The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-04
ASTEAMER SUNK AT SEA


boilers blown out, it being necessary to
give the vessel list to keep the gaping
hole in her side out of the water. In
a few moments all the life boats and
RATS were out with the exception of two,
which were smashed. One of these boats
contained nine or ten passengers. All
were thrown into the water, but man
aged to board life raft which had been
launched. The second boat was smashed
by striking heavy object in the water,
but all the passengers were rescued by
another life raft
I'VE had about sixty-five first and Sec
ond-class passengers on board, and $50
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. 1t was very
dark at the time, and the uncertain
light interfered to a great extent with
the rescue of the passengers. re-
manned on board assisting them in every
way possible. I went down with the
ship After 1 had been down l don't
know how long the social hall deck
broke off and L f1oated to the surface
with it. Sighting a life raft. COM
menced swimming, and succeeded in
reaching it after hard struggle, ana
was pulled on board by the three occu-
pants We aoated about nearly all day
and early in the evening were picekd
up a few miles to the north of the wreck
by the steamer Dispatch, which was pro-
ceeding to Seattle"
As a Seaman Saw 1t.
George Boise, a member of the crew,
gave the following account:
''It was 4:10 when the French vessel
hit the Walla Walla in the bow. All
were asleep. The weather was clear. the
sea was rolling high. All were dumb
5al oil 1-11cf od out
of their state rooms and the deck was
crowded. Capt. Hall went down into the
Storage and found a family Of seven
fastened in a room. Two girls of twelve
and fourteen years were fastened be-
tween timbers. Tie girls were released
and the family assisted out of their
berths. All prepared to leave the YES
sci; life preserverS were put on, and the
passengers lowered to the boats. Sixty
three were lowered to NE life saving
boats then being filed. The excitement
grew intense among the remaining pas
sengers; women screamed and men and
boys hurriedly jumped off the steamer.
The officers were cool and collected, do
ing everything possible to save the pas
sengers. After the French vessel pene-
trated the steamer she drew away, lend
ing no assistance whatever.
I'VE were drifting here and there,
sixty-three in the life boats and rafts,
for four or five hours. The boat ] was
in had twelve survivors, including two
women. A woman gave me a red skirt to
signal the steamer Dispatch, and we
were soon rescued
Death List May Reach Fifty.
From the information I have con-
corning the rescue of the passengers and
crew, l am not able to state how large
the death list will be, but, in my opinion,
it will not be less than twenty, and pos
sibly may reach forty or fifty. A :nln-
Der were injured by the falling tini5ers.
It is almost certain a number of the
Storage passengers persisted in this
manner. The housing of the forward
part was split into matchwood. Among
the survivors the seriously injured are
few, and while it may be possible some
were shockingly mangled few cuts and
| bruises came under my observation, and
these for the most part were received
by the occupants of the life RATS. The
continual wash over the RATS was Il
hardship, especially to the women, many
of whom were nearly in the last stages
of exhaustion when picked up by the
| DiSDatch -