Clallam (steamboat)
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Clallam
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Clallam |
| Owner: | Puget Sound Navigation Company |
| Builder: | Shipyard of Edward Heath in Tacoma |
| Cost: | 80.000 US Dollar |
| Christened: | April 15, 1903 |
| Completed: | 1903 |
| Maiden voyage: | July 3, 1903 |
| Out of service: | 1904 |
| Fate: | Sunk, January 8, 1904, Strait of Juan de Fuca |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 657-tons |
| Length: | 168 ft (51 m) |
| Beam: | 32 ft (10 m) |
| Installed power: | 800 hp (600 kW) compound engine |
| Propulsion: | propeller-drive |
| Speed: | 13 kn (24 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 250 |
| Crew: | 31 |
The steamboat Clallam operated for about six months from July 1903 to January 1904 in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. She was sunk in a storm on what should have been an ordinary voyage to Victoria, British Columbia.
Clallam was built in 1903 at the shipyard of Edward Heath (1864–1934) in Tacoma. Clallam was 168' long, 32' on the beam, with 13' depth of hold and rated at 657-tons. She was propeller-driven and built of Douglas fir, with an 800 horsepower (600 kW) compound engine which allowed her to cruise at 13 knots (24 km/h). She had 44 staterooms.Clallam was commissioned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company to run with another steamer, Majestic on the route from Tacoma to Seattle, Port Townsend and Victoria. During her launching on April 15, 1903, the woman who swung the bottle of champagne at her bow missed, and when the U.S flag was unfurled, it was upside down, in the sign of distress. These were deemed unlucky signs by the superstitious among the waterfront and marine trades.
Known as "the bell sheep's premonition" after the fact; an odd event occurred to the Clallam in Seattle as she was loading her northbound passengers and freight at Pier 1, at the foot of Yesler Way. Black Ball Line steamers often carried sheep bound for Port Townsend and Victoria along with a trained mascot or bell sheep which always led the herd aboard. On this occasion, the bell sheep that usually made the voyage absolutely refused to board the vessel and was finally left behind when the ship departed Seattle at 8:30 a.m.
On the morning of Friday, January 8, 1904, Clallam left Tacoma on her regular run, in command of Capt. George Roberts, then 55 years old and a veteran of 29 years marine service. She picked up passengers and freight, first in Seattle, then Port Townsend, where she cleared customs, then at 12:15 departed Port Townsend, heading north across the Strait of Juan de Fuca bound for Victoria. Clallam should have reached Victoria at about 4:00 p.m.
The wind was rising as she left, and eventually reached speeds of up to 36 miles (58 km) an hour in the Straits and up to 60 miles (97 km) an hour further west at Tatoosh Island at the entrance to the strait. Still, Clallam nearly reached safety, as about 5:00 p.m. she was seen from the Canada coast, near Trial Island dead in the water and rolling heavily. Afterwards she was observed to be running eastwards before the wind, away from Vancouver Island towards the San Juan Islands.
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Wikipedia