The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1921-08-11
Steamer Alaska Goes Down 80
Minute: After Crashing Into \.
Rocks Of BIunt's Rect. s: ....=,
- ~, - ~ %l$+As
CAPTAIN DIES AT POST O.
100 Survivors Brought to Port BY
Rescue Ship Anyox-crew and :
Passengers Display Great
Herolsm az Vessel Sinks.

Eureka, Calif.-Forty-eight persons,
thirty-six passengers and twelve Of
the crew were, lost Saturday night
when the steamer Alaska Of the San
Francisco & Portland Steamship COM
pany. southbound from Portland, Ore,
to San Francisco, sank thirty minutes
after crashing into the rocks of
Blunt's Reef, forty miles south Of this
city.
The survivors, numbering. 166 per-
sons, were brought here by the rescue
ship Anyox, the first vessel to reach
tho scene of the wreck in response to
the Alaska's radio signals. The coast
guard tug Ranger, dispatched from
Eureka, returned to port with the
bodies Of twelve men. Eight were
members Of the crew and four were
passengers.
Captain Harry HOBBY, master Of the
Alaska, is still unaccounted for and
10 believed to have gone down with
the ship.
OF the survivors landed by the An
yox, thirty were more or less severely
injured and received medical treat
ment at hospitals.
The Alaska struck the reef bow-on
In dense fog, according to the sur
vivors, and Immediately began to list.
The work of launching the lifeboats
was accomplished without delay or
disorder.
One Boat Capsizes.
Three Of the boats successfully rode
the waves. but the fourth boat cap
sized and precipitated it's occupants
INTO the sea. The greatest loss of life,
the survivors said, resulted from this
nishap. A few who wore life belts
succeeded in keeping afloat until the
ieats Of the Anyox picked them up.
Captain HOBBY, when the last Of
he ifeboats had been sent over the
tide of the rapidly filling Alaska, went
10 the stern Of his vessel and he was
,een there when it started it's plunge
10 the bottom.
George Glenn, who, with another
passenger and the captain, were the
last men on the ship, came to the
surface, short time afterward, and
lnally found an empty lifeboat 9th
brs were struggling in the water. The
steamer Anyox, towing a barge to
Vancouver, was twelve miles distant
when the first IS. o. S." signals of the
Alaska flashed out
Aid Arrives in Hour.
Within an hour the Anyox arrived
it the wreck and with order that won
high praise from the survivors, the
crow OF the Anyox speedily picked up
hose who were drifting in life pre-
servers or in life boats. Through the
Aight other ships joined in the.rescue
work.
1t was a short time-a scant thirty
ninutes-between the striking t0n the
;ock and the, sinking Of the vessel
sut without signs of disorder, the pas
lengers were helped into the lifeboats
ander calm direction of officers and
brew and they were lowered into the
water.
Women and Children First.
Captain Hobey's' heroic direction OF
The life saving was of such thrilling
Example that several men passengers
stayed by him and the women and
children were taken first into the
soats.
The vessel slowly listed and then,
sighting itself, suddenly plunged.
An overturned life1boht shot many
passengers into the water. There was
+ half-hour Of bleak darkness with the
Ute boats drifting into the blanket of
log before the siren of the rescue
steamer Anyox was heard, =
Captain Snoddy Of the Anyox and
his crew, defied the treacheries Of the
feef in carrying on the rescue work,
but it was with difficulty that the
wreck victims in lifeboats and many
In lifs-preservers or clinging or drift
ting wreckage were found. '~:I