Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-05-11
Al BELIEVED
LOST ON THE
ROANOKE
Watch for Bodies Of Those
Who Perished When North
Pacific Liner Was Wrecked
OF the California Coast

Port San Luis, Cal, May IL
While patrols watched the breakers
today for bodies Of the AZ believed
dead in the North Pacific liner Roam
oke disaster, a wireless message came
| from the steamer Lansing saying that
lit had gone over the scene Of the
horror OF Point Buchon and found
no trace Of survivors.
This radio was received at $3.50
a. m. by ]. H. Sims. president Of the
Pacific Coast railway. It also an
nounced that the Lansing was COM
ing in and would arrive at IL o'clock.
Rumors along the sea coast that
another lifeboat, containing single
corpse, had been found. we're not
substantiated and were discredited.
So far the only men known to have
escaped death are Joseph F. Erb. q
quartermaster, and two Mexicans.
who drifted ashore with FIVE dead
bodies in lifeboat near here last
might.
| Accounts OF the end OF Captain
Richard Dickson and his wife con-
fiict. The only man able to give a
halfway coherent report of the dis
aster SO far is Erb. He says that
when his lifeboat pulled away from
the doomed Roanoke after its cargo
had shifted and thrown it on its
beam ends, both the captain and his
wife were clinging to the bridge.
The two Mexicans are suffering SO
from shock that they are not able
| to talk.
In later statement Erb said that
two lifeboats were swamped in leav-
| ing the sinking ship. One having ar
rived here, this leaves two unaccount-
ed for.
The steam schooner Whittier ar
rived here today and reported hav-
ing seen no trace of the Roanoke or
It's lifeboats. A heavy gale is blow
ing, which might make it impossible
for small boats to keep afloat.
Manuel Lopez, fireman, who came
ashore in the lifeboat with Quarter
master Erb and Charles Rovero. told
graphic story of the disaster this
afternoon when he had partially re-
covered from the shock.
He declared that the crew Of the
Roanoke was inexperienced and. in
his opinion, the cargo was badly load
ed. He declared he protested to Cap
tain Dickson and begged the skipper
not to take his wife on the voyage.
The steamers destination, Lopez said,
was not known to him.
Contrary to statements that the
liner suddenly rolled over when hit
by big wave, Lopez asserted that It
began to list heavily several hours
before it finally sank. When the
steamer began to tip over an attempt
was made to summon help by wire
less. but the radio was found to be
out of commission. Signals were
then hoisted. but three ships which
passed did not see them.
Finally, according to Lopez. pre-
|parations we're made to take to the
|lifeboats. There were. he said, "about
so or so persons aboard and IL the
lifeboats had been properly handled
Lopez said he believes that all IL OF
them could have been launched. How
ever, several caught in the davits or
were capsized. Five were finally
floated. hut two OF these swamped
In one Of the boats still missing
Lopez said there was only one man.
John G. Dennis, the second officer,
who climbed into II alone. There are
eight men In the other missing life
boat. W.
Quartermaster Erb recovered sum
ciently this afternoon to add more
to the narrative. He said the boat