The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-19
Eleven Men Were
Drowned Rashly.
DANGEROUS RISK WAS TAKEN
RUSHING FOR SCHEDULE TIME
CAUSED A WRECK.
Rigid Investigation of the Eureka
Disaster Begun by the In
spectors of Steam
Vessels.

A tragic story of the sea was rehearsed
yesterday before the United States In
spectors of Steam Vessels during the in
vestigation into the loss of the coasting
steamer Chilkat on the Humboldt bar on
the 4th inst
The steamer left Eureka on the ebb
tide and the sea was choppy, but two ri
val steamers had already gone out and
the captain did not wait for the safer
food tide because he was anxious to make
up time, such being the orders of the
owners of the boat. The boat went up
against the bar in a choppy sea- Just as
she had got we'll into the breakers =
heavy wave broke over the bows. The
steamer quivered and staggered like
strong man Keeling before the blows or
an adversary, then recovering, lunged
forward into the swelling pillows The
next moment huge wave topped with
foam rolled down upon her, throwing her
upon her side and breaking her back upon
the shallow bar.
A panic fell upon the passengers and
crew as they were Jared off their feet
by the shock, and rush was made TOT
the lifeboats and the life preserverS.
What happened after that was not clearly
remembered by the living. All was con-
fusion, the one thought in the breasts OF
all being self-preserYatton, at which time
equaled only by that of the fourfooted
mammal. The living could remember
only obscurely what had happened to
themselves; what had happened to the
dead they did not and could not know.
The second great wave that struck the
bow of the steamer proved her undolng.
She shivered and keeled over on the bar,
spilling her passengers and such of her
freight as was movable. Eleven human
beings went down in the boiling waters,
and when the life had gone out of them
were washed ashore with the rest of the
debris of the wreck.
The witnesses called yesterday were
unanimously of the opinion that seamen
considered the bar dangerous al ebb tide,
and that if the steamer had started on
flood tide there would not have been a
wreck and loss of life. The reason given
for the sailing of the vessel at this peril
Gus stage of the water was that the North
Fork and the Pomona had just left port,
and that the captain of the Chilkat was
anxious to make his schedule time, which
he would not have been able to do had he
waited for the flood tide.
Peter ]. Johnson, first officer, told the
inspectors that the cargo was light, being
composed of butter and shingles, Eureka
butter not being strong enough to wreck
a vessel. The steamer was SeawOTthy,
save that she was little weak about
the $50 k ST. He admitted, in answer TO
/ a question by Captains Bolles and Bulger,
that ii was safer to go out of port on the
flood tide rather than on the ebb.
William Grief, fireman on the Chilkat
said, I'VE were always scared to go out
on the ebb tide because we considered it
dangerous.
c. C. Lightner, first engineer, was of
the opinion that the steamer should have
gone over the bar on the flood tide.
The investigation was continued until
the arrival of the Weeott with more wit