The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-18
CAUSED A PANIC.
Steamer Walker Disabled
in the Gale.
EXCITEMENT ON THE RIVER.
Windstorms Also Swept Through the
Interior, Causing Considerable
Damage to Buildings.

Walker OF the California Navigation and
Improvement Company had a rough ex-
perience in the San Joaquin River early
this morning. and for the time being the
most intense excitement prevailed on
board.
The trouble was caused by the bursting
or breaking of the syphon pipe and the
almost immediate exhaustion of the steam
in the big boiler. This left the vessel
for few moments at the mercy of the
fercest gale of wind that has been known
on the San Joaquin River for more than
twenty years Suddenly, at about 2 O'clock
in the morning, the passengers were
awakened by the violent rolling of the
vessel and the simultaneous crash of fur
nitnre. freight and crOckery. and whatever
had not fixed and immovable position on
the steamer was soon being tossed about
like playthings. Passengers were thrown
from their beIths, and many Of them hur-
ried into life-p reseryerS before il occurred
to them that they would be more present
able on deck or in the main saloon if more
completely attired.
Many ran about wildly, some screamed
and couple of the lady passengers faint
ed, while one man who had patrOniZed the
bar rather too freely was taken with fits.
The vessel pitched and rolled frightfully.
and the more timOrOus were several times
certain that ii must capsIze. ID the midst
Of the confusion the height of the panic
was reached when. with a sharp crash like
that of thunder, the main saloon doors
were fairly torn from their hinges by the
gale and hurled to the floor.
Even the officers were now thoroughly
alarmed and the purser visited all the
staterOoms off the saloon and advised such
of their occupants as had not already been
frightened out OF their wits to get on deck
and prepare for an emergency. For fully
ten minutes, or perhaps longer, the
Walker lay in the trough of the waves,
which for these waters were remarkably
violent. The gale struck her full on the
starboard and swayed her over and back
again till it seemed as though she must
capsZe. The Walker is little topheavv
in a gale, and this OF course made her be-
: have worse than another steamer might
have done.
Pilot Charles Saulit was at the wheel
when the accident happened and a mo-
ment later Captain Benson was in the
pilot-hOuse beside him. They were not
aware of what had happened down in the
engine-roOm, but kept ringing their sig
mails, all to no purpose. Having lost her
steam-pOwer for the time the big stern
paddle-wheel hung motionless and the
rudder proved useless against the terrific
force of the gale. At the moment of the
accident the Walker was head on to the
wind. In all instant after the paddle
wheel had stopped its motion the vessel
veered to the south and the full violence
of the wind struck her sQuarely on the
side.
For time almost everybody scrambled
for the life-preservers. These were not
difficult to obtain, and by the time those
who thought they needed them had
strapped themselves into them securely
they hogan to run about wildly again and
inquire of one another what the next step
in their rescue was to be.
Then came the crash that attended the
bursting of the saloon doors. and with 1t
came instant darkness all over the ship.
In order to repair the break Engineer
Cross proceeded to open all the steam
valves. This caused the total collapse of
all steam power on board, and as a conse-
quence the electric lights went out sud-
denly. The darkness increased their ter
rors, and for the most part the crowd of
u
matter of fact, there was but scant danger
to any ones life, nor is there likely to be
on the run to Stockton in any accident
much short of boiler explosion. Boats
could have been lowered and everybody
taken off the steamer and landed over in
the tules in ten minutes time had it been
necessary. But nothing like that was
necessary. What was needed was done,
Before any serious damage was done
Captain Benson had run the Walkers
PROV into the tules as hard and as fast as
he could. For short time these held the
steamer and prevented her from rolling as
dangerously as before. Then enough
steam was got up to back out in the
stream, which at this point. about mile
above Bouldin Island, is half mile in
width. Here the anchor was cast and she
drifted slowly down the stream head to the
wind.
In less than two hours the break was
mended and the Walker steamed on I'D the
narrow, shallow river. But the remainder
OF the trip, though not fraught with dan
ger, was tedious and d fficut in the ex-
treme, and 1t was not till after 1 o'clock
this afternoon that the Walker put into
pOII at OlOCkIOU anu began Qni0aulDg her
heavy cargo and plethoric passenger list.
II have been sailing up and down this
river for thirty-two years now" said Pilot
Saulit, 'bnt have never encountered a gale
in these parts like the one that struck us
last night. Under the circumstances the
Walker behaved admirably and there was
10 real danger"
The furniture in the saloon was dam
aged considerably by the unexpected con-
cussions that occurred to it. and there was
marked fall in crockery on board. Some
good liquor in the barroom was spilled,
and q OF few bottles. decnnters and glass
ware broken there. The barman claims a
damage amounting 10 SIS. Between decks
some small lots of freight were spoiled by
being churned I'D together, but the finan-
cial loss will not be great.
What caused the damage to the syphon
pipe is unknown to a certainty, but En-
Rineer Cross thinks il was snapped off by
being struck with crate that might have
been knocked against it. Manager Cor
coran Of The steamship line was psssen-