The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-01-13
A VESSEL GOES DOWN
FIFTY-FOUR LIVES ARE SAC
RIFICED IN THE WRECK.
Seattle-Victoria Steamer Disabled
in Rough Sea-Eyery Wo-
man and Child 90 the Veg
eel Lost-Life Boats
Were Useless.

eel Lost-bife Boats
Were Useless.
Seattle, Jan. 9.-The Seattle. Vic.
toria steamer Clallam was lost ear
ly THE merning midway between
Smith Island and Dungeness Spit.
at least 81 persons losing their lives
| in the disaster. Every person who
put off in the life boats, lowered
when it was apparent that the
steamer could not live out the ter
rife gale that was blowing, drown
ed.
Only those who stayed by the
vessel, fighting against the sea for
possession, were saved. These. per.
sons were compelled to fight desper-
ately for their lives. rushing for
ward when the vessel turned on her
beam ends, clinging frantically to
the rails and finally slipping off the
sides Of the vessel into the, water or
! to lifecraft that had been lowered.
Subsequently they were picked up
by the tugs Sea Lion and Hol, oke.
! 1t was lot the fault of command.
ing officers nor the men in charge
of the lifeboats that the paseen..
gers who took to the boats were
lost. When the lifeboats were low-
cred land was in sight, yet the i'm.
| potent ClaIlam was unable even to-
make Roadway against the gals.,
Prudence dictated that the passen-'
gers and such of the crew needed to
navigate the boats be giving the op-
portunity of saving their lives by
the lifeboats. That they failed to
reachshore was due entirely tothe fact
that human strength was but fee
BILE protest against the fury ofssthA
elements.
Had all the passengers and crew
remained on board, it is undoubted-
| ly true that most of them would
have been lost when the catturned
over and gave up the struggle. 9th.
ers stronger and better able to care
for themselves drowned with the re.
lief tugs standing by waiting to take
them aboard.
The Clallam was stauncb, new
passenger boat. She left Port Town
send for Victoria yesterday noon,
facing a. terrific southeast gale.
Within sight of her destination a
hugh sea overwhelmed the little
steamer, smashing in her head
lights, flooding her hold with water,
extinguishing the fires beneath her
boilers and placing her at the mer-
cy of a bowling gale. esz--f,s
All this happened yesterday af-
ternoon. The elimination of the
tragedy was postponed for several
agonizing hours. Bravely officers
and crew of the helpless hulk work.
ed to save the vessel. and the &C
1 souls aboard. of her, but in vain
Staunch as she vas, the LlaIlam
could not stand the terrific on.
slaught of the seas that raced noun.
I tain high from the ocean and jus,
before darkness began to fall, il
; was resolved to make an attempt te
save the passengers at least by the
boats. "
Two boats were launched and ii
these some of the passengers were
entrusted to the angry waters. Th.
first boat contained only womer
: and children-three deck hands
from the Clallam and Captain Law
. renee, of Victoria, going off will
her. The boat was overwhelmed
600 feet from the Clallam and it.
occupants shrieked in vain for aio
from those aboard the steamer. No
a hand could be raised to aid them
The second boat rowed away ints
s the darkness. On board the Clal
lam men were seen as the waves
tore them from the boat, but late
she was still af1oat.
The third boat containing onl,
men, swamped in launching.
From that time the members O
the crew and the few passenger
who had volunteered to remain a
board, devoted themselves to th,
task of trying to save the vessel
. The pumps were impotent and thre
! gangs of bailers were set to work
! In spite of their efforts, the waite
5 gained on them and they were a
bout to resign themselves to- thei
fate when the Richard Holyoke
one of the six tugs which had bee,
sent to the rescue of the Clallan
from PORT Townsend hove IN eiobf 4