The Washington herald., 1921-08-08


today.
According 60 women survivors.
these men and Others gave theIr
places In the IIfebcats that th-s
women and children might be
saved. The nIne bodies Include
four members Of the crew and
hye passengers.
EUREKA. Cal. Aug. Shaken
with terror and suffering from all
night exposure. lOl passengers Of
the steamer Alaska were landed
safely at Eureka this afternoon.
bringing with them a tragic tale
Of the sea in which forty-two lives
were apparently lost and more than
200 endangered. Seventy members
OF the crew were alos saved.
The Alaska ran upon Blunt's reef.
five miles off Eureka last night 4
great hole was torn in her side. She
filled rapidly. and within fifteen
minutes what had been an excursion
boat carrying tourists on a vaca-
tion journey was merely a hulk.
resting on the bottom.
Iifeboats then swung about un-
easily on the great swells. Men and
women clung desperately TO float
ing wreckaEe. begging for aid. A
heavy fog enveIoped the helpless
boats. Before the Alaska had taken
her death plunge. her wireless had
snapped out a signal OF distress.
The steamer AnyoX was not far of.
and il was this ship which put into
Eureka wsth the first survivors
Estimates Of missing VARY.
Figures of the survivors and
missing here vary slightly
The steamer AnyoX data shows
she brought \ SO passengers and
20 members of the crew as sur.
vivOrs. with Sc passengers and IL
members OF the crew missing
Newspaper figures show lOI pas
sengers rescued. in addition to 20
members OF the crew and the num-
ber OF missing uncertain, probably
between 30 and 50.
Apparent loss Of Capt Harry
Hovey with his ship will probably
delay determination Of responsible
llN TOT the a. ulSaSter.
SecoRn Mate Lubrey revealed that
both the captain and himself were
aware of the nearncss OF their ship
to the reef and had twice altered
their course in an effort to pass
that dangerous point that had al
ready claimed many ships in the
past.
The 100 mon and women FIRST
hrnnChN
half of the ships entire company.
According to best avaiIab Bile reports.
the Alaska had eO3 persons aboard
as she steamed her way from Port
land to San Francisco. These in
cluded 1l3 passengers. a crew OF
eighty and ten officers
Felt Terrific Crash.
II was about 10 O'Clock last night
that the ALASKA struck the reef Is
she pounded her way slowly south
ward through the dense fog. Most
OF the passengers were below deck
owing to the fog. According TO
stories of the SURVIVORS there was
terrific crash and the alarm that
all faced q disaster Immediately
spread.
According to tho first survivors TO
arrive, there was apparently hut
little confusion in the launching or
lifeboats. This. coupled with the
fact that the sea was running moth
ing worse than 2 heavy swell, prob
ably accounts for the comparatively
small death list when the speed
with which the Alaska sunk is con-
sidered.
Following the Anyox. the I. s. &
Lygonia. with nurses and doctors
hastened to the scene Of the dis
aster. A number Of doctors and
nurses were transferred 90 the
AnyoN and administered to the suf-
fering survivors while the rescue
snip steamed toward Eureka.
Drenched With OIL.
All the survivors located up TO
the time the Anyox left the scene
appear TO have been on that vessel.
They numbered IOl. The steamer
El Segundo followed the Eureka into
port. but had no survivors from the
Alaska aboard
Survivors were in a pitiable con-
dition. In addition To the terror
and hardship incident to such a dis
aster. the bursting oil tanks OF the
steamer had drenched the men and
women with oil. the fumes Of the
oil adding 20 the difficulty Of those
in the water TO keep ahoat.
The faces Of the men and women
were blackened by the slime Of oil
Women struggled in water. and
their hair, torn in the mad rush
for safety. was matted as though
tarred By the oil.
Captain Probably Lost.
Capt Harry Hovey is generally
believed to have gone down with
his ship. J. II. Moss Of Chicago
said he was standing beside the
captain on the bridge when the ship
sank and was certain he say HoVey
drown. c. L. Billion. Of Chicago, also
believed he saw the captain lose
his life
Second Mate .Dubrey. who was on
the bridge when the Alaska struck.
was unable to account for the ship
being so far of her course as Go 90
on the reef. He said he had SGT
a course that would carry him two
and a half points 10 the Westward
Of the Blunt reef Iightship Thrn.
as the fog thicl,Naed. Dubrey, said.
he again set his course two and