Arizona republican., 1910-12-13
THOUGH DOOMED HERSELF
She Held Out Against Ham mering Waves Until Re
 lief Came to the Passen-
 gers and Crew Who Were Looking in. Face of Death

Valdez, Dec F. Completely sheathed in ice, with a great hole torn in her hull amidships and with twenty five to twenty-eight feet of water in all her compartments, the Alaska Steamship company's liner Olympia lies like stranded iceberg 0n a reef of dreary Bligh island, in Prince Will liam sound. She is expected to become a total loss with her cargo, a part of which had been salved from the same company's Northwestern when she was sunk at False bay, Puget sound, re- gently.
 Of the 126 persons on board when she struck, all were saved and taken to Valdez and Ellemar with the excep- ton of three members of the crew who are standing by the ship.
 When the Olympia left COrdova on Saturday night after emptying her hold of coal her stern was high out of the water. Soon a furious gale hit the steampship and her propeller re- vOlved in the air with every wave and her rudder was useless. The captain saw what was destined to follow, but he could only wait for it. When the staunch Glasgow built boat struck on the reef the hull was not injured, and the untiring waves hammered the Olympia against the rocks for nearly three hours before the steel staved in and the hold flooded
 Had the boat been of slighter con structiOnO she must have been broken in two and all would have been drowned. Wireless Operator George l.. Hayes of Seattle, aged 24, native of Minneapolis. sent distress messages until the water deprived him of his battery. After that he lay dawn, con- meeting the receivers over his ears. At II on Sunday he heard message from COrdOva: Two boats leaving Valdez: arrive about g."
 This news revived the people on the ship, who had noted the subsistence of the storm, but were not sure that re- lief had started to them. one of the women passengers, who had been on the Northwestern when it stranded re- centiy. almost collapsed when she learned of the new misfortune. but she soon regained her spirits and became as cheerful as any of her companions.
 All the records of the United States court which had just concluded it's sit ting at COrdOva, were on the Olympia. but were saved. There is no wireless station at Valdez and the message from the Olympia which was received in the CordOva station. could not be translated to Valdez until the opening of the government cable late on Sun day morning. The wreck is only thirty-five miles from Valdez, which was the natural relief point.
 The launch COrsair. which put out from Katalla to go to the assistance of the olympia. was compelled to turn back on account of the fury of the storm. A government launch. Lieu tenant Donaldson, made two trips to Ellamar with the passengers and the steamer June took off the crew and the United States mail and baggage.
 The passengers praise the crew for the work done to make things com fortable about the ship. Engineers and firemen stayed below until the ris- ing water put out the fires.
 When the boat first struck it main- tained an even keel. but at o'clock began to list to starbOard." said Chief Cook Amless, in telling of the wreck.
 "The boats were lowered with great difficulty. Giant waves kept flashing over the vessel and the freezing spray soon covered the ship with ice. The blocks and gear of the boats were frozen solid and the sailors ha dto work in the cold wind. breaking the ice out of the gear with marlin spikes. By the time the gear was in working order the sailors were covered with ice"