The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-05
TEN LIVES ARE SACRIFICED
STEAMER CHILKAT GOES DOWN
OFF THE CALIFORNIA
COAST

Out of a Crew of Thirteen Seven
Escaped and Six Went to the Bot
tom-Four Passengers Are Also
Among the Lost.
EUREKA, Cal, April 4.-One of the
worst wrecks, considered from the stand
point of loss Of life, in the history Of
Humboldt bay, took place today. The
little steamer Chilkat, with nineteen
souls on board, left Eureka at 10 o'clock
Before 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 were
lost, and Of the crew seven were saved
and six lost.
The saved passengers are: H s.
Smith, Of Scotia, Cal. and w. c.. Nor
ser. Of Oakland. Cal. The passengers
are:
M O. BUZON.
PETER FRY
e. O'j'RIEN.
= j. BCLAl(D.
Buzon was tight rope performer, and
1t is supposed that his home was in San
Francisco. Fry was manager of a
creamery at Fernandina, and was a well
known citizen Of this county E. O'Brien
was going to San Francisco to fiji a va
cation. E. ]. Boland was a printer The
members Of the crew saved were: Peter
Jansen, mate; William Backwood, chief
engineer; Clyde Lightner first assistant
engineer; T. c. Bohall, steward; William
R. Grip, fireman; Peter Hansen fireman:
William 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; P. e.
Capolla, cook, and A. johnson, seaman q.
Capt E. B. Anderson, the master of
the vessel, lived In San Francisco He
has wife, but no children.
or the people saved SIX got awavtin a
boat and We're picked up by the steamer
Northfolk which should have 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 Fireman Hansen
and Passenger Morser.. From them the
cause of the wreck was learned. The
Chtlkat was almost, over the bar when a
big sea struck her forward, carried aWav
the whole house and the wheel diSa bline,
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 be-
low with the information that the water
had poured down below and put ont the
fires. The ship was entirely helpless and
another breaker went over her.
Everybody got up on the hurricane deck
and an attempt was made to set the
small boats clear. The breakers followed
each other fast and the fourth and f1fth
ones struck the ship in such a way as to
turn her upside down. It Is believed the
men rescued by the Northfork managed
to get one Of the small boats adrift after
the steamer went over. Morser says that
he saw no small boat launched, that there
was not time before they were all in the
water.
Morser tells graphic tale of the buffet
ing he received. The Chilkat was loaded
with shingles, lumber and butter. The
water was covered with this wreckage
and times again Morser was knocked from
the plank to which he was clingfng. The
steamer lies couple of hundred yards off
shore, breaking up badly.
The Chflkat was a screw steamship.
built In Astoria In 1890, for the North Pa
cific Steamship company. of this city. She
was los feet long, 20 feet beam and her
net tonnage was 206.
For the past few years she had been
under command Of Capt. Anderson and
was engaged In the coast trade, both for
passenger and freight.