The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-05
TEN DROWNED
By the Wreck of the ChiIkat on
Humboldt Bar.
Vessel Turned Bottom Upwards
by the Waves.
NINETEEN ON BOARD.
Six Managed to Escape In a
Boat.
Three Chung to Wreckage and
Washed Ashore.
NINETEEN ON BOARD.

Eureka, Gala, April 5.-One OF the
worst wrecks, considered from the
standpoint of loss of life, in the history
of Humboldt Bar took place when the
little steamer Chilkat, with nineteen
souls on board was turned upside down
on the bar and ten of her human freight
drowned. OF the nineteen on the Vessel
thirteen comprised the officers and crew
and six We're passengers. OF the pas
sengers two were saved and TOUR 4ost;
and of the crew seven were saved anu
six lost.
The lost passengers are:
M. o. Buzan, Peter Fry, E. OBr1en
and E. B. BOland.
Buzan was a tight rope performer
and it is supposed that his home was
in San Francisco. Fry was manager OF
a creamery at Fernandale and a weH
known citizen of this county. E. OBr1en
was going to San Francisco to nj
situation. E. B. Boland was a printer
The names of all the seamen lost are
not yet known. The drowned include,
however, the captain, E. B. Anderson;
the second officer, name unknown; +. f.
Capolla, cook, and A. Johnson, seaman
Captain E. B. Anderson was master
of the vessel. His home is in San Fran
cisco. He has a wife but no children.
OF the people saved six got away in
a boat and were picked up by the
steamer North Fork, which had passed
out just ahead of the Chilkat- They
were carried on to San Francisco ana
will reach there tomorrow. The other
three washed ashore on wreckage. They
were taken out of the water by the
men at the life saving station and are
now in this city. They are Mate Jen-
sen, Fireman Hansen and Passenger
Morse.
The Chilkat was almost over the bar
when a big sea, struck her forward, car
ried away the wheelhouse, disabling her
steering gear and smashed her upper
works generally. The captain called for
a block to try a temporary steering
gear, but before anything could be done
the helpless boat fell into the trough OF
the sea and the men came piling up
from below with the information that
the water had poured down below and
put out the fires. The ship was entirely
helpless and another breaker went over
her. Every body got up on the hurri-
cane deck and an attempt was made
to get the small boats clear. The break
ers followed each other fast and the
fourth and fifth ones struck the ship
in such way as to turn her upside
down. 1t is believed the men rescued
by the North Fork managed to get on
one of the small boats adrift after the
steamer went over Morse says he saw
no boat launched; that there was not
time before they were all in the water.
Morse tells a. graphic tale of the buffet |
ing he received. The Chilkat was load
ed with shingles, lumber and butter. |
The water was covered with this wreck |
age and time and time again Morse
he was clinging. His watch stopped |
at 11:24, indicating that was the exact |
time the Chilkat went over. There was |
plenty of water where the vessel was |
wrecked. After turning turtle, she |
drifted northerly and finally struck the |
beach about a mile and a half from the |
spot of the accident. She now lies a |
couple of hundred yards off shore in |
the middle Of the breakers with only /
the top of her hull showing. She is |
breaking up rapidly.