New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-12
BIG STEAMER WRECKED
The Olympia Gees on the Rocks
Near CordoVa. Alaska.
FEAR FOR PASSENGERS
Steamship, It Is Said, Had LOG
Travellers on Board When
She Struck.
FEAR FOR PASSENGERS

Cordova. Alaska. Dec. 1.-THE Alaska
Steamship Company's steamer Olympia,
with 106 persons aboard. is ashore on
Sea Island, Prince William Sound A
furious storm is raging.
There are ffty-two pa ssensers on the
Olympia Most of them went aboard
the vessel at Cordova last night Among
| those who sailed from here for Valdez
and Seward are United States District
Judge E. E. CUshman and wife and
members of the Sd District Court. on
the way to Valdez. where court con-
veneS to- morrow.
The OIympias crew consists of fifty
four officers and men. Captain ]. Dan
iels is in command. She sailed from
Cordova at o'clock last night, having
arrived from Seattle earlier in the day
Between II and / O'Clock this morning
the operator on duty al the navy wire
less station picked up the distress sig
nal of the Olympia, He answered at
once.
Operator Hayes, on the Olympia. then
sent an urgent appeal for help, saying
the Olympia had struck on Bligh Island
and was in an exposed position. Heavy
seas were breaking over her. making the
position of those on board perilous
The, message from the Olympia was
received with difficulty. but communi-
cation was maintained with the disabled
ship until 4 o'clock this morning. Since
that time no call has been picked up
from the ship
1t is possible that the silence of the
wireless means nothing more serious
than the giving out of the batteries or
the breaking of the dynamo, but on ac-
count of the furious storm which is rag
ing the most conservative admit that the
interruption of wireless communication
may mean that the steamer has sue
cumbed to the pounding OF the waves.
The launch Corsair left Katalla, nfty
miles east of Cordova, for the wreck
early this morning. WOr1 was also sent
to Seward, to the west, to dispatch the
mail steamer Dora TO the olympia as
sistance The Dora was due at Seward
carly to-day and should already be on
the way to the Bligh Island.
Because Of the difficulty with which
the wireless communication with the
OLYMPIA was maintained, Operator
HAYES was unable to give any details
concerning the grounding of the vessel.
1t is believed. however. that her ma
chinery must have broken down, '"aVlng
her at the mercy of the storm opera
tor HAYES said that the boats ere
ready for launching. but that the fury
of the storm made this too dangerous an
undertaking except as last resort.
Included in the passengers of the
OLYMPIA when she sailed from here last
night were |. Hamburger. secretary of
the federal court wife and two children;
District Attorney George r. Walker, Guy
Rruback and j. l.. Green. Assistant Dis
trict Attorneys: Don Stewart, stenogra-
uher: L., NJ Lakin. clerk of the court
Thomas S. Scott deputy clerk: j. Ham
i1ton. stenographer; ]. II. ID. Bouse and
Mr. Brown, deputy marshals, all MEM
bers Of Judge Cushman's court
Seattle, Dec 1.-THE Olympia was
wrecked forty miles from Cordovd,
Alaska. early to-day. Meagre informa-
ton received from the company's agent
at valdez Alaska, says that the vessel
ran on a reef. A message sent during
the forenoon said:
"AU hands on deck" This is taken 20
indicate that the passengers and crew
we're preparing To take To the boats.
The Olympia, an iron screw steamship
of 6S31 tons gross, was built in Glasgow
in 1883. and was chrstened the Dunbar
castle Later the vessel was transferred
to the American register. and her name
was changed to the Olympia. Her home
mort ia Seattle. She was under command
of Captain j. T. Daniels. The ship was
valued at S35O,OOO.
The Bligh Island Reef. where the
OLYMPIA struck, is unighted. Three
Alaska liners have been wrecked within
81 radius of fifty miles of the point where
the Olympia ran ashore.