The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-08-11
STEAMSHIP SINKS
ON PACIFIC COAST
BOILER ExPLopEs 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

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 a
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 a crew Of elghty-two
Of the passengers, revised lists Mon
day placed the missing or dead at thir.
ty-hve. Twelve members Of the crew
are dead or missing.
Surviving passengers and crew, Num-
berlng 1917 were brought to this p0r
Sunday by the steamer Anyox. which
answered the Alaska's distress calls.
Some of the survivors planned to leave
for San Francisco aboard speciar
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
oy survivors to have been caus-
ed by nm explosion of the Alaska's
boilers as the ship started sinking af-
ter twice hitting the rocks. Some OF
the passengers and members OF the
crew were blown into the sea. Many
OF these, 1t was said, succeeded In
again boarding the ship or were res
sued by llfeboats after cllnging TO
wreckage until help arrived.
Oil rising from the burst tanks or
the ship was scattered over one life
boat filled with survivors, tahe ocean
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 hao
lime 10 prepare the llfeboats, and many
Of these were reported wrecked while
being put over the vessels sides, spill
ing their human cargo into the Icy
waters. Many OF the survivors were
rescued by the Anyox after they had
ioated about In the water for several
hours.
j. II. Moss and &. l.. Vllim, both OF
Chicago, said they reached llfebont
which had been swept of the decks.
Other llfeboats, they declared, went
down with the ship.
Captain Harry HOBBY OF the Alaska
preferred TO 20 10 his death rather
han leave his command, passengers
reported. When Mr.. Ross removed
ifcbelt he was wearing and offered II
to Captain HOBBY, telling him to save
himself, witnesses said the captain
walked away, replying:
Il prefer to 20 down with my ship"
Although n veteran In the service,
Captain HOBBY was only 40 years old
tie assumed command of the Alaska
three weeks ago, and this was his
third trip.
Stories of herolsm were again told
by survivors OF the III fated steamer.
Captain SnOddy and the crew OF the
AnyOx were commended for their res
cue work. Accompanied by three sen
men volunteers, Second officer Andrew
OF the Anyox took a llfebOat
from the Alaska and within thirty min.
utes rescued thirty persons clinging 10
wreckage In the water.
The full story of the sinking OF the
Alaska did not become known until
survivors had landed here II was
brought out that the Alaska was pro-
,eedlng towards San Francisco in dense
fog when she struck Il submerged
ledge of the reef. This shock was al.
most instantly followed by another as
the vessel struck an Outcropping or
the reef above water.
The Alaska struck the reef shortly
after o 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 $3.50 o'clock |
the AnyOx received the Alaska's final
message:
1--WE are sinking by the head"
Before the Anyox could reach the
stricken Alaska the latter had sunk
In the bog the AnyOx came upon a life
boat with survivors from the Alaska.