Sound Steamer Nearly Cut in Two
A mechanical failure leads to a collision near Point-No-Point, forcing the crew to beach the sinking steamer Colfax.
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.
Friday evening, the steamer Colfax left Seattle for Sebeck, loaded with merchandise. When twenty miles out, nearly off Point-No-Point, she sighted the steamer Evangel heading toward Seattle. As they approached, the Colfax blew two whistles to signal a pass to starboard, which was answered by the Evangel. However, the breaking of a whistle-rope made the answer incomplete, and only one blast was heard. Before Captain Benjamin could reach the whistle to signal, the boats collided. The Evangel struck the Colfax amidships, cutting her almost in half. As the Colfax had large tanks, she did not sink immediately. The Evangel pulled her toward shore, but she began sinking, and was beached. The accident was caused by a wrong signal due to the broken whistle-rope. An investigation will be held before the Steamboat Board.
“The Evangel struck the Colfax amidships, cutting her almost in half.”
Marine accidents were a frequent hazard of life on the Puget Sound during the age of steam. The reliance on these vessels for freight and travel meant that even minor equipment failures often resulted in significant losses for small businesses and independent operators.
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