The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-01-14

Is Walia Wallu, one OF the best
IL known ~ the vessels plying be-
tween san Francisco ana north coast
POINTS Hes at the bottom of the Pacific.
During a fog she was struck and sunk
at 4:iO o'clock on Thursday morning by
an unknown bark. believed to h. dying
the French flag. An interval OF thirty
five minutes elapsed between the time
OF the collision and the last lurch ana
plunge OF the doomed steamship, ana
in that time lifeboats and RATS were
lowered and most of the passengers
and crew were taken on. In the semi
panic that followed the crash. however,
some Jumped overheard and were lost.
while disaster overlook two Of the
small boats and many Of their occu-
PANTS were drowned. Other passengers
and seamen, injured in the collision or
overlooked in the excitement, went
down with the ship. out of an est-
mated total of la persons aboard. Ga
passengers and SO in the crew, % have
not been accounted for. and of that
number at least half are known to have
been drowned. The remainder of the
missing are on two life RATS. which
may yet be picked up at sea-
EIGHT BOATS ARE LAUNCHED.
| Eight of the Walla Walla's ten boats
were launched successfully, two being
crushed by wreckage in the water. In
addition, six RATS were thrown over
board. Some of the passengers and
crew refused to go in the boats, believ-
ing it safe to remain on the ship. Four
RATS and four boats, with their chilled
occupants, were picked up by the steam
! schooner Dispatch, and another In
charge of the third engineer came
ashore at Trinidad this morning. From
this boat seven were drowned in max
| ing a landing through the surf. An
other boat containing fourteen. was
picked up by the tug Ranger this
| morning at IL o'clock. The remaining
two boats came ashore tonight at Big
| Lagoon. They carried fifteen persons.
The missing RATS left the Walla Walla
in charge of First officer Nilsson and
Second Officer Lupp.
| 1t is known that the stewardess.
Mrs. Reynolds, several children and
two unknown women went down with
the vessel. Chief Engineer Crosby and
Purser T.. L. huffman are also among
, the drowned.
Just how the accident occurred may
never be known. Second Mate +. Lupp
was on the bridge in charge of the ship
at the time, and he is believed to have
persisted. 1t is claimed that the
| French bark displayed no lights and
that her proximity to the Walla Walla
was unknown until she doomed up on
| the steamships port side ana so near
| that it was impossible to avoid col
lsion. The stranger struck the Walla
! Walla bow on. we'll forward on the
! port side. Rebounding from the i'm
pact she then shot forward again and
scraped the coasters side as she pass
ed on.
| BARK GIVES NO ASSISTANCE.
1t was here that the most deplorable
incident of the awful disaster occurred
-dep!orable because in 1t there was no
element of that herOsm and hardy
courage that seamen are wont to dis
play when the opportunity is offered
to save human lives. Leaving the dis
abled Walla Walla to her fate. the
ship that was responsible for the col
lision sailed off into the night and was
not seen again. Those aboard the
sinking steamship were left to care
for themselves as best they might. Pos
sibly the stranger craft, herself dam
aged, was unable to shorten sail and
heave to until she had got 50 far that
she could not find her way back to the
scene of the collision; but, though sea-
faring men are 10th to believe that
ships officers could be guilty of craven
desertion of imperiled souls, the fact
remains that no trace Of the French
craft was seen on Thursday by vessels
cruising In the vicinity to pick up sur
viyors Of the Walla Walia. Apparent
~ she continued on her course, without
turning back to learn the extent of the
damage she had inflicted or to succor
those in danger.
: Following the crash there was but
little excitement on the Walla Walla,
and here the heroic conduct of the
American crew stands out in glorious
contrast to the action Of those aboard
the disappearing bark. Officers and
seamcn stood at their posts. Boats
We're lowered and every effort was
made to save the passengers. Seamen
We're assisted by the cooler ones among
teh male passengers in fastening life
preservers around women and children.
The latter were given first place in the
boats. Not an officer of the steamship
left his post until the vessel began to
settle. Captain Hall, himself badly in
tured when the Prov of the bark crash
ed through the Walla Wallas side, re-
fused to enter lifeboat and went
down with his ship. A piece OF the So
cial hall deck, to which he chung, broke
off and bore him back to the surface,
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beers consider whether or not they had
any business to bring before the meet
ing, and when there was nothing pro-
posed he declared motion to adjourn
in order and the meeting was closed
with prayer. Those in attendance
We're: Canon Kitcat, Citrate Fitz. War
den Stiles, ]. Morse, Fred w. Wood. L.
Aseu, A. st. Chad Piianaia. w. Pokini.
]. Mckay, Peter Whitmarsh, Alexan-
der Alihia and ]. c. Anderson.