The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-04
CAPT. HALLS ACCOUNT.
Rrave Man Gives Clear History OF
Accident-Went Down with His


Eureka, Cal, Jan. 3.-Capt A. L.
Hall, master of the wrecked steam
ship. gives a graphic account of the
disaster. He says:
I'VE left San Francisco Wednesday
being bound for Victoria and Puget
Sound. The weather thickened as the
night advanced, and Thursday morn
ing heavy fog, accompanied by
light rain, set in. About 4:1O a. m.
was suddenly awakened by an awful
crash on the port. side, we'll forward.
Second Officer Luke was on the watch
in the vicinity of my cabin, was bad
ly shattered, the main force of the COL
lision striking her just forward of my
stateroom. My bunk was struck and
thrown across the room on my table.
After the crash the vessel, which,
think, was French bark, judging
from the language used by her sailors,
rebounded and groped alongside.
called to her to stand by. She drifted
away and was lost to view. ] could
not tell how badly she was injured,
but l do not imagine she was severely
hurt, as she struck us bow
on, and though her forward
rigging might have been broken, it
is not likely her hull suffered materi-
ally. Those OF the passengers who had
not been awakened by the crash were
aroused at once. The vessel began to
fill Immediately and she sank in 35
minutes. There was no confusion on
board The officers and crew kept the
passengers from becoming panic
stricken. The crew was Immediately
ordered to man the life boats and RATS
and an effort was made to save the
baggage. This was given up, however,
the vessel filling at Ssuch an alarming
rate that no thought was given but for
the safety of the passengers. gave
orders to have the port boilers blown
out, it being necessary to give the YES
sci q list to keep the gaping hole in her
side from the water. In a few mo-
ments all the life boats and RATS were
out 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 man.
aged to board life raft, which had
been launched a few minutes pre-
viously. The second boat was smashed
by striking a heavy object in the wa
ter, but all the passengers were res
cued by another life raft.
Death List May Reach Fifty.
We had about sixty-fve first and
second class passengers on board and
100 souls, all told. We had no knowl
edge of the approach of the vessel
striking us, the weather being so thick
she was not seen until we had been
struck 1t was very dark at the time,
and the uncertain light interfered to
a great extent with the rescue of the
passengers. l remained on board as
sisting them in every way possible. I
went down with the ship. After | had
been down, don't know how long, the
social hall deck broke off and | Gated
to the surface with it. Sighting life
raft l commenced swimming and sue
ceeded in reaching it. after a hard
struggle, and was pulled on board by
the three occupants. We fioated about
nearly all day. From the information
/ have concerning the rescue of the
passengers and crew, l am not able to
state how large the death list will lie,
but in my opinion it will not be less
than twenty and possibly may reach
forty or fifty. A number were injured
by the falling timbers. 1t is almost
certain a number of the steerage pas
sengers perished in this manner"