The Alaska daily empire., 1915-09-28
SCHOONER
 TOSSED BY
 HUGE SEAS

At nine o'clock last night, under command of Captain D. B. Hoffman, the gasoline power schooner p. J. Abler dragged herself into the chan mel and anchored just off the oil dock. with her hold half full of water and her crew exhausted. Captain Hon. man filed wreck report at the U. S. customs house today.
 Leaving Seattle on September 1S, the little schooner set out for Bethel. Alaska. with a crew of 17 men. and four passengers. and 200 tons of freight. She expected to reach her port in about fifteen days. After leaving Wrangell. the Abler left the inside passage and went outside, passing Cape Ommenay When about 150 miles or the cape she ran into rough weather and the storm grew more furious every hour.
 Seas Mountain High"
 To make matters worse. while the storm was running mountains high the boat sprung a leak, and the en- zines were stopped by contact with the water. A deck load of lumber, l coal and a large amount of provisions ! were thrown overheard. and everybody ! on the boat enlisted in the fight against the storm.
 CT never saw fellows work like those fellows did" said Karl Thiele, one of the passengers. this morning Geo. ! Corbett. the first engineer. was over come by the gas and they carried him up and put him on a table. One of the fellows worked with him for a minute, and without waiting to get his own breath Corbett raced back into the engine room and helped to bring out Frank Boren, the second engin- ! eer. Those fellows worked in that gas until they had to be carried out. !
 ''We were buileted around in that storm for two solid days and plenty of times it looked as though we'd new CT get out Of it. We drifted north and came in here by way of Icy Straits"
 D. P Frohock, another passenger on ! the Abler. was bound for Good News . Bay. where he has been employed to teach school during the coming win ter,
 R. S. Boyd, also a passenger. is well ! known in the interior and for several 1 years has been a mail carrier on the ! Seward trail. Mir. Boyd and Mr. Thiele were going inside to open up a trading post on the Kuskokwim. at Reindeer City.
 D. Sorsei had taken passage on the Abler and was enroute to the Kusko- ! kwim. where he is one of the largest mining operators. Mir. Sorsei owns one of the largest dredging outfits in ! the country
 "Bender Bros" Missing.
 About four days before the Abler left Seattle another boat owned by the same company. the Bender Broth CTS. cleared from Seattle and carried ! among her passengers Mrs. E. P Fro !. hook and children. and Mrs. R. S. ! Boyd and children. Their husbands were to follow on the Abler Moth l ing has been heard of the Bender Brothers since she left Seattle. and 1 grave fears are had for her safety MT. Frohock said this morning that there is no way to get into communi- ! cation with her. as the Bender Broth ! CTS carried no wireless and would not pass any point where telegraphic ! communication would be possible un- til she reached Umiak Pass The Bender Brothers is gasoline schoon- ! CT about the size of the p. J. Abler
 No plans have been made as yet by either the boats crew or her pas sengers An investigation was start ! ed shortly after she arrived here, and necessary repairs will be made. She 1. will be in port at least three or four days The four men have an signi- !. fled their intention of continuing their trip. but are not sure just when they will leave.
 The P. J. Abler is owned by Shields & Natochs Co.,, of Seattle. and is one of a fleet of three boats, the other two being the Bender Brothers mentioned. ! and the Ruby Her cargo is fully in- sured.
 The Abler is one of the best known boats in the Arctic. having made the Far-Northern trip for many years.
 HI GILL WITH LANG.