The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-10
FIFTY LIVES ARE LOST
A Dead Light Forced in by the Waves
Admits Volumes Of Water. Which
Drive Passengers and Crew Into
the Boats, These Prove too Frail to
Withstand the Violence of the
Waves.
BY the Associated Press.)

By the Associated Press.)
Seattle ASH, Jan. "a special to the
Seattle Times from Port Townsend, Wash
ington, says:
Fifty lives were lost today in the sink
ing of the fine new steamer Clallam In
storm that swept over the Straits OF Juan
De Fuca with relentless fury yesterday
and last night.
The vessel was regular daily passenger
packet. She made moderately good prog
ress across the Straits bound for Victoria
until Trial Island, off the entrance to the
harbor, was abeam. Then terrific cross
sea was pelting the vessel, retarding the
progress and making life uncomfortable
for those aboard. Little fear was mani
tested, however, until word came up from
below that the vessel was leaking. Irves-
tigation showed that the waves on the
windward side had stove in dead light
through which the water rushed In vol
umes, desisting all efforts to stop it.
Efforts to save the vessels being futile,
the safety of the passengers, particularly
the women and children, was looked after
and all who desired were put off from the
steamer in the ships boats. The heavily
laden boats were thrown about wildly IN
teh choppy sea and one after another, al
ter succeeding in getting away from the
vessel they were either capsized Or
swamped.
The terrible fury of the storm is attest
II. e. II - hill
of all those on board have lived to tell
he tale. An apparent discrepancy in num-
bers from the list of fatalities following
is accountable by the fact that only such
children as paid half fare were enrolled in
the passenger list. In the meantime word
had come from Victoria of the vessels
9redicament and fleet of powerful tugs
were dispatched from here to render as
sistance. The Richard Holyoke, in COM
mand of Captain Robert Hail. was the
first to reach the Clallam, which had by
this time careened partly over from the
thrush of water which had put the engines
out of commission. The Holyoke reached
the Clallam about il o'clock last night
and about ] p. m. succeeded in getting
hawser aboard with which she started to
tow the Clallam to safety. The Clalla.n
took heavy lurch, and those remaining
aboard were compelled to climb up the
side to safety finally reaching the roof
of the pilot house.
Without a moments hesitation, the tug
boats were lowered and the work of res
cue commenced.
At this point the tug Sea Lion, Captain
Hunter, arrived and her men rendered
valuable assistance. Before all the strug-
Cling people had been taken off, the Clal-
lam commenced to break up and soon af-
terward went down. All assistance to the
rescued people was given by the two ships
masters and their crews and the tugs hur
ried to Port Townsend The passengers
surviving and the remainder of the crew
then took passage on the Dirigo, bound
for Seattle.
w. H. Grimes. of Redmond, Washing
ton, aboard the Clallam, bound for Vic
toria, gives a concise statement:
"The weather was pretty rough he
said. "but we had no suspicion OF danger
until some one forward said something
about life preservers. went forward and
there learned that the Clalam was making
water rapidly. The boats were promptly
manned and launched and the women and
children and such passengers as desired to
leave were placed in them, competent
crews being in charge. The boats made
off from the steamer safely, but one after
anothey they capsiZed and we were help
les sto render the occupants any assist
ance. They simply drowned before our
eyes. In the meantime the crew and pas
sengers were busy bailing and trying to
stop the leak, but without success. The
bailing was kept up. however, and soon
we were overjoyed to learn that il big
tug had hold of us. The tow boat started
and made pretty good progress until it
became apparent that she was careening
under US, then all hands went on deck,
and as the ill-fated paket listed we grad
ually crawled upon her exposed side. from
where the brave fellows from the Holyoke
rescued most of u.s."
Prominent among those known to have
been aboard and unaccounted for, is
Homer Swayne, iron and steel plant pro-
moter and owner of valuable iron proper
ties in British Columbia. He boarded the