The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1921-08-12
STEAMSHIP SINKS
ON PACIFIC COAST
BOILER EXPLODES ADDING HON.
OR TO TRAGEDY THAT COST
MANY LIVES
Boats Are Wrecked While Being Put
Over Side; survivors, in Water for
Hours; Death Toll
Runs High

EUREKA, Cal.-Onlv WreckuSe re-
mains of the San Francisco and Port
and Steamship company's liner Alaska,
which foundered in the Pacific on the
rocks of Blunt's reef, forty miles
south of here, Saturday night with
known loss of seventeen lives and
with thirty persons definitely posted as
missing Monday and believed to be
dead. The ship was en- route to San
Francisco from Portland, Ore.
The Alaska had aboard 1872 passen-
gers and carried crew of eighty-twO
OF the passengers, revised lists Mon
day placed the missing or dead at thlr-
ty-tive Twelve members of the crew
are dead or missing.
Surviving passengers and crew, num-
bering l67 were brought to this por1
Sunday by the steamer Anyox, which
answered the AlaSka's distress calls.
Some of the survivors planned to leave
for San Francisco aboard a special
train arranged for by officials of the
line which owned the Alaska.
The authorities made plans to hold
an inquest over the seventeen bodies
in the morgue here.
Some of the deaths were declared
by survivors to have been caus-
ed by an explosion of the Aaska's
boilers as the ship started sinking at
ter twice hitting the rocks Some of
the passengers and members of the
crew were blown into the sea. Many
of these, it was said, succeeded in
again boarding the ship or were res
sued by lifeboats after clinging to
wreckage until help arrived.
Oil rising from the burst tanks OF
the ship was scattered over one life
nearby was coated with oil and the
bodies of the dead when recovered
were covered with oil.
So suddenly did the tradedy happen
that the steamers crew hardly had
| time to prepare the lifebOats, and many
of these were reported wrecked While
being put over the vessels sides spill
ing their human cargo into the Icy
rescued by the AnyoX after they had
floated about in the water for several
hours.
J. H. Moss and e. L. Vilim, both of
Chicago, said they reached lifeboat
which had been swept off the decks
Other lifeboats, they declared, went
down with the ship.
Captain Harry HOBBY of the Alaska
preferred to go to his death rather
than leave his command, passengers
reported. When Mr. Ross removed Il
lifebelt he was wearing and offered II
to Captain HOBBY, telling him to save
himself, witnesses said the captain
walked away, replying:
II prefer to 90 down with my ship"
Although veteran in the service,
Captain HOBBY was only 40 years old
He assumed command of the Alaska
three weeks ago, and this was his
third trip.
Stories of herOism We're again told
by survivors of the ill fated steamer.
Captain SnOddy and the crew of the
AnyOx were commended for their res
cue work. Accompanied by three sea-
men volunteers, Second Officer Andrew
Sinclair of the Anyox took a lifeboat
from the Alaska and within thirty min
utes rescued thirty persons clinging TO
wreckage in the water.
| The full story of the sinking Of the
Alaska did not become known until
survivors had landed here. 1t was
ceeding towards San Francisco In dense
fog when she struck submerged
ledge of the reef. This shock was al
most instantly followed by another as
the vessel struck al outcropping OF
the reef above water.
The Alaska struck the reef shortly
after o'clock. Immediately wireless
distress signals were flashed. Five
miles away the steamer Anyox of Van
couver, B. c., picked them up and dis
regarding fog and danger Of striking
the same rock as the Alaska, put on
speed to the rescue At 8: 80 O'clock
the Anyox received the Aiaskas final
message:
I'VE are sinking by the head"
Before the Anyox could reach the
stricken Alaska the latter had sunk.
| In the hog the AnyOx came unOn a life