be a total
loss, the bottom being torn open SO
that it will be impossible to raise the
vessel. Capt. Mcleod and number
Of the crew will stand by the ship.
hA1Eh
At the time of the accident Capt.
Mcleod was in his berth and Pilot
Richardson was on the bridge. The
approach to Sentinel rock, at the
southern end of Lynn canal, is one Of
the most perilous stretches of water
in Alaska. A ship must clear the
rocky islands on both sides, the small
est variations from the course entail
ing destruction.
The walls of the canal are precipi-
tious and the waterway deep and in
many places narrow. Sentinel island is
situated about four miles north and
east of Shelter island. This passage
is strewn with reefs and at some points
is less than half mile in width. SEN
tinel island is a jagged rock about 250
yards long and with long toothlike
reefs projecting at the north and south
ends.
Pilot Richardson, who arrived here
late today, said the Princess May struck
the reef at o'clock this morning.
PILOTS REPORT
I'VE were going twelve knots" he
said. owing to the haze which hung
over the water it was difficult to see
far ahead, and the rocks were not
visible until we were almost upon them
and it was too late to avoid a disaster.
Every effort was made to keep the ship
off the reef, but it struck and sank in
two hours"
The officers of the Princess May are:
Captain, ]. Mcleod; pilot, J. Richard
son; chief officer A. Slater; second Of
ficer, A. Robson; chief engineer, Nc
Graw; second engineer,.J. Howe; chief
steward, w. H. Rowland; second
H. Ffnlayson; purser. c. Iron
sides; freight clerk, V. Sortwell.
The Princess Nav is a Sinpla hOttOm
vessel, a steel twin screw steamer of
1894 tons, built in 1888 for the late
Viceroy Chang Chih Tung of China as
the Hating, and used with a sister ves-
sci between Hongkong and Formosa.
While on the route she was boarded by
pirates and a number of passengers
killed on board. She changed hands
number of times, being known also as
the Nanchow.
At Hongkong she was bought ten
years ago by the Canadian Pacific rail-
way for the Skagway route.