Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 494, 11 January 1902 — Many Lives Lost In Steamer Wreck [ARTICLE]

Many Lives Lost In Steamer Wreck

Walla Waiia on *■ of th" be*t*known cf • ,*-*.*•, plying between San Fran - o and north < oast point*. lies at th*- bottom of the Pacific, I hi ring a I t was struck and sunk at 4 ;■■<)■< ’oi * .v. Thursday morning by an unknown bark. bell*>v(-d to bo flyng the Trench flag \h interval of thirty-five minute* eiaps'-d between th*- time of the colloion and the last lurch and plunge f • • doom* d steamship, and in that l.rt* lifeboat* and rafts were lowered and To' '» of the passengers and rrew » re taken off In th*- semi panic that followed the crash however, some jumped overboard and were lost, ahl’.e disaster overtook two of the ■•mall boats and many if their occupants were dro*n»*d Other passen rers and -earner, injured in the colI -ion or overlooked in the ex* Itement went down with the ship. Lost and Saved, tint of an ■-f.mated total of 144 persons at*c*ard -€4 passengers and SO fn the crew -55 have not been accounted for and of that number at i owned The remainder of the missleast half are known to have been nr are on two life raft,, and may be picker’, up at sea. Eight Boats Launched. Light of the Walla Walla's ten J., its were launched successfully, two crusVd by wreckage in th*’ water In addition. six rafts were thrown overboard. Some of th*- passengers and crew refused to go in the boats, be lieving it safe' to remain on the ship Four rafts and four boats, with (heir chilled occupants, were picked up bv th*- steam schooner Dispatch, and another in charge of th.- third engineer came ashore at Trinidad this morning. Drowned in the Surf. From this boat seven were drowned in making a landing through the surf. Another boat containing fourteen, was picked up by th** tug Hanger this morning at 11 o'clock. The remaining •» boat s came ashore tonight at Dig I,a goon They carried fifteen persons. Tie- missing raft- left the Walla Walla In charge of First Officer NHson and Second Officer I.upp. Stewardest Met Death. It i- known that the stewardess. Mrs Reynolds, several children and two unkm w n women went down with the vessel. Chief Engineer Crosby and Purser E 1.. Nutt man are also among the drowned. Just how the id blent occurred mav never he known. Second Mate F. I.upp was on the bridge in charge .*f the ship at the tint*-, and he is belleved to have perished It is claimed that the French bark displayed no lights and that her proximity to the Walla Walla was unknown until she loomed up on the steamship’s port side and so near that it was impossible t<> avoid a collision. The stranger struck the Walla Walla bow on, well forward on the port side Rebounding from th*- impact she scraped the coaster's side as she passed on. French Spoken on Strange Vessel. The officers of the Walla Walla are able to throw no light upon the identity of the bark that sank their craft. There was great excitement on the strange vessels after the crash, and the voices of her officers could be heard giving orders to the seamen. The language spoken was French. Life Boats Capsize. There were ten lifeboats and eight rafts on the vessel. The first lifeboat lowered capsized with three men in it and drifted away with these passen geis only. Two other.boats were smashed and rendered useless. Captain Hall reported at S o'clock that only tie boat was missing. The lifesaving crew stationed here reported that anoth* t life-boat was on the beach north of the Humboldt bar. A res> uing party has been detailed to bring its passengers to Eureka. At the Mercy of the Waves. Those who succeeded in getting on the life-boats and rafts drifted at the « mercy of the sea until about 8 o'clock of the same morning when the steam « r Dispatch observed their distress signal. It was not long until the Dis patch picked up the first survivors and learned of the fate of the Walla Wa’ia. The Dispatch remained in that vicinity cruising around alt day, picking up persons floating on life rafts ! ard life-boats until she had aboard sixty-three She sailed for Humboldt bay la!" in the night, arriving in Eu rcka Friday morning at 9 a. m Value and Insurance. SEATTIJJ. Wash. Jan X—The Pa -ifle Coast Company carried 1250.0iX'

insurance on the Walla Walla, which they valued at Jls®/■*>*> Her transformation from a collier several years, ago and subsequent change* and repairs are said by the company s offiers to represent an expenditure of 1200.000, giving her a value to the otnpany of over $54)0.000Awaitirg News at Eureka. EUREKA. Cal . Jan 4 —Up to 9 o'clock this morning no n- ws of the missing passengers and crew of the Walla Walla had been received. It is hop*-:! that today the tugs that ar*scan hing the **-a will find the raft* and life beats that were not picked up F ay The oast is Ving patrolled and if any of the boats have made a landing the survivors will be promptly taken care of. Many of the pass-ngers and crew who reached Eureka yesterday are still suffering from the hardship and • xposure they experienced, but all are expected to recover. The survl vors who are able to travel will probably be s*-nt dow n to San Francisco oa the steamer Pomona, which leaves tonight.