AMERICAN NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7389, 15 February 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

AMERICAN NEWS.

A STEAMSHIP DISASTER.

A STEAMER SUNK IN COLLISION.

Early in the morning of January 2 the steamship Walla Walla, of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company's line, was run into and sunk by the French barque Max. The collision occurred off Cape Mendocino, and about forty persons, passengers and crew of the steamer, were lost, and 114 persons, including about half of the crew of the steamer, were saved. These escaped in boats and rafts, and endured most pitiful sufferings before they were rescued. One boat, which landed at Trinidad, left the steamer with thirteen persons on board, and lost all but seven before reaching shore. Some boats were washed about by waves thirt3 r hours before being picked up, and a number of persons perished, from exposure. The Walla Walla left San Francisco on the morning of January 1 for Victoria and Seattle. The night of the disaster was dark, cold and somewhat squally. The evidence thus far taken appears to show that one of the look-outs had forsaken his post, and the officer on deck had taken refuge from the storm in the chart house. The steamer was nearly cut in two hy the force of the collision, and only the water-tight compartments kept her afloat for thirtyfive minutes. The testimony offered in the case is conflicting, but the fol lowing is part of the statement of the captain of the French barque Max, which was towed into San Francisco on January 5, in a badty battered condition: — " All the signal lights of the Max were brightly burning, and we could see the steamer a long- time before the collision. The steamer tried to cross the bows of the Max, but failed. The approach of the steamer was reported to me, and I was on the poop-deck and saw all the rules of the road were being observed as far as my ship was concerned when the collision occurred. I could do nothing to prevent it. The Max was holding her course all the time the steamer was approaching." The steam schooner Acme and United States revenue cutter McCulloch picked up the Max, and both towing managed to bring {he disabled vessel into port. The Max was 120 days out from Glasgow, bound for San Francisco. Captain Robert Benoist, in command, said also: — "The night was dark, but the .atmosphere was clear, and it was possible to see several miles. We had seen the light on Cape Mendocino, and were preparing to come about on the other tack when we saw the steamer heading across our bows. She was then more than a mile away, and the vessel was kept on her course, it being decided not to come about until after the steamer had gone clear of us, so that our manoeuvre would not in any way confuse the crew of the steam vessel, and there would be little reason for disaster. We were surprised to see the steamer was so heading that she would cross our bows when we expected she would go astern of us. We could think of no reason why the men on the steamer did not see us. and became anxious. Then it was too late. The steamer had tried to cross our bows and had failed. Just before the crash came the steamer swung slightlj- to port as if an effort was being made to pass to our stern, but the change was made too late. The barque struck the steamer almost amidships on the port side. For a moment they hung together and then di-ifted apart. At first we thought our vessel must be so badly damaged she would sink. We were then close in to shore and much nearer the breakers than we anticipated. The barque had been kept on her course on the tack toward land longer than absolutely safe, in order to give the steamer a chance to pass easily to our stern, and not to cause any confusion. Had we gone in farther toward the beach it is doubtful if we could have worked the vessel out to sea again in her crippled condition. Then the bow of the vessel was stove in, and she was taking in water forward. The bulkhead saved us from much danger. We had all we could do to take care of ourselves. By daylight we had beaten well out to sea and were safe from the breakers, but our vessel was in a great measure unmanageable. The ship then got southerly winds, and, crippled forward as she was, she could make no progress, and was compe-led to look for a tow. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES IN A BOAT.

Second Assistant Engineer Kottzschmar, of revenue cutter service, lost a young wife to whom lie was recently married under trying circumstances. She was drowned before his eyes in the surf when the boat they were in capsized. Kottzschmar was terribly broken by mental and physical distress, ne said: "In that boat there was not a single person belonging to the ship's company. All were passengers. I was the only one who knew anything about handling a boat. I took that boat sixty miles. Thirty hours 1- was at the helm, trying to manage her as best I could, aided only by my wife, who bravely tried to cheer and encourage

the frantic men who were weeping and wailing, crying out that all was lost, and famng over themselves in their fear and misery. They could not pull an oar. They would not pull when I begged them to. Then I asked them to take off their coats and hang them as 1 directed to make a sail. They would not do that. They kept clamouring for land. As we drew near land I wanted to haul off and lay-to, waiting to be picked up. I did not want to land in that big surf, and insisted, pleaded, threatened. Seeing land they did make an euiort. The boat drove in and was overturned. My wife and I were thrown violently against the side of the boat, and both were momentarily stunned, but as the boat rolled over I grasped for her. An undertow carried her away from me, and she was gone. I did not see her any more. I fell exhausted, and a big roller swept me up on the beach."

Captain Hall, of the Walla Walla, was, one of the last to leave the ship. The raft on which he embarked was drawn down by the suction of the sinking steamer, but rose later, and 4 or 5 men, including* the captain, managed to cling to her for nine hours. They were then picked up by the schooner Dispatch, which rescued a large number of survivors of the wreck. The steamer Nome City also picked up two rafts, which had been afloat thirty-six hours, and which carried fourteen men.