The Clallam Sinks Off Coast

of Washington.

Every Woman and Child Perishes—

Three Lifeboats Swamped and

All On Board Are Lost.

VICTORIA, B. C, Jan. 9.—The steamship

Clallam of the Seattle-Victoria fleet

went down early this morning, midway

between Smith Island and Dungenness, in

the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Fifty-one persons

were drowned.

Every woman and child aboard the Clallam perished.

The Clallam, which plied daily between

this port and Seattle, had made moderately

good progress across the straits, bound for

Victoria, until Trial Island, off the entrance

to Port Townsend (Washington) harbor was

abeam. Then a terrific cross sea was pelting

the vessel, retarding her progress and

making life uncomfortable for those aboard.

Little fear-was felt, however, until word

came up from below that the vessel was

leaking. Investigation showed that the

waves on the windward side had stove in

a deadlight, through which the water

rushed in volume, resisting all efforts to

stop It.

Bravely the officers and crew of the helpless

hulk worked to save the boat and the

souls aboard her, but in vain.. Stanch as

she was, the Clallam could not stand the

terrific onslaughts of the seas, and just

before darkness began 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 waters.

The first boat contained only women and

children, three deckhands from the Clallam,

and Capt. Lawrence. The boat was overwhelmed

COO -feet from the Clallam and its

occupants shrieked in vain for aid from

those aboard the steamer. Not a hand

could be raised to aid them.

TWO MORE BOATS SWAMPED.

A second lifeboat was filled with male

passengers and in command of Second Officer

Currin was probably lost a few minutes

later. Aboard the Clallam watchers

saw waves sweep passengers from their

hold on the seats and hurl them into t hi

waters. Though the lifeboat was righted

later, diligent search has failed to find a,

trace of her.

More lives were lost when an attempt was

made to launch a third boat. The boat was

swamped immediately and all in it were

lost. They all were men.

All this happened yesterday afternoon.

The doomed ship did not. sink until late that

night. After the third boat was lost, those

on board the Clallam devoted their attention

to trying to save the ship. The few

passengers left joined the remnant of the

crew in their desperate efforts to keep the

sinking vessel afloat. The pumps were impotent,

and three gangs of bailers were set

to work. It seemed for a time that the

Clallam was to be saved. But the hull began

to give way before the terrific assaults

of the waves.

UNEXPECTED AID ARRIVES.

All seemed doomed to perish, but unexpected

aid was near.

When the Clallam broke down yesterday

afternoon she was within twenty minutes

of her dock in this city. People who

watched her from the shore say she suddenly

stopped steaming and slewed around,

drifting broadside on before the wind,

which was blowing at the rate of thirty

miles an hour from the southwest. She

reeled heavily from beam to beam then.

The local agent was notified, and he endeavored

to get a local tug to go to her assistance,

but tailed, owing to the absence

of the vessels of the tug fleet, and no

steamer had steam up. Then he telegraphed

to Seattle, and tugs were dispatched to her

from there.

The Richard Holyoke, in command of

Capt. Robert Hall, was the first to reach

the Clallam, which had by this time careened

partly over from the inrush of water

which had put the engines out of commission.

The Holyoke reached the Clallam

about 11 o'clock last night, and succeeded

in getting a hawser aboard, with which

she started to tow the ship to safety.

The Clallam took a heavy lurch, and those

remaining aboard were compelled to climb

up the side to safety, finally reaching the

roof of the pilothouse.

Without a moment's hesitation the tug's

boats were lowered and the work of rescuing

those remaining on the sinking ship

was commenced. At this point the tug Sea

Lion. Capt. Hunter, arrived, and also rendered

assistance. 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 perished

in the blackness of the storm. At 12:30 the

Clallam went on her beam ends and began

sinking rapidly. At 1:07 she settled and

the tow lines were cut. A few minutes

later she lurched and disappeared beneath

the waves.

The closing scene was eight miles north

of Protection Island, only a short distance

north of Port Townsend and approximately

30 miles from Victoria. The Holyoke

picked the Clallam up on Smith's Island.

The survivors of the wreck were taken to

Seattle to-night on the steamer Dirigo.

A SURVIVOR'S STORY.

W. H. Grimes of Redmond, Washington,

aboard the Clallam, bound for Victoria,

gives a concise statement:

" The weather was pretty rough," said

he, ' but we had no suspicion of danger

until some one forward said something

about life preservers. I went forward to

investigate, and there learned that the

Clallam 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.

' he boats made off from the steamer

safely, but one after another they capsized

and we were helpless to render them

any assistance. They simply drowned before

our eyes.

' In the meantime crew and passengers

were busy bailing and trying to stop the

leak, but without success. The balling was

kept up. however, and soon we were overjoyed

when a big tug took hold of us. The

towboat started, and made pretty good

progress until it became apparent that the

Clallam was careening under us; then all

hands went on deck, and as the Ill-fated

packet listed we gradually crawled upon her

exposed side, from where the brave fellows

from the Holyoke rescued most of us.”

The New York Times, New York, NY 8 Jan 1904
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Submitted & Transcribed by Greg Eichelberger. Thanks, Greg!