A Terrifying Night at Sea
After battling a violent southeaster off the Columbia River bar, the crew and passengers of the steamer Point Loma narrowly survived a waterlogged, freezing disaster by forming a bucket brigade.
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.
The steamer Point Loma arrived in San Francisco on December 3, 1892, from Grays Harbor, having been considerably overdue and feared lost. She encountered strong winds throughout the coast, and for a time, it was believed she had been wrecked on the Columbia River bar. During the storm, seas broke over the vessel, filling the fire-room until the water reached the firemen's waists. The fires were extinguished, leaving the steamer rolling in the trough of the sea for twelve hours. Passengers and crew were forced to form a bucket brigade to bail water from the fire-room, while lumber from the deck cargo was cut up for fuel when the ship's coal reserves were washed into the bilge. After ten hours of intense labor, the crew managed to restart the fires and reach safety, though those on board had a narrow escape.
“Sea after sea broke over the steamer, which was then off the Columbia river bar. Several big seas were shipped that filled the fire-room, extinguishing the fire under the boilers.”
The treacherous nature of the 'Graveyard of the Pacific' remains a defining feature of the Washington coast. Today, modern maritime technology and the Coast Guard manage the risks that nearly claimed the Point Loma, but the violent power of the Pacific continues to shape life and industry for the communities of Grays Harbor.
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