The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-04
DISASTER ON PACIFIC
-ur WALLAWALLA SUNK ON THE
PACIFIC COAST.
mss OF LIFE MAY EXCEED 40.
PASSENGERS KILLED
IN COLLISION.

r.. Steamship, With IA Souls on
uoard, struck in the Dark by an
urkuown Vessel, Believed to Be a
rrench Bark-Captain and officers
were Cool and Most of the People
We're Gotten Off-Not Boat Room
Enough for All, HoVvever-AIl of
those Taken OF Not Yet Picked
Tp-six Men From One Boat
nrowned in the Surf.
San Francisco, Jan. 3.-A< collision at
.sa early Thursday morning between
,be steamship Wallawalla and an un-
tnown sailing vessel, resulted in the
sinking of the steamship s.i4d the prob
.ble loss of at least 20 lives and the
total loss may exceed twice this num-
bpr The Wallawalla, owned by the
Pacific Coast Steamship Company,
called from San Francisco Jan. 1 for
puget Sound ports. She carried 36
erst class passengers, 2S second class
and a crew of so men. When off Cape
MEDICINE, on the California cost at 4:10
o'clock Thursday morning an iron bark,
the haze and crashed into the Walla>
Valla's bow. Then the sailing vessel
slid off into the darkness and was seen
no more All the passengers and crew
of the Wallawalla. except the few on
watch, were asleep, but were aroused
BY the crash. The steerage quarters
we're in the bow and it is believed that
some of the steerage passengers and
crew were crushed to death. A big
hole was made in the steamers bow
and she sank in 80 minutes. The Off
GERS and crew maintained strict dis
sipne and boats and life RATS were
lowered.
All who were not killed in the col
sion got off except Capt. Hall, who
went down with his ship. He was
picked up later by one of his boats,
unintured, with the exception of a few
bruises.
A choppy sea was running and the
small boats could not make a land
ing on the shore, a few miles distant.
They drifted about all day, and fin
ally 65 people were picked up by the
steamer Dispatch, which took them
to Eureka.
Drowned in Sight of Land.
Another boat under command of
Engineer Brown and containing 13 per-
sons attempted to land at Trinidad
and was swamped. John Wilkinson,
quartermaster; William Martel, fire
man; l.. Drube, passenger, and three
unknown men were drowned. Those in
the boat who were saved We're En-
gineer Brown, Fireman Mcclellan, Coal
Passer Vim. Shint, Sailor. O'Leary,
Chief Cook Marshall and passengers
William B. Smith and William Moore
house.
When the Dispatch rached Eureka
this morning with the survivors, tugs
we're Immediately sent out for missing
boats. The tug Ranger picked up one
containing II passengers and three of
the crew.
The Wallawalla was valued at about
S50000. She was formerly used as
collier and about ten years ago was
converted into passenger vessel at
a cost of S175,00o. The vessel was in
sured for about 100000.
story of the Disaster.
George Reise, of San Francisco, a
member of the crew, gave the follow
ing account of the disaster:
IL was f.lU Wllen the fIelcI NeSSCi
hit the Wallawalla in the bow. All were
asleep. The weather was clear, the sea
was rolling high. All were panic
stricken. The passengers all rushed out
OF their state rooms and the deck was
crowded. Capt. Hall went down into
the steerage and found a family of
seven fastened into a room by the
lorce of the shock jamming the door.
TWO girls of II and IA years were PIN
loned beneath fallen timbers. The girls
We're released and the family assisted
out of their berths.. The captain said
tne vessel was sinking and all hur-
nedly prepared to leave. Life-boats
and RATS were lowered: life preservers
We're put on and the passengers low
cred TO the boats. The collision hap
pened at 4:10 and the vessel did not
SINK until 4:45, giving the crew and
passengers 35 minutes to leave the
steamer. SiXty-three were lowered, the
ie-saVing boats then being filed.
Idhlc reigned among the remaining
passengers; women screamed and men
ana boys hurriedly jumped overheard.
several did not leave. until the vessel
"egan to sink. The officers were cool
sshd collected, doing everything possi-
,, We TO save the passengers. No one
,hhoWs exactly how and why the col
aasloh occurred excepting the second Of
nCer' and he is missing. Immediately
Siter the collision the French vessel
f%Ilhdrew and apparently made no ef-
-0ll 10 render assistance.
Drifted for Hours.
p. We were drifting here and there
20 n the life-boats and RATS for four
vi, hve hours" continued Mr.. Reise
tne boat / was i'm had twelve sur
nofs' including two ladies. A lady
Eve Eve me red shirt to signal the
stealner Dispatch. We were recog-
i.l1ed and soon rescued. The officers
n.aIning of the wreck, searched for
TSllers. She had aboard 63 passengers
re Dispatch was bound from San
thtahclseo to Seattle, but pulled into
s is port to land the rescued passen-
80 Capt. Hall, with the first mate
vas saved. the remaining officers be.
Il s lost. The Wallawalla was partly
ssuoinerged. both boilers exploding and
aiming pieces of the vessel in every
ri ,uon. The tugboat Bauhner ar
g.. 81 mere at 10 a. m. with ID passen-
- picked up along the coast. Among
W. saved were six women. a south
-, wind had drifted them so miles
~ lhe coast from where the wreck
~ ied. The sea becoming rough II
r.i, uangerous for them 10 land. com
tfpiHs them TO remain at sea. Capt
i-eu rs n the Hotel Eureka seriously
r.qlIeu Two life-saving boats and ono
ore yet unaccounted for"
Thirteen Lost From BoDt.
~ " ord has just been received from
~, ,aad by telephone Of the boa
put IN there The survivors had
Ntfrlble eNperiencp and onlv nv,