The Clallam Tragedy: A Honeymoon Cut Short
A husband watches helplessly as his bride vanishes into the stormy seas during the sinking of the SS Clallam in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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.
One of the most harrowing incidents of the sinking of the Clallam, which brought tears into the eyes of more than one strong-hearted man, occurred when the first lifeboat, containing women and children, was launched. The lifeboat contained the bride of S. E. Bolton, a business man of Alberta, B. C. Mrs. Bolton was drowned within speaking distance of her husband, who was powerless to render aid. Mr. and Mrs. Bolton were wedded ten days ago and had been spending their honeymoon on the Sound. As the boat was carried away in the teeth of the storm, Bolton saw a monster wave tower up toward the frail craft. With a cry of agony, he hid his face in horror. When he turned back, the boat had vanished. Bolton returned to the city almost insane with grief, calling upon the sea to give him back his bride.
“Bolton stood for a moment as if transfixed, but when the full import of his loss dawned upon him his grief was pitiable to behold.”
The sinking of the SS Clallam in 1904 remains one of the most significant maritime disasters in Pacific Northwest history. Today, the tragedy is remembered as a somber chapter in the maritime heritage of the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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