FOURTH YEAR. CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1914.
--T~
OVER 900 DROWN AT SEA
QUEBEC, May 29.—During the early morning hours
another terrible sea calamity occurred that has shocked the
people of the world and which equals in loss the recent Titanic
h<orror. The Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Ireland was on
her way to Liverpool, and scarce a day out, when she was
rammed by the collier Storstadt, at the head of the Gulf cf
St. Lawrence. She tore a great hole in her side and shortly
after the collision there was an explosion in the engine room.
Scenes of the greatest confusion and excitement followed. Life
boats were at once put out and the Storstadt picked up what
she could, all the survivors being landed at Rimouski. The
Empress of Ireland carried nearly 1,200 passengers and had a
crew of 399. It is believed that seven or eight hundred have
lost their lives.
The Empress of Ireland was built at Glasgow about nine
years ago, and is a sister ship to the Empress of Britain. These
vessels were about 725 feet in length with a beam of 78 feet,
and having a carrying capacity of 25,000 tons. They were the
largest ships afloat prior to the building in 1907 of the
Mauritania and the Lusitania, which are 790 feet long.
RIMOUSKI, May 29.—The Empress of Ireland carried a
total of 1,437 passengers and crew and the dead will number at
least half. Capt. H. G. Kendall, commander, was saved,
although most of the cabin passengers have perished. Among
the missing is Sir Henry Seton-Karr, a noted English lawyer,
and Laurence Irving, son of the late Henry Irving. All save
20 of a party of 140 Canadian Salvation Army Corps, were lost.
Many of the survivors have broken arms and legs or are
injured in some manner.
RIMOUSKI, May 29.—Late this afternoon it is known that
not less than 700 perished in the Empress of Ireland disaster.
The vessel sank in 14 minutes after she was struck. All kinds
of harrowing scenes were witnessed by those who survive.
Twenty-two died after they had been picked up by rescue
vessels. Shortly after the explosion the ships Eureka and Lady
Evelyn went to the rescue and have landed passengers here.
Nearly all are nervous wrecks, having undergone terrible
strains. ‘
RIMOUSKI, June 1.—Captain Kendall, master of the
steamer Empress of Ireland, testified this morning before the
coroner’s inquest. lie sAated that the disaster was due to the
failure of C'apt. Thos. Anderson, master of the collier Storsdadt
to observe the whistle signals. Also that the failure of Capt.
Anderson to hold the nose of his collier in the hole that was
gashed in the side of the Empress, was the result of the
Empress filling with water so soon and the consequent
explosion. As a result the passengers were not give time to
make their escape.
MONTREAL, June 1.—When Captain Anderson was
shown the statement made by Captain Kendall he denied that
lie was responsible. He says that fog signals were exchanged
and that the engines of the Storstadt had stopped but that
when the collision occurred the Empress “was making
considerable headway.” Upon her arrival here the collier was
libeled bv the Canadian Pacific Company, on a claim of
$2,000,000 damages against the owners of the Storstadt.
RIMOUSKI, May 30.—A revised list shows that 054 are
dead by reason of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland. Four
hundred and thirty-three have been rescued. The number of
fatalities is greater than was at first thought, when it was
believed that about one-half of those aboard had been saved.
OTTAWA, May 30.—Former Premier Sir Wilfred Laurier
§ has urged the government to make a thorough investigation of
the causes that led to the sinking of the Empress of Ireland
by being rammed by the collier Storstadt.
QUEBEC, May 30.—Shortly after a Canadian Pacific
relief train, carrying survivors from the wrecked steamer, had
started on its way the train was derailed. Much excitement
resulted for a time but none were injured.
«
NEW YORK, May 28.—Former President Roosevelt
testified in a civil suit brought against President White of the
L nited Mine Workers of America. In the course of his
testimony lie took occasion to say that he was ready to take
i measures “equivalent to action in time of war,” to end the
anthracite coal strike in 1902 in Pennsylvania, even if it
resulted in an effort to impeach him. He said that he had
planned to send federal troops to Pennsylvania and to have
* General Scofield “act practically as receiver for the mines and
to pay no heed to writs that might be issued by judges.”
4
SEATTLE, May 27.—Governor J. F. A. Strong, <
who has been in Washington for the past six weeks, <
arrived here yesterday afternoon and will soon sail for -
Juneau. He states that it is the intention of Secretary <
of the Interior Lane to go to Alaska in July, providing <
Congress adjourns on the 10th of that month, as is now <
expected. The present plan of the secretary is to sail <
from Seattle about July 15, and to spend a month <
looking over the proposed tide terminals on Prince <
William Sound and Seward, and taking short trips to <
the interior of Alaska. <
<
FIRST H 5T1K
mjUWl
Tuesday, June 2nd will be regarded as a memorable day
in Chitina. It inaugurated the commencement of a great
government enterprise that will mean the expenditure of
$35,000,000 and the construction of railroads that will open up
to development the varied resources of the country. The first
survey to be made under the direction of the Alaska Engi
neering Commission will be from Chitina to the Matanusk*
| coal fields. The first stake was driven about 2 o’clock this
| afternoon. It was the occasion for a great outpouring of
people and much jubilation. This survey is to be made by
Henry Deyo, who is now in Cordova securing supplies for his
! party. He will reach Chitina and take personal charge of the
work on Thursday. In the meantime his 16 men have started
in and they will be busily employed until the finish, which may
take most of the summer. *
_
SEATTLE, May 28.—The Alaska Engineering Commission
today cabled Henry Deyo, the engineer, at Valdez, to go to
Cordova and organize a survey party and proceed to Chitina,
to survey a route from Chitina to the Matanuska coal fields. It
is stated that Mr. Deyo has been selected to do this work
because he is familiar with the route and assisted in making a
similar survey for the Copper River & Northwestern Railway.
When Mr. Riggs was asked whether the railroad was likely to
run this way he replied that the commission has been instructed
to secure all possible data of the various available routes and
that a decision would then be made by the President, after the
commission submits the result of its investigations.
A crew headed by Capt. Francis Rotch sailed on the
steamer City of Seattle today for Skagway. They will go via
the river route to Dawson, where they will get the government
launch Midnight Sun in shape to convey a surveying party to
the Nenana river.
SEATTLE, May 29.—The Alaska Engineering Commission
is kept busy every hour of the day in arranging for purchases
and the employment of men necessary to do the survey work
and packing of supplies iu running the lines of the various
Alaska railroad routes. Vessels sailing north within the next
fortnight will carry for the commission 1,500 head of cattle,
mules, horses, hogs and sheep.
Sailing on the steamer Alameda will be a party of five sent
by the Commission to make a topographic survey of the harbor
and shore lands of Portage Bay. This party will be in charge
of W. C. Durin and he will take with him a big outfit to last
several months. The Alameda will put in at Portage bay to
discharge the passengers and freight.
_
WASHINGTON, June 2.—Senator Thos. Walsh, <
of Montana, discussing the recommendation of Secre- <
tary Lane, with reference to taking action on his <
Alaska Development*Board measure, says: “The coal <
leasing bill for Alaska is a more important and <
impressing bill than a new form of governing the <
affairs of the territory. The latter, while good, can <
wait, but delay in passing the coal measure will mean <
dire consequences. I do not think it possible to do <
more for Alaska at this session than pass the coal bill. <
And that we should certainly do.” <
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▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲A ▲ A A AAAAAAAA a a a
CHICAGO, June 2.—A vote was recently taken as <
to the desire for a strike among the railroad engineers <
and firemen. Announcement was made today of the <
result, which authorizes a strike, which accordingly <
has been ordered. Forty-five thousand engineers and <
firemen and one hundred different railroads are <
affected. The matter at issue is an increase of wages. <
It is expected that the move will be resisted upon <
the part of the railroad companies, and that a general <
tie-up will result unless means of arbitration are <
adopted. *
i
GENERAL ALASKA INTEREST
SEATTLE, May 27.—Private dispatches have been
received here that are particularly encouraging to Alaskans.
And it indicates that the development of the Bering river coal
fields is now near at hand. The information received from
Washington is to the effect that the general land office has clear
listed 17 qoal claims and that patents are soon to issue. Among
these claims are those of T. P. McDonald and of Lippy, Davis
and associates. It is confidently believed that other .claims
equally as meritorious will also go to patent. If this be true
the passage at this session of Congress of the Alaska coal
leasing bill will not be of so much importance, at least so far as
the development of the Bering river field is concerned. If
patents are issued for a number of good claims it is thought
that there will be no difficulty to have a big corporation arrange
to open up a coal mine, and also that the Copper River &
Northwestern Railway can easily be induced to build a branch
line to the Bering fields.
ST. MICHAEL, Alaska, May 29.—Definite news concerning
the fate of the schooner Karluk was received last night, upon
the arrival here of Capt. R. A. Bartlett. He was master of the
ship that Steffansson had chartered to take his exploring party
to the Arctic. Last fall while the explorer and some of his
men were off on a hunting expedition the Karluk was blown
out to sea. All kinds of reports have since been circulated as
to her destiny.
Captain Bartlett states that the Karluk was crushed in the
ice 60 miles north of Herald Island on January 11th last. Shei
had previously been fast in the ice but when the floes shifted,
and she was crushed it did not take very long for her to sinkl
and disappear altogether. The crew, however, were all saved
for in the meantime they had left the vessel and sledded over
the ice to Wrangell Island. Twelve were there and four others
expected to join them later, after doing some exploring.
On March 18th, Captain Bartlett left with one Eskimo and
followed the Siberian coast to Emma harbor. There he was
picked up by the whaler Herman and brought to St. Michael.
The crew and members of the explorer’s party who are
marooned at Wrangell Island have plenty of food to last them
until relief is secured. They took off from the Karluk all tire
provisions that they could transport.
WASHINGTON, June 1.—In an interview with Senator
Key Pittman and Representative Seott Ferris, respective
chairmen of the Public Lands committees, Secretary Franklin
K. Lane urged the passage of the Alaska Development Board
bill, which would give complete control of the natural resources
of the territory to the hoard. lie believes that this bill would
correct most of the evils complained of by Alaskans and would
result in the development of the country. The secretary also
says that a new cable is required for the Alaska line. He adds
that the receipts from the government cable and telegraph
lines in xVlaska for 1913, exclusive of government and terri
torial business was $602,613, and the expenditures $502,980.
The first survey work in Alaska in connection with the
building of government railroads will be done from Chitina to
the Matanuska coal fields. Engineer Henry Deyo, of Valdez,
was designated by the Commission to have charge of this work
and before the week is out the work will be started. Mr. Deyo
sent twenty horses and feed over the trail from Valdez to
Chitina. With them went five men. Arriving at Cordova this
morning was Mr. Deyo, his wife and eleven men. The latter,
in addition to Jack O’Neill, of Cordova, were sent on the train
this morning to Chitina. Mr. Deyo is still here buying supplies
to last his party for a stated period. They will be shipped to
Chitna on Thursday’s train, at which time Mr.Deyo will also
go to the interior. He will then immediately get his party
under way, and they will be the first to start work on any of
the proposed routes. He had previously made a reeonnaisance
of this line and is entirely familiar with it and consequently
expects to have no difficulty in quickly performing the duties
given him by the Commission.
OYSTER BAY, May 29.—A number of prominent
Progressives were in conference with Colonel Roosevelt last
evening. They determined upon the immediate future policy
of their party. Their program provides that there shall be no
amalgamation with the Republican party, so as to make one
united party. They will favor fusion tickets where candidates
agree to accept the Progressive policies.
SEATTLE, May 27.—The steamer Dirigo, that has
been undergoing repairs here, again started for the
north this afternoon, via the Inside Passage. The first
part of the outfit for the Alaska Engineering Commis
sion was dispatched on her. It consists of a number of
horses and equipment of various kinds. It will be
landed at Ship Creek, at the head of Cook’s Inlet. It
is expected that other equipment and supplies will spon
follow on other steamers. The Dirigo goes north to
take the run of the Dora between Seward and west
ward ports.