Evening journal., 1902-01-04
-NkVRN
LOST IN NHIPWRECK
Steamer WalIa WalIa Sunk
in Collision
Many Passengers Killed in The Crash.
French Liner Offered No
Assistance

tween the steamship Walla Walla and
an unknown sailing vessel, resulted in
the sinking of the steamship and the
probable loss of at least % lives The
Walla Walla, owned by the Pacific
Coast Steamship company, sailed from
San Francisco January / for Puget
Sound ports. She carried 80 nrstl
class passengers, 28 second class and
q crew of 80 men. When off Cape
Mendocino, on the California coast,
at 410 o'clock Thursday morning, AM
iron bark, believed to be French |
loomed up in the haze and crashed
into the Walla Wallas bow. Then
the sailing vessel slid oil into the
darkness and was seen no more. All
the passengers and crew of the Walla
Walla, except the few on watch, were
asleep but were aroused by the crash
The steerage quarters were 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 35 minutes The officers
and crew maintained strict discipline.
and boats and life RATS were low
cred. A choppy sea was running. and
the small boats could not make a land
ing on the shore, few miles distant
They drifted about all day, and finally
65 people were picked up by the
steamer Dispatch which took them to
Eureka. Another boat. under com
mand of Engineer Brown, and CON
tanning 13 passengers. attempted to
land at Trinidad, and was swamped.
John Wilkinson, quartermaster; Will
liam Martel, fireman; l.. Drube, a pas
senger, and three unknown men were
drowned.
Word has been received from Trim
idad of a boat which put in there.
The survivors had a terrible expert
ence, and only five or six are left out
of a boatload The dispatch states
that 10 were lost The boat was cap
sized several times in rough weather
Thursday morning, and each time sew
eral persons lost their lives. A citi-
zens' committee has arranged for a
patrol system covering 45 miles Of the
coast, both north and south Of Eureka,
so that should any survivirs come
ashore they will be taken care or
Captain Johnson, of the steamer
Dispatch, was loud in his praise of
the bravery displayed by women whom
he rescued, two in particular to whom
he gives much credit for the calmness
they displayed. According to Captain
Johnson, the women were far more
norvy than the men and gave valu.
able assistance i'm caring for the sur
vivors. as each succeeding raft was
picked up. In most instances it was
with great difficulty that the survivors
were got aboard owing to the heavy
sea running.
The captain and the crew of the
Dispatch gave every attention 10 the
wants of the passengers. In many in
stances their wardrobes were entirely
depleted While many of the passen-
gers had ample time to robe them.
selves after the alarm had been given
many failed to do so, and as a result
not a few were thinly clad, while those
more fortunate were drenched to the
skin and suffered equally with the
others.
Captains Account Of Disaster.
Eureka, Cal, Jan captain A. l.
Hall, master Of the wrecked steam
ship says;
About 41O a. m. was suddenly
awakened by an awful crash on the
port side, we'll forward. The housing
especially I'm the vicinity OF my cabin
was badly shattered, the main force
Of the collision striking her just for
ward of my stateroom. After the
crash the vessel, which l think was o
French bark. Judging from the Ian
guage used by her sailors reboundet
and grOped alongside. called 60 hei
TO stand by. She drifted away ant
was lost to view. The vessel begar
to an Immediately and she sank i'm 81
minutes.
There was no confusion on board
The officers and crew kept the passen
gers from becoming panic-stricken
The crew was Immediately ordered .,
man the lifehoats and RATS. and an
effort was made to save the baggage
This was given up. however. the yes
sci filing at such an alarming ratl
that no thought was given but for tn
safety of the passengers. / gave OF
! ders TO have the port boilers blow
ont. It being necessary to give th'
vessel a list 10 keep the gaping hol
in her side out of the water In
few moments all the lifeboats an
Z RATS were out, with the exception O
two. which were smashed. II wa
very dark at the time. and the uncei
tain light interfered to n great, eS
tent with the rescue of the passer
gers. remained on board assist.n
, them in every way possible. ! wen
down WITH the ship After ! had bee
4 down. / don't know how long. the s.,
p cial hall deck broke or and h0ate
a 70 the surface with II. Sighting lii
@ raft I commenced swimming. and sat
;. ceeded in reaching It after a har
{ struggle, end was pulled on board b
d the three occupants.
b From the information have cor