The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-04-02
THE V|LLAPA IS WRECKED
Ran On a Rock Near Queen
Charlotte Islands.
THERE WAS. NO LOSS OF LIFE

Accident Occurred in Binding
Snow storm-Passengers Camped
on Beach-Now at Bella Rella.
Seattle, Wash. March 29.-A Nanai-
mo, B. c., special to the Post-1ntelli-
geneer says:
The steamer Barbara Boscowitz ar
rived from northern ports this morning
with eighteen of the passengers and
crew of the steamer Willapa. which
sailed from Seattle for Dyea, March 16,
with as much freight and as many pas
sengers as she could carry, the steamer
having run aground on Regatta reef,
seven miles north of Bella Bella, .oppo-
site the lower end of Queen Charlotte
islands.
The accident occurred last Friday
morning at $3.50 o'clock during blind
ing snow storm and heavy gale. At
the time she struck the engines stopped
and the steamer, drifting with the wind
and tide, slid on rock, bow first, with
out jar, but could not be pulled off,
and as the tide was falling rapidly, she
was soon hard and fast. A strong sea
soon swept the stern to windward, the
bow acting as pivot. The vessel, get
ting into shallow water on the lee of
the reef, settled down on a sharp rock
with the falling tide, listing her over
on her bow. In spite of the large num-
ber of passengers, there was no panic
or disorder, Captain Roberts showing
admirable GOODNESS.
The passengers stayed on board sew
eral hours, until it was found that the
tide was rising as fast in the hold as
outside, and the pumps had no effect.
The women were then taken in the
boats to Campbell island, distance OF
two miles, and afterward the men, dogs
and baggage. A camp was formed, and
sixty or more passengers made as COM
Portable as possible, the deserted shacks
on shore serving as cookhouses. The
ship stores, which were not damaged, /,
were brought ashore.
Until Sunday no vessel passed, and
during that time the captain and crew
worked removing supplies, baggage and
freight, much of which, being such
goods as rice, beans and -four, was lost.
There were nine horses on board, but,
| DIS bllSy COOlu hOb OO 1CluofOo "Aedou'
steam, they were shot in the hold.
| During the two days after the acci-
dent. the steamer was badly battered by
winds and seas, and Sunday was only a
derelict, being sprung and badly broken
up. Captain Roberts and crew stayed
by TO- remove the cargo to the island.
The steamer Boscowitz reached the
wreck on her way south Sunday after.
noon, and. brought all the passengers
and food to Bella Bella, where they are
now staying, the purser, engineers and
twelve Yukoners only coming down tt
Nanaimo and Victoria. The contingent
at Bella Bella had only about ten days
supplies, and hoped for the arrival of 6
steamer soon.
The Boscowitz reports that the
steamer Dora, which left here with {
full list and cargo of coal several days
before the Willapa, went on the rock'
ON Green island, near Port Simpson
last week. The tide, however, was OF
the rise at the time, and she got off tht
rocks in a few hours, but, finding tha
she was taking water rapidly, she wal
run on the beach. The passengers anc
crew were safely landed, and an effor
is being made to effect sufficient re
pairs to bring her to Seattle.
4 To Can Reef in Mexico.