The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-08-10
48 LOSE LIVES WHEN
STEAMER ALASKA SINKS

Account for 12 Bodies Out OF List. 4S
Missing After Sinking Of Ship. Skip.
per Believed Lost.
Eureka, Calf, Aug. 7.-Forty- eight
persons, SO passengers and IL Of the
crew were lost last night when the
steamer Alaska Of the San Francisco
and Portland Steamship Company,
southbound from Portland, Oregon, to
San Trancisco, sank thirty minutes
after crashing into the rocks of
Blunt's Reef, forty miles south Of the
city.
The survivors, numbering 186 per-
sons, were brought here today by the
rescue ship Anyox, the first vessel to
reach the scene Of the wreck in re-
sponse to the Alaska's radio signals.
The coast guard tug Ranger, dis
patched early today from Eureka, re-
turned to port with the bodies Of 10
mes. Eight were members Of the crew
and four were passengers. Captain
Harry Hobey, master Of the Alaska, Is
still unaccounted for and Is believed
to have gone down with his ship.
OF the survivors landed by the
Anyox, thirty were more or less seri-
ously injured and received medical
treatment at local hospitals.
The Alaska struck the reef bow on
in a dense fog, according to the sur
vivors and Immediately began to list
The work Of launching lifeboats was
accomplished without delay or disor-
der. Three of the boats successfully
rode the waves, but the fourth boat
capsized, throwing it's occupants into
the sea. The greatest loss of life, the
survivors said, resulted from this mis-
hap. A few who wore lifebelts sue
ceeded in keeping anoat until picked
up.
Captain Hobey, when the last of the
lifeboats had been sent over the side
Of the rapidly filling Alaska, went to
the stern OF his vessel and he was
there when it started it's plunge to
the bottom.
Captain Harry Hobey, master Of the
Alaska, with two passengers, were
the last on the ship. The captain is
missing. He was without a life pre-
server. One of the two passengers,
George Glenn, of Nebraska, was
saved.
The steamer Anyox, with the known
1G6 survivors, arrived here late to-
day.
According to the stories of the sur
vivors, three lifeboats were launched
The last was but few feet from the
wreck when the Alaska, which had
listed to starboard, suddenly righted
and then plunged, bow first.
The steamer Anyox, towing a barge
to Vancouver, was twelve miles dis
tant when the first IS. 0. S." signals
of the Alaska flashed out.
Within an hour the AnyoX arrived
at the wreck and with order that
won high praise from the survivors,
picked up those who were drifting in
the water and open boats.
Through the night other ships join
cd in the rescue work.
Twelve bodies were found, which,
with the arrival OF tho AnyoX and a
tug bearing the bodies here, left the
unaccounted for at thirty-two pas
sscngers and four members of the crew
The Alaska, of the San Francisco
and portlopd Stcomcbip ConnonV
left Friday with 13l passengers, OF
in the stccragc. The majority Of the
| in ste steeragc The majority Of the
Passengers were summer tourists
The Alaska hailed from the home
port Of Port Townsend Washington
| Its net tonnage was 3,709 and its
length 327 feet. Her normal crew
numbered i5. She was built at Chcs-
ter, Penn, in 1889.
Blunt's Reef is forty miles south OF
Eureka and 1877 miles north OF San
Francisco. Ship accidents were frc-
Qucnt at that point years ago, until q
llightship was built in 1901. The only
notable wreck since was the sinking
about fifteen years ago Of the steam
er Columbia, with heavy loss OF
life. The owners Of the Alaska, in
cidcntally, also owned the Columbia
| Fogs have prevailed along the
| Washington, Oregon and northern
California coasts for two weeks and
several shipping casualties have oc,