The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-04
CAN FRANCISCO. Jan. IA co

q AN FRANCISCO, Jan. ga COLI
sion at sea early Thursday morn
ing between the steamship Walla
Walla and an unknown sailing vessel
resulted in the sinking OF the steamship
and the probable loss OF at least TWEEN
ty lives.
Reports sent after midnight from Eu-
reka indicate that there are between
forty and fifty persons missing. Some
of them may be on life RATS in the
ocean. Tugs are hunting for survivors
as their condition, drenched with icy
water and without food, is dangerous.
The Walla Walla. owned by the Pa
cihc Coast Steamship company, sailed
from San Francisco Jan. l for Puget
sound ports. She carried thirty-six
first-class passengers, twenty-eight
second-class, and a crew of eighty
men.
When of Cape Mendocino on the Cal
ifOrnia coast at 4:10 Thursday morn
ing, an iron bark, believed To be
French, doomed up in the haze and
crashed into the Walla Walla's bow.
Then the sailing vessel slid of into
the darkness and was seen no more.
All the passengers and crew Of the
Walla Walla, except the few on watch.
were asleep, but were aroused by the
crash.
The storage quarters were in the
bow, and 1t is believed that some Of
the steerage passengers and crew were
crushed 10 death.
Sinks Soon After Wreck.
A big hole was made in the steamers
bow and she sank in thirty-five min
utes.
The officers and crew maintained
strict discipline, and boats and life
RATS were lowered. All who We're not
killed in collision got Of except Hail.
who went down with his ship He was
picked up later by one of the boats,
uninjured with the exception OF a few
bruises.
There was a chOppy sea running and
the small boats could not make a land
ing 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 thir-
teen people, attempted to land at Trini-
dad and was swamped-
John Wilkinson, Quartermaster. VIII
liam Martel. firezaans =. Irube. pass
enger, and three unknown men were
drowned. Those in the boat who We're
saved were Engineer Brown. Fireman
John Mcclellan. Coal PasSeT William
Shinn, Sailor O'Leary, Chief Cook Mar
shall and passengers William b Smith
and William MOrehOuSe-
Tugs Sent to Their Aid.
When the Dispatch reached Eureka
this morning with the survivors tugs
were Immediately sent cut for missing
boats The tug Ranger picked up one
containing eleven passengers and three
of the crew.
At 10 o'clock tonight it is impossible,
owing TO the confusing lists of sur
vivors received from Eureka to deter
mine the names Of lost and missing in
the wreck of the steamship Walla
Walla. According 10 the compilations
| of the Pacific Coast Steamship COM
pany, all but twenty-seven have been
| accounted for.
The known dead are seven. as fol-
/ lows:
John Wilson. quartermaster.
William Barton, fireman
L. Drule, passenger, and four 9TH
! ers, whose names have not been learned
/ yet.
The remainder are supposed to be
adrift at sea in three boats and two
RATS. Fourth officer Brown. Third Of
/ fiCer Holdren and a bOatswain are
each in charge Of a boat. First Officer
/ Nelson and Second Officer Lupp are
/ each in charge of a raft. News of their
! being picked up by passing vessels IS
/ expected at any time