Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-01-14
Persisted IN
ANGRY SEAS
Fifty-TWo Passengers and
Crew of Steamer CIallam
Drowned.
BOAT FoUNDERED NEAR. PORT
Driven From Dock BY the Waves,
She Battied in Vain Against the
Gale-All Efforts to Rescue Pas
sengers and Grew Are Futile.

+.
Steamer Clallam of the Seattle-Vic-
toria fleet went down early Saturday
morning midway between Smith Is
land and Dungeness, in the straits Of
Juan De Fuca Fifty-two persons
were drowned.
Every woman and child aboard the
Clallam persisted. Within three miles
81 shore, and at a time when 1t APP
peared certain the Claiiam had been
saved, desperate effort was made
% the save the women and children
in the life boats. They were placed
N the first boat TO leave the ship,
which Captain Lawrence, Yukon
pilot, volunteered to command. and
which was named by deck hands.
The frail craft went down within
sight of the Clallam, and second life
soat filed with male passengers and
IN command of Second Officer Currin,
vas possibly lost few minutes later.
Aboard the Clallam watchers saw
waves sweep passengers from their
hold on the seats and hurl them into
he waters. Though the life boat was
lighted later, diligent search has
allied to find trace of its occupants.
More passengers and members OF the
rev were lost when a third life boat
vas swamped in an attempt to launch
t. h
The bodies of three passengers who
had fastened life preservers about
themselves and had died from expos
are, were picked up by the Steamer
Do ~ M orb 90 Cnatfln
lay.
The Clallam was a staunch, new
passenger boat on the Seattle-Victo-
ria run. She left Port Townsend for
Victoria Friday noon, facing ter
sific southern gale.
Within sight of her destination q
huge sea overwhelmed the little
steamer, smashing in her headlights,
flooding her hold with water, exiting
iishing the fires beneath her boilers
and placing her at the mercy of a
bowling gale .-
All this happened Friday afternoon
rhe elimination of the tragedy was
postponed for several agonizing
tours.
Bravely the officers and crew of the
aelpless hulk ,labored to save the
GOAT and those aboard. Staunch as
she was the Clallam could not stand
The terrific onslaught of the seas
that raced In, mountain high, from the
scean, and just before darkness be-
gan to fall, it was decided to make
an attempt to save the passengers,
At least, by the boats.
Two boats were launched and in
these some of the passengers were
entrusted to the angry waters. The
1rst boat contained only women and
.hildren-three deck hands from the
clallam and Captain Lawrence Of
Victoria going off in her. The boat
was overwhelmed six hundred feet
rom the Clallam and its occupants
shrieked in vain for aid from those
aboard the steamer. Not a hand
could be raised to aid them.
The second boat rowed away into
he darkness. On board the Clallam
men were seen as the waves tore
.hem from the boat, but later the
boat was still afloat.
A third boat containing only men,
was swamped in launching From
hat time on the members of the
aOW anu thS lO" pdooShSClo w uO Hdu
volunteered to remain aboard, devot-
I'd themselves to the task of trying
% save the vessel. The pumps were
useless and then gangs of bailers
we're set to work. In spite of their
Efforts the water gained on them
ind they were about to resign them
selves to their fate when the Rich
ard Holyoke. one of the six tugs which
mad been sent to the rescue from
Port Townsend, hove in sight.
A line was thrown aboard the tug
and with her tow she started for Port
Townsend.
She made fair progress and it SEEM
ed for time that the Clallam, with
the remainder of her crew and pas
sengers, were to be saved. But the
hull of the Clallam began to give
way before the terrific assaults of the
waves. .-....
The tug Sea Lior sighted the Holy
oke and her tow about midnight and
stood by to assist.
At 1880 the Clallam went on her
beam and began sinking rapidly. At
1907 she settled and the tow lines
were cut A few minutes later she
iurched and disappeared beneath the
waves.
BY heroic efforts, the crews of the
two tugs saved the lives of nearly all
who remained aboard the Clallam. A
few were swept away and persisted
in the blackness of the storm. The
closing scene ives eight miles north
Of Protection Island, only a short
distance north of Port Townsend
and approximately thirty miles from
Victoria.