The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-10-14

With the arrival of Captain Fred DOuse from Nenana last evening some light was thrown on the man ner of the sinking of the launch Flyer and the wearing of the life preserver found on the body of Mrs. Chas. Craig. It is positively stated by the man employed on the Hart. wig place, short distance from where the accident occurred, that he saw the launch strike the bar and afterwards drift down stream. He states that he paid no attention to the occurrence as it had happened several times before. the launch al- ways going down stream and then resuming it's journey.
 THEORY OF SINKING The theory Is advanced that on account of the repeated strikings of the launch on the Hartwig bar and other places that the supporting iron of the propeller shaft, which Is sup posed to hold it rigidly in place, became so weakened that it did not require a hard blow to crumple it up, bringing the swiftly revolving propeller up to the hull of the boat and grinding large hole in the bot tom. The iron was suspended about three feet below the hull of the launch and when it crumpled there was nothing to hold the launch on the bar and it floated free, filling rapidly as it drifted. When in deep water it sank.
 EFFECT OF THE STRIKE.
 When the launch hit the bar it was going probably at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. A sudden stoppage would have thrown all of the passengers forward with con siderable force. The launch oper. ator was seated behind his engine at the steering wheel and the sud den rush of passengers forward buried him beneath them. It is probable that some of them were rendered unconscious by the force of the blow and in that condition were drowned.
 LIFE BELT EXPLAINED.
 The presence of the life belt on the body of Mrs. Craig has been ac counted for. On the trip out from the Tolovana on small boat Mrs Craig got off the launch at the TolO vana station and remained there un til the arrival of an upcoming boat She was afraid to travel the river in small craft and insisted on wait ing for the steamer. On her ar rival at Nenana, which was for a short visit with friends, both she and her husband were invited to visit Fairbanks for short time which was accepted. With the fear of river travel still within her she donned the life belt before the launch left Nenana and stated that she would wear 1t until the arrival at Fairbanks. This dispels the theory that the passengers had time to adjust other belts. The equip ment of the boat did not include over five or six life preservers and there would not have been enough tC go around.
 INFORMATION SOUGHT
 It develops that there was one passenger on the launch who got of at Wood river and for the purpose of ascertaining just how many were on board the launch on the fatal day, J. T. Mckinley left Fairbanks yesterday for that place to interview that passenger, Peter Jenkins. MT Mckinley carried a letter from Com missioner Heilig stating the circum stances of his (McGinley's) mission It may be that the messenger will have to go some distance into the country as Jenkins was on a pros pecting trip. Until his return nc definite count of the passengers can be ascertained.
 SHUSANA WILL HELP.
 It was learned last evening that the steamer Shusana would leave Cinema this morning to aid in the search. The boat will be equipped with heavy drags and grapples, suf ficiently strong enough to tear loose any snags that may be fastened onto and in case the launch is dis covered it may be taken from the water. The work will be confined tC searching the deep holes in the vi cinity of where the launch was seen to go down.
 INFORMATION REQUESTED.
 From Seattle yesterday Andrew Nerland received the following mes sage:
 Seattle, Oct. 8-9. 1918. Andrew Nerland, Fairbanks:
 Kindly investigate what became Of the c. E. Craigs from Livengood Alaska. According to newspaper re ports they were lost on the Tanana river last Friday. Being old friends