The Nome Daily Nugget

Steamer Denali Sinks No Lives Lost—and No Cargo Salvaged.

Steamer hits reef breaks in two and the main half sinks deep water—all safe.

(By The Associated Press)

KETCHIKAN, May 20th—The steamer Denali of the Alaska Steamship Company struck a reef off Zayas Island early Sunday morning and ripped a hole from the bow to amidships, in her bottom.

The crew and passengers were taken off by the Coast Guard Cutter Cyane. The Denali later broke in two, the main portion sinking in deep water, leaving her forepeak on the reef. The passengers were cannery workers. The vessel was off the regular lanes on a more direct route for Metlakatla, to be her first port of call. She carried a valuable cargo of canning and mining machinery. Nothing was salvaged.

SEATTLE, May 20, A half-million dollar loss including her cargo resulted when the steamship Denali went to the bottom of the Pacific. Except for a shattered forepeak, which hung on the reef off Zayas Island, British Columbia, she is a total loss.

Her seven passengers, eight officers, twenty-three members of the crew and four stowaways were taken off by the cutter Cyane which rushed to the scene from Ketchikan yesterday. With fire eating in her holds after the crash, the vessel broke in two.

Company officials here said that the vessel was valued at between two and three hundred thousand dollars, and that the cargo including a hundred tons of dynamite and much cannery and mining machinery, was worth as much more.

The first news of the vessel's plight was flashed to the Army Signal Corps radio station at Ketchikan in an SOS at 3:13 A. M., Sunday; and in less than an hour the Cyane was speeding through heavy weather and thick fog to her rescue. By 5:05 reports to the coast guard here said the vessel was listing and the seas were pounding her savagely.

Two life boats were lowered taking the passengers and stowaways, and some of the crew ashore.

Captain T. E. Healy, Frank Hoseth, radio operator, and other officers stayed with the vessel.

At 6:15 A.M. the radio was dead. Two hours later the Cyane appeared, and just then the Denali began to buckle.

Three officers were taken off, and Captain Healy, Chief Mate W. E. Cleasby and Third Mate J. Lawton were left aboard.

Having picked up the lifeboats and survivors ashore, the cutter returned to the Denali and stood by until noon.

At about that time all hope was given up for her, and the three officers went aboard the Cyane.

At 2:44 the Denali began listing heavily as the wind and sea increased. Fire broke out in the engine room and two hours later she broke in two, the main part of the hull slipping into deep water.

The four stowaways were jailed at Ketchikan on vagrancy charges, as soon as the Cutter Cyane docked at Ketchikan. They were W. Rester, L. Beaton, B. Cory, F. Hedges the last two being from Seattle.

The names of the passengers aboard the Denali were William Laigo and M. Crisotoms bound for Tyee; F. C. Yuel and Carl Haasl for Ketchikan; Harry L. West, Al Brown and Carl D. West for Juneau. The Cyane returned to the wreck and radioed that nothing was worth salvaging. Part of the ship is still fast on the rocks. Two battered trucks were seen on the foredeck. The amount of dynamite aboard the vessel was thirty tons, instead of a hundred.