The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-07
VESSELS IN COkf.SION
A PASSENGER STEAMER RUN DOWN AT
SEA AND SUNK.
TWENTY OR MORE LIVES LOST

Observation-Disclosures and Crew
Aroused by the ~Shock-Panic
Among Passengers-The Life Boats
Manned-Captain Goes Down with
His Vessel, but is Rescued-Picked
up by Passing Vessels.
San Francisco. January "a collision
ut sea early Thursday morning between
the steamship Walla Walla and an un-
known sailing vessel resulted in the
sinking of the steamship and the prob
able loss of at least twenty lives. The
Walla WallaSEyned by the Pacific
Coast steam@Ae9s1any. sailed from
San Francisco JahyaA 1st. for Puget
sound ports. She carried t~hirty-six
first class passengers. twenty-eight Sec
oni class and a crew Of eighty men.
When off Cape Mendocino on the Cal
ifoTnia coast at 4:1O O'Clock Thursday
morning an iron bark, believed to be
French, doomed up in the haze and
Nr:shed into the Walla Walla's bow.
Then the sailing vessel slid off into
the darkness and wac seen no more.
E~~oOAS cIAu NlCH vi liz
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
o. the Storage passengers and crew
Were crushed to death.
4 big hole was made in the
hnw and she sank in thfrty-ffve min
utcs.
The officers and crew maintained
strict discipline and boats and life RATS
were lowered. All who were not killed
in the collision got off. except Captain
Hall. who went down with the ship.
He was picked up later by one of the
boats. uniniured. with the exception of
q few bruises.
A choppy sea was running and the
small boats could not make a landing
on the shore a few miles distant. They
drifted about all day, and finally sixty
five people were picked up by the
steamer Dispatch. which took them to
Eureka. Another boat Under command
Of engineer Brown and containing
thirteen persons attempted to land at
Trinidad, and was swamped. John
Wilkinson, quartermaster; William
HarteI, fireman.; L. Drube, passenger;
and three unknown men were drowned.
Those in the boat who were saved were
engineer Brown, fireman John McClel-
Ian, coal passer william Shfnn sailor
Oltary, chief cook Marshall and passen-
gers William B. Smith and William
hoCrehouse.
When the Dispatch reached Eureka
this morning with the survivors. tugs
were Immediately sent out for the miss
ing boats. The tug Ranger picked up
one containing eleven passengers and
three of the crew.
The Waila Walla was valued at about
s@5O.OOO. was formerly used as a
collier and about ten years ago vas
converted into a passenger vessel at Il
cost of $4,000.
George Reese. of gan Francisco. n
member of the crew gave the following
account Of the disaster:
1T was 4:1O o'clock when the French
vessel hit the Walla Walla in the bow.
An were asleep. The weather was clear.
the sea was rolling high. All were
panic-stricken. The passengers ali
rushed u Of their state rooms and
the deck was crowded. Captain Hall
went down into the steerage and found
a family of seven fastened into a room
bv the force of the shock jamming the
door. Two girls of IL and II years Of
age were pinioned beneath fallen tim
eers- The girls were released and the
family assisted out Of their berths.
THE captain said the vessel would
sink and all hurriedly prepared to leave.
Life boats and RATS were lowered; life
pr~eservers were put on and the pas
sengers lowered to the boats. The col
iis'On happened at 4:10 o'clock and the
vessel did not sink until 4:45 o'clock.
giving the crew and passengers thirty
five minutes to leave t he teamer.
SiSty-three were lowered. the life boats
then being filled.
Panic reigned among the remaining
passengers, women screamed and men
and boys hurriedly jumped overheard.
Several did not leave IN il the vessel
began to sink The officers were cool
and collected, doing everything pos
sible to save the passengers. No one
knows exactly how and why the col,
lis:on occurred excepting the second of
fcer and he is missing.
Immediately after the collision the
French vessel withdrew and apparently
made no effort TO render assistance.
I'VE were drifting mere and there
sixty-three in the lifeboats and RATS
for four or five hours. The boat 1 was
in had twelve survivors. including two
ladies'. \ lady gave me a red skirt tc
signal the steamer Dispatch. We were
recognized and soon rescued. The Of.
icers. learning of the wreck, searched
for others.
Captain Hall with the first mate
was saved. the remaining officers being
lost.
THE Walla Walla was partly sub