The Fiery Wreck of the Enterprise
When the steamer Enterprise collided and burned on the Sound, panic ensued as passengers faced a desperate struggle for life, revealing the stark racial tensions of the era's emergency protocols.
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.
A disaster took place this afternoon on the Sound between the S.S. Bithut and the Enterprise, resulting in the total loss of the latter. No lives were lost, though many were injured by flying debris. Great alarm occurred on both ships; many jumped overboard. The Bithut picked up 100 passengers and a large amount of mail. The Enterprise was lost. Witnesses describe a fearful scene: women and children were crying and praying, men were shouting, and Indians were jabbering. The din, heightened by the escaping steam, was deafening. The Enterprise’s boats were lowered, but when the Chinese passengers rushed the boats, refusing to exit for the ladies, they were cast overboard. White male passengers acted bravely, refusing to enter the boats until all women were safe. The Enterprise, built in 1860, was valued at $80,000.
“When the boats were lowered, the Chinamen made a rush and got into them, refusing to come out when ordered to make room for the ladies; they were cast overboard.”
This 1880 disaster highlights a recurring theme in Pacific Northwest history: the reliance on maritime transit and the frequent, deadly hazards of the Sound. It also offers a sobering look at how xenophobia and racial hierarchy manifested during moments of extreme crisis, providing an uncomfortable parallel to modern debates over social solidarity during catastrophes.
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