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Telescope February 39 The wooden steamer Alaska of 1878 spent almost all of her career on the Detroit - Sandusky route. DOSSIN MUSEUM COLLECTION big Put-in-Bay House burned that August. And on September 14, Pearl was reported ashore at Fairport in danger of breaking up, but she was released with slight damage several days later. The next year Alaska took the Cooke's place on the Detroit and Sandusky run, and her speed was publicly compared to that of the other new steamers Grace McMillan and City of Detroit (i). Grace McMillan avoided a direct challenge with Alaska, but at last in September, 1879, Alaska managed to tangle with City of Detroit near the mouth of the Detroit River. The challenge ended tragically in the failure of Alaska's steam dome, filling her cabin with steam and badly scalding many people; three engineers escaped overboard and were drowned. Alaska continued on the run in later years, enduring a number of further mishaps until fire destroyed her at last in Hay of 1889. The 1889 season found the Detroit-Sandusky line at the threshold of modern times. Horace Mitchell, Ashley's half-brother and partner, had died in 1887; John P. Clark died a year later. Thus, early in this new season, the firm of Ashley & Mitchell became known as Ashley & Dustin. Until the death of Oliver Dustin in 1948, the Dustin family would carry on the line in the twentieth century. To replace Alaska was a critical task. Captain Harryman's steamer Remora was already running "opposition' on the Detroit-Sandusky route. The small Gazelle took Alaska's place, but she smashed into a steam barge at Toledo in late June. Next, Pearl withdrew from Cleveland and Put-in-Bay service to fill in. By