Seward Daily Gateway May 29, 1929

H. FLICKINGER ADDRESSES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TUESDAY LUNCHEON

A vivid account of the sinking of the SS Aleutian in Uyak Bay and the escapement of 155 of the 156 persons aboard the ill-fated liner when it struck a hidden rock off Amook Island Sunday morning, was given by J.H. Flickinger, Seward agent for the A.S.S. Co., addressing the Seward Chamber of Commerce at the weekly luncheon of the organization yesterday.

Sincere in its praise for the most efficient manner in which Captain Nord and his officers and crew removed everyone from the vessel which plunged to the bottom of the sea in less than 10 minutes after crashing, Mr. Flickinger, after paying tribute also to the employees of the Alaska Packers Association at the Larsons Bay cannery who assisted materially in the rescue work and rendered every possible aid in restoring the spirits and comfort of the shipwrecked members, turned to Captain R.R. Lukens, master of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey vessel, also present at the meeting, and with moist eyes and a broken voice thanked the Captain, in the name of the Alaska Steamship Co., and the doomed vessel’s survivors, for having speedily responded to their distress call, and rescuing the entire party from the waters, beaches and open life boats, and landing them all safely in Seward.

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT

“Accompanied by my wife,” said Mr. Flickinger, “I took the Aleutian out of Seward Friday night, after midnight intending to make the round trip to the Westward canneries and return to Seward Sunday nite or early Monday. The Aleutian was carrying freight and cannery crews for various ports in the district, including Uyak, Uganik, Larsons Bay and Zacker Bay, also about 10 tons of freight for the schooner Ester, which was to be met in Uyak Bay, at the far end of Amook Island.

“Everything had been going well. I had been up several times Saturday night as the ship made stops at the canneries, and at 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning I dressed fully. After the ship departed from Zacker Bay, I decided to lie down for a little more sleep, only removing part of my clothing. Just about 30 minutes after leaving Zacker Bay the crash came, and the ship immediately took a list to port.

TAKE TO BOATS

“My wife and I were in bed at once. Because of the great list it was impossible to finish dressing in the stateroom and we grabbed what clothes we could and made our way out on deck. We could feel the vessel sinking, and I became concerned only with the safety of my wife and myself. A partially clad steward passed us, rousing everyone who wasn’t already up. Captain Nord was giving sharp orders to the sailors and directing the lowering of the lifeboats.

“We made for a boat that was already being lowered, about 30 feet away from us, on the starboard side but by the time we reached the rail the boat was within 10 feet of the sea, and the occupants pushing with all their strength keeping the life boat from the ship. It didn’t seem necessary to lower very many of the Aleutian’s life boats, but the one below us looked crowded already. As the stern began to rise, a jacob’s ladder was put over the rail and Mrs. Flickinger and I followed several persons down it to the waiting life boat.

SHIP ABANDONED

“Nearly every one had abandoned the ship by that time. Looking up, we saw Pilot Miller and Engineer Kelly standing at the rail, and as the stern of the Aleutian was going higher and higher, we frantically shouted to them to jump for God’s sake. Then both of them leaped over the rail. Kelly swam to a boat not far from ours, which picked him up. Another man, swimming towards the same boat was also helped in. Miller was swimming towards the ship’s magazine which was afloat, but his coat caught on what looked to me like part of a hatch cover, before he got a hold of the magazine.

“I don’t believe we were in the boats two minutes before the Aleutian disappeared entirely, and the floating life boats and a life raft were the only remains to be seen. The ship seemed to almost stand straight up before nosing easily to the bottom in about 300 or 400 feet of water. She went down gently, and with little if any suction. Two bear hunters, in a small gas boat, came alongside our boat and offered to tow several boats to the shore about a quarter of a mile away. Some of the men from our boat climbed over to the life raft that had floated by, and the remainder of us were taken to shore.

TOWED TO BAY

“Some of the life boats were still being used to pick up swimming sailors, tho there were only a few who actually took to the water.

“I desired as quickly as possible to get to Larsons Bay from where I might communicate with Captain Lukens of the SS Surveyor, which I understood was then in Zacker Bay. The gas boat first endeavored to tow three life boats full of occupants to Larsons Bay, and being unable to do so, we took Mrs. Waybrecht of Seward and Miss Miller of Latouche, and Mrs. Flickinger; also the second mate who had a gash in his side, the mail clerk whose finger was smashed, and one man who was nearly drowned when he remained on the Aleutian long enough to force Miss Miller off the sinking ship, and with a few more were towed to Larsons Bay in a single life boat.

SURVEYOR TO RESCUE

“On the way in to the cannery we met the cannery tender Raven, then on the way to assist in picking up the scattered survivors. Two other tenders were getting ready to proceed to the scene. The radio operator at Larsons Bay had no difficulty clearing the air, and in a few minutes I had a message from Captain Lukens that the Surveyor was rushing to our rescue, which was certainly cheerful news.

“The cannery employees of the Alaska Packers Association did everything in their power to make us comfortable, and medical attention was promptly administered to the few injured by the company’s doctor, and hot meals were prepared for us. Tho it was noon and none of us had eaten that day, we hadn’t any appetites.

OFF FOR SEWARD

“The Surveyor appeared about 11 o’clock, accompanied by the ship’s tender Helianthes, which craft Captain Lukens dispatched to Uyak Bay to notify and pick up Captain Nord and the others. The shipwrecked party was altogether about 2:30 p.m. and most comfortably located on board the Surveyor and bound for Seward, which was reached Monday evening about 6 o’clock. Home never looked better to Mrs. Flickinger and me, and never will.

“The next task was to give the crew requisitions on the Seward merchants for new outfits of clothing, many of whom had scarcely more than their underwear. Captain Nord and the remainder of the Aleutian’s officers and crew sailed for Seattle Monday night on the SS Seward.”