The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-06
DRIVEN FRANTIC BY GRIEF.
One of the Passengers on the Raft
Was Almost Cray.

one OF the Passengers on the Raft
Was Almost Crazy.
San Francisco, Jan. 5.-The French
bark Max, which collided with the
steamship Walla Waua early Thursday
morning, is being towed to this city
in a badly disabled condition. The
steamer George W Elder from Port
land reports that she passed the Max
at 1880 this morning in tow of the
steamer Acme and the United States
revenue cutter McCUllOch, eighteen
miles northwest of Point Reyes.
The Max's bowsprit was carried
away and her bow was stove in. both
above and below the water line. Her
water tight compartments alone were
keeping her afioat.
Ninety-two survivors of the Walla
Walla arrived here today from Eureka
on the steamer Pomona. There is still
some discrepancy in the lists Of dead
and missing. The number ranged
from thirty to forty seven. This
discrepancy is due to the fact that
several passengers boarded the vessel
just as she was leaving port.
Others who were travelling second
class gave assumed names in order to
hide their identity. By striking out
what are possible duplicates, the num-
Der of lost stands at forty-two, classed
as follows:
Known dead, nine.
Missing, passengers, thirteen; crew,
twenty.
One life raft is unaccounted for. and
it is feared that all the missing are
lost
Rev. Henry Erickson, who was among
the six survivors brought to this city
by the steamer Nome City last night,
lies at St Mary's hospital, a physical
anc almost a mental wreck. His wife
and three children are among the dead
and missing. The Erickson family, ex-
cepting the mother, were second class
passengers. When the crash came
they were awakened and all got on
the upper deck together.
Mrs. Erickson and the two younger
children got separated from their
father and elder brother. What their
tate was is not known, but it is pre-
sumed they were drowned when the
vessel went down. Erickson and his
son chung together and were pitched
into the water clear of the sinking
steamer.
They hoated around for some time.
and finally were picked up by the life
raft, on which we're a number of the
officers of the Walla Walla. It was
almost dayhreak when they were
found, and they were in an exhausted
condition. Father and son were pulled
on the light structure, bat the boy was
too weak % stand the exposure.
A few hours later he died in his
fathers arms. and after the heart
broken parent had bowed his head in
silent prayer over the corpse of his
son the body was consigned to the
waves as tenderly as it was possible
under the circumstances
After the body of the boy had gone
overheard the father became more and
more respondent. Despite the advice
of his companions time and again he
filed his hands with water and drank
II down. This added to his misery, and
his companions feared that he would
be the next to succumb. The sea was
running high and dashing over the
raft, but all chung on tenaciously
through the long hours of the day and
the longer hours OF the night
They hoped against hope until the
Nome City picked them up. The Rev.
MIR. Erickson was the first to be lifted
aboard. He was at once placed in bed
and as carefully tended as circum-
stances would permit 1t is thought
ne viii recover from the terrible eff
fects of the exposure. unless he sue
cunlbs under his grief.