The Tragic Sinking of the SS Clallam
A maritime disaster in the Straits claims the lives of dozens, including prominent Tacoma residents, sparking a federal investigation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash., Jan. 11. Thirteen bodies have been recovered from the waters of the Straits following the sinking of the steamer Clallam. Among the deceased are W. H. Gibbons and Colonel C. W. Thompson of Tacoma, along with Miss Ethel Diprose, a nurse at the Fanny Paddock Hospital. The U.S. Marine Inspection Board has announced a thorough investigation into the causes of the disaster. Captain Roberts, who survived, testified that the tug Holyoke attempted to assist, but Captain Hall of the Holyoke determined it was safer to head for Port Townsend than to attempt to tow the sinking vessel through the gale. Peter Larson, a wealthy contractor who survived the wreck, has rewarded his rescuers.
“The remains of Miss Harris came ashore at Beacon Hill park... while the corpse of Miss Diprose was found in lifeboat No. 1.”
The sinking of the Clallam remains one of the Puget Sound's most notorious maritime tragedies, serving as a grim reminder of the pre-regulation perils of early 20th-century coastal travel. Today, ferry safety is a cornerstone of regional infrastructure, yet the vulnerability of our waterways to winter storms remains an enduring, if modernized, local anxiety.
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