The record-union., 1899-04-05

EUREKA, April 4.-One of the worst
wrecks, considered from the standpoint
of loss of life, in the history of Hum
boldt Bar, took place to-day. The lit
tie steamer Chilkat. with nineteen souls
on board, left Eureka at 10 O'Clock. Be-
fore noon she was upside down on the
bar, and ten of her human freight were
no more. OF the nineteen on the vessel
thirteen comprised the officers and crew
and six were passengers. OF the pas
sengers two were saved and four lost.
and of the crew seven were saved and
six lost.
The saved passengers were: H. Smith
of Scotia, Cal, and w. c.. Morser of
Oakland, Cal. The latter had been
working near Ferndale for several
months.
The lost passengers are: M. o. Buzan,
Peter Fry, E. O'Brien and E. ]. Boz
land. Buzan was a tight rope performs
er, and it is supposed that his home was
in San Francisco. Fry was manager of
| a creamery at Ferndale, and was a well
known citizen of this county. E. O'Brien
| was going to San Francisco to fill
situation. E. j. Boland was a printer.
| The members of the crew saved were:
Peter Jensen, mate; VIM. lockwood.
chief engineer; Clyde Lightner first AS
sistant engineer; T. G. Bohall, steward;
VIM Grip, fireman; Peter Hansen, fire.
man; VIM. Black, seaman.
| The names of all the seamen lost are
not yet known. The drowned include.
however, the Captain. F. b. Anderson;
| the second officer name unknown; E.
Capolla, cook, and A. Johnson, sea-
man.
Captain F. B. Anderson was master
of the vessel. His home is in San Fran
cisco. He had 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 car
ried on to San Francisco, and 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 Jensen,
Firemen Hansen and Passenger Morser.
From them the cause of the wreck was
| learned
| The Chilkat was almost over the bar
when big sea struck her forward, car
ried away the wheelhouse and the
wheel, 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. Ev-
erybody got UP ON the hurricane deck
and an attempt was made to get the
small boats clear. The breakers fol-
lowed 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 one of the
small boats adrift after the steamer
went over. Morser says he saw no boat
launched; that there was not time be-
fore they were ali in the water
Morser tells a graphic tale of the
buffeting he received. The Chilkat was
loaded with shingles, lumber and but
ter. The water was covered with this
wreckage, and time and time again
Morser was knocked from the plank to
which he was clinging. His watch was
stopped at 11:24 indicating that 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 d 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.
SAN FRANCISCO. April 1.-The
steamer Chilkat, which was wrecked
on the Eureka (Ca1) bar to-day, was
owned by c. P. Doe & Co. of this city.
She has been in the freight and passen-
ger trade between this city and Eureka
for several years. She was a stancll
little steamer of about 125 tons. The
Chilkat was built in Astoria in 1890.
She was 105 feet long, 20 feet beam,
and her net tonnage was 206.