Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-01-14
Steamer Cla1am Goes Down in Terrific Storm Be
tween Victoria and Port Townsend.
Tug Picked Up Steamer, but She Was So Badly
Damaged That She Sank Before Har-
Dor Could Be Reached
Fifty-Four Lives LOST Including Every Woman and
Child on Board-Lifeboats Prove Useless
in Attempts to Save Life.

Seattle, Jan. lO-At least fifty-fou
persons lost their lives in the wreck of
the steamer Clallam, which was lost
early Saturday morning in the straits
of Juan de Fuca, midway between
Smith island and Dungeness Spit
Every person who put off in the life
boats, lowered when it was apparent
that the steamer could not live out the
terrible gale that was blowing,
drowned.
Only those who staid with the ves-
sci, fighting against the sea for posses
sion of the craft, were saved. These
persons We're compelled to fight desper
ately for their lives, rushing forward
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 a life
raft that had been lowered. Suisse
quently they We're picked up by the
tugs Sea Lion and HOlyoke.
1t was not the fault of the command
ing officer nor the men in charge of
the lifeboats that the passengers who
took to the boats were lost When the
lifeboats were lowered land was in
sight, yet the impotent Clallam was
unable even to make Roadway against
the gale. Prudence dictated that the
passengers and such of the crew need
ed to navigate the boats be given the
opportunity of saving their lives by
the lifeboats. That they failed to
reach shore was due entirely to the
fact that human strength was but a
feeble protest against the fury of the
elements.
No Safety on Board.
Had all the passengers and crew re-
manned aboard undoubtedly most of
them would have been lost when the
boat turned over and gave up the
struggle. Others stronger and better
able to care for themselves drowned
with the relief tugs standing by wait
ing to take them aboard.
For eleven hours the Clallam battled
against the fury of the storm before
the struggle was abandoned and the
boat settled back into the waters of
the sound. Early in the afternoon of
Friday the steamer became disabled;
later in the day three life boats put
off and went down almost in sight of
the watchers aboard. During all the
remainder of the afternoon and half
the night that followed, crew and pas
sengers fought to keep the vessel afloat.
In the meanwhile the distress of the
vessel had been noticed by watchers
ashore. The steamship company own
ing the Clallam begged the steamer
and tugboat owners of Victoria to put
off to relieve the vessel and hurried an
American fleet of six tugs to the re-
lief of the Clallam. But the Victoria
boat owners refused to risk their craft
in the gale. One steamer, the Maud,
started out of Victoria harbor to go to
! the Clallam's rescue, but after strik-
ing the storm was compelled to put
about and run to safety.
Distress Signals not Seen.
Distress signals We're flying from
the Clallam from the time she became
disabled with the chance that they
might be seen by passing vessel.
After she had been fighting for two
or three hours to keep Roadway or to-
preserve the safety of the passengers,
a steam schooner passed astern about
three miles distant. But they passed
up the straits without an answering
signal or even moments hesitancy
to indicate that the boat would carry
the news of the Clallam S distress
Every Woman and Child Lost.
Every woman and child aboard the
Clallam was lost. Within three miles
of the shore and at time when it APP
peared certain that the Clallam could
not be saved, a desperate effort was
made to save the women and children
in the lifeboats. They We're placed
in the first boat to leave the ship,
which Captain Lawrence, Yukon
Pilot, volunteered to command, and
which was manned by deck hands.
The frail craft went down within
sight of the Clallam and a second life
boat filled with male passengers and
in command of Second Officer Currin
was probably lost few minutes later.
Aboard the Clallam, watchers saw
the waves sweep passengers from
their hold ON the seats and hurl them
into the water. Though the lifeboat
was seen later, still afloat, diligent
search extending twenty hours has
failed to find trace of her. More pas
sengers and members Of the crew were
lost when third lifeboat was swamp
ed in the attempt to launch it.
Three passengers who had fastened
life preservers about their bodies were
picked up by the steamer Bahata.
They had died from exposure and
their bodies were brought to Seattle.
The Clallam was a staunch new
passenger boat. She left Port Town
send for Victoria Friday noon, facing
terrific southwest gale. Within sight
of her destination, huge sea over
whelmed the steamer, smashing in
her dead lights, flooding her hold