The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-08-12
Boilers of Sinking Ship
Alaska Exploded
STORIES OF DISASTER
Survivors and Dead Landed At
Eureka, CAL; The
Missing :
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch1

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl
Eureka, August s-Forty. seven
names from the passenger and crew
list Of the steamer Alaska definitely.
were posted today as missing.
ThIs number includes seventeen
known dead representing bodies at
the Eureka morsue, some Of which
have not been Identified.
When the Alaska foundered Sat
urday night At 6lunt's reef, forty
miles from here, she had aboard 1872
passengers and carried a crew OF
eighty two. OF the passengers, re-
vlssd lists today placed the missing
or dead at thirty-five. Twelve
members Of the crew are dead or
missing.
Eureka, Cal, August S.-Passengers
! and members of the crew of the
! steamer Alaska were blown from the
decks OF the evssel into the ocean when
the ships boilers exploded as the Alas
Ia started sinking after twice hitting
on Blunt's reef Saturday night, sur
steamer Anyox today brought 166
survivors Of the wreck to Eureka
Seventeen dead were also brought
here including three women and a
child. There were thirty one others
missing and belieyd dead. Twelve Of
the dead had been identified.
The list Of missing may be changed,
for lists Of passengers and crew
aboard have not been verified.
The full story of the sinking of the
Alaska did not become known until
survivors had landed here. 1t was
brought out that the Alaska was pro-
oeedfng toward San Francisco in a
dense fog when shs struck submerg
was almost instantly followed by an
other as the vessel truck an outcrop-
ping Of the reef above water.
Distress Signals Flashed
The Alaska struck the reef shortly
after nine o'clock. Immediately wire
less distress signals were flashed.
Five miles away the steamer Anyox
Of Van Couver, B. c., picked them up.
and disregarding fog and danger of
striking the same rocks as the Alaska
put on full speed to the rescue. At
$3.50 o'clock the Anyox received the
Alaska's final message: I'VE are
sinking by the head" Before the An
yox could reach the stricken Alaska
the latter had sunk.
In the fog the Anyox came upon a
life toat with survivors from the
survivors said, had been thrown over
Alaska. The boat was partially filled
with sea water and oily scum. The oil
them and in their boat by the explo-
sion of the boilers which wrecked the
Alaska amidships.
Seventeen Missing Bodies
Seventeen bodies Of victims of the
wreck Of the steamer Alaska are In
the city morgue. The list of identi-
fed or partially identified bodies is
Johnston. Brooklyn N: Y. E. Pickall
Hubbard Ore. A, N. Hutchins. Port
land Oregon, S. Krfmazawa, Steerage
passenger. Crew: Chief Steward,
Charles Hesne. Steward F. H. King.
Frank Comm. Ralph J. Mockett,
esaman larsen, engineer, Portland
Ore.
Only Wreekase Remains.
Only wreckage remains of the San
Francisco and Portland Steamship
company's liner Alaska which found
cred in the Pacific on the rocks Of
Bluntis reef, forty miles south Of here
Saturday night with a known loss of
seventeen lives and with thirty one
persons missing early today and be-
route to San Fransico from Portland
Oregon.
Surviving passengers and crew,
numbering 1876, were brought to this
port yesterday by the steamer Anyox
which answered the Alaska's distress
calls. Some Of the survivors planned
to leave today for San Francisco
aboard special train arranged by Of
hcials Of the line which owned the
Alaska. Others left Eureka last night.
Tho authorities planned an inquest to-
day over the seventeen bodies in the
morgue here.
- Deaths Due To Explosions.
Some of the deaths were declared
By survivors today to have been
caused by an explosion of the Alaska's
boilers as the ship started sinking
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
rescued by life boats after clinging to
wreoksge until help arrived.
OIL rising from the bursted tanks OF
the ship was scattered over one life
boat filed with survivors, the ocean
nearby was coated with oil and the
bodies Of the dead recovered were
covered with oil.
80 sudden did the tragedy happen
that the steamers crew hardly had
time to prepare the life boats and
many Of these were reported wrecked
while being put over the vessels sides
smiling their human cargo into the
Icy waters. Many OF the survivors
were rescued by the Anyox after they
had hoated about for several hours.
Captain Met Death.
J. H. Moss and c. l. Vilim both OF
Chicago, said they reached life boat
which had been swept off the decks
Other life boats, they declared, went
down with the ship. Captain Harry
HOBBY OF the Alaska preferred to 90
to his death rather than leave his
command, passengers reported. When
Mr. Moss removed a life belt he was
wearing and Offering 1t to Captain
HOBBY telling him to save himself
\ witnesses said the captain walked
away replying: 81 prefer to go down
with my ship"
Although a veteran in the service
Captain HOBBY was only forty years
old. He assumed command Of the
Alaska three weeks ago and this W Is
his third trip.
Stories of heroism were again tolc
by survivors OF the Inflated steamer
CAPTAIN s. Snoddy and the crew OF the
Anyox were commended for their