The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-01-11
MANY LIVES LOST IN a
COLLISION AT SEA
Hn UnknoIun Bark Crashes the Steamboat Wolla
MALTA Off the California Coast and
later Soon Sinks.

ger vessel at cost of $4,000. The
vessel was. insured for about 100000.
Capt. Halls story.
Eureka, CAL, Jan. Capt. A. l.. Hall,
master of the wrecked steamship Walla
Walla, gives graphic account Of the
disaster. He says:
About 4:10 a. m. Thursday I was sudden
ly awakened by an awful crash on the port
side well forward Second Officer Luke
was on watch at the time. The housing.
especially In the vicinity of my cabin, was
badly shattered, the main force of the col
lision striking her Just forward Of my
stateroom. My bunk was struck and
thrown across the room onto my table.
After the crash the vessel, which think
was French bark. judging from the Ian
guage used by her sailors. rebounded and
CROPPED alongside. I called to her to stand
by. She drifted away and was lost to view.
1 could not tell how badly she was injured,
but do not imagine she was severely hurt,
as she struck us bow-on. and though her
forward rigging might have been broken
II is not likely her hull suffered materially.
No Confusion ON Board.
"Those Of the passengers who had not
been awakened by the crash were aroused
at once. The vessel began to fill immedi-
ately, and she sank in IS minutes. There
was no confusion on board. The officers
and crew kept the passengers from becom-
ing panic stricken. The crew was imme-
diately ordered to man the life boats. In
a few moments all the life boats and RATS
were cut with the exception Of two, which
were smashed. One of these boats con-
tained nine or ten passengers. All were
thrown into the water, but managed to
board life raft which had been launched
few minutes previously. The second boat
was smashed by striking heavy object In
the water. but all the passengers were res
cued by another life raft ~
1--WE had about 65 first and second class
passengers on board and 100 souls all told.
We had no knowledge of the approach OF
the vessel striking us. the weather being so
thick she was not seen until we had struck.
II was very dark at the time. and the I'M
certain light interfered to great extent
with the rescue of passengers. / remained
on board assisting them in every way pos
sibe.
81 went down with the ship. After had
been down don't know how long, the So
cial hall deck broke off and foated to the
surface with 1t. Sighting a life raft. COM
menced swimming, and succeeded In reach
ing II after a hard struggle and was pulled
on board by the three occupants. We
foated about nearly all day, and early In
the evening were picked up few miles
to the north of the wreck by the steamer
Dispatch, which was proceeding to Seat
tie. When the Walla Walla went down
was struck by heavy spar ard badly
bruised. This, with the exposure. left me
in a very Weakened condition. In fact, we
were all more or less played out when Capt.
Johnson took us aboard the Dispatch.
From the information have concerning
the rescue Of the passengers and crew, l
am not able TO state how large the death
list will be, but in my opinion II will not be
less than 20 and possibly may reach 10 or
go number were injured by the falling
timbers. 1t is almost certain a number OF
the steerage passengers perished in this
manner"