New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-23
NUMBER 273.
From the New York Herald Of ,bs I.sb
Less of the Steamship San Francisco,
Full particulars Of the Disasfer-Nearly
Itco Hundred Lives Lost--.No5le conduct

After painful suspense of several DAYS we have re-
,eved Of the fate Of the steamship San Francisco
and those who left this port in California The
British slip Three Bes Capt Creighton arrived last
night with tha sad intelligence Of the total loss of
sap Francisco with about two hundred lives snd the
oyu Of the saving Of FIVE huudred-oeers Of
he army their wives passengers, soldiers and officers
and crew Of the steamer.
The details Of the terrible disaster given in the fol-
lowing:
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT wINDER, u 8. ARMY.
SNIP THREE BELLS, At sea, Friday Jan. g. 1854.
Ihe steamer San Francisco, you aware, sailed
rom New York the 22d Of December. with United
states troops bound for California The day beaut
Iol Ana every thing promised pleasant and prosperous
reyase ms snip vas well provided with every thing
which could render coortabe and every luxury that
eoaia be procured was placed board Ali thing
together with the gentlemani5 and efficient officers Of the
ship and pleasant company the cabin served to render
happy and contsnted But alas fgr ali human calcu
lations about nine O'Clock the second days ont aaIe
sprung Bp and continued to Increase all nigt A. 9ay
light it perfectly frightfui. During the niet.I
think about IL o'cockone engine gave out and soon
at the mercy Of the wind aud The scene in te
cabin during this Tins truly distressing Neasiy ali
countenances Of s few Of who occnpsd the appsr
cabin left it and went below and well it u.s. 70.
after day. think about o'coe-a broke over
starboard wheehouss aad with fgtfsI force gshed
against the after cabin carrying away all the cabin
and about one-hundred and fifty people. among whom
whom was Col 3 5f Washington Mai Geo TayIor and
his wife, Capt E. B Field and Lieut. Smith two or three
males and females who unknown me- and two
citizen passengers Mr Rankin, suter, the other
have not learned were swept off bat the retru
wave brought them back.
had gone below but few moments before this terrible
crash and lying at the foot Of the steps the time
never experienced sHch sensation when the water
came pouring into the cabin together with the debris Of
the upper cabin, down upon my head and breast was
swept the cabin with terrible force bst after three
attempts succeeded in regaiuing my feet supposed that
the ship had broken in ha that we were fast sink
ing followed after some saw going deck and on
reaching it blood cold at the sight of the peor
fellows struggling among the fragments the sea The
waves Wore to nay eyes, frightful we could render
Whatever and in fact expected ourselves that
We should go down every minute. With great difficulty
chung to the deck, the making perfect breach
over and the cold great that hour longer must
have finished US Close BY Major Wyse and his
young wife and babe 1t was truly heartrendng sight
This child must have been nearly frozen About this
time Nj Meus the first officer Of the ship than whom
no braTer seaman lives, aft with ak; this not
onty surprised me- but greatly raised my hopes Iwatc
ed Tim closely until he approached the only remaining
high that he unable to do it. This the first time
was aware that the ship not full of water Soon
after this our gallant Commodore Watkins came along
asked him what chances were he replied good
thea determined to get into the cabin.
The sea was running very high at the time, and the
deck was strewn on each side with pieces of the wreck
scattered here and there with aud women ciinrine
to the pieces in order to themselves In few mo-
ents all was still not sound heard except the
mai moaning of the wind. On looking around, + saw
Lieut.. Murray standing at the mizzenmast / went aft
to him and held there for awhile until the first mate
came to cut it away which he failed doing owing to
the roughuass OF the sea then went forward where
was first and Major Wyse his wife and child Leuts
Chandler Van Worst and Dr. satterlee We talked over
chances for escape, all came to the eoucIrsion
that could survive twenty minutes At the titne
two negroes along with life preseryers and one OF
the soldiers handed one but it cold that we
thinking that the vessel would 60 every minute we
did not use them. The making breach over us
at every roll About this time discovered that there
were many persons in the lower cabin under principal
ladies Two three Of determined to 20 down
azd afterwards induced Major Wyse to 20 down there
with his wife and child We found that the ship was NOT
IN as bad condition thought she was We found
there collected in the after part Of the cabin number OF
the oidcers ladies' who were in as dry place they
could IND A portion OF the cabin broken bv the
sea that first struck I previously stated We then
covered ourselves with blankets for we were
Y trozen not having half our clothing at the time
we remained the greater part Of that day supposng
the vessel would sink time during the evening
Capt Watkins came in and requested that we would all
go out to baiing the ship in order to keep aoa Two
officers went out at time and they were relieved by
others each party haing tive hours each We kent this
failing to work rN7f
This haling was kept up for four or i've nights until
the pumps got to working again. and the went down
We then gained on the water and by great egertious
the engineer succeeded in clearing the ship Of water f
the time The captain and officers of the ship with grea
succeeded II stepping the worst leaks and
pairing the docks with old pieces Of sails otherwise
patching them to try and the ship We kept re-
ayes OF three or four at each end shaft to
vent the water coming in there where in y the
bucketfull About this time were cheered with this
prospect of setting the machinery in working order
that ne vessel might get into port temporary steering
apparatus Was erected and atampt was made to gel
the ship under weigh which up to this time had been Al
the mercy Of the waves After two revolutions o
the wheel 1t was pronounced hopeless to ATTEMPT any
thing further All that could be done said tho engineer
to keep the pumps working During all this time tho
LADIES' behaved admirably and no complaint made by
tneA Two or three days afterwards saw two sail
one of them did not heed but the other came alongside
of us and spoke The that spoke us first was the
Napoleon The captain said he was short OF nroysions
and we tent him of quantity and she went off during
the night During this time were tightening the shin
by throwing overheard all heayy arelea that could
CPtA Ne ranIi nttrs
and got something to eat and began get some dry
clothes as we had been wet for nearly two weeks
The next ship that appeared the British brig Maria
but she took none Of the passengers from All this
time We had very rough weather. until the bark Kby
spoke u.s. An officer on board and INSIDE contract
to take all the passengers off and take them the
port Captain Watkins stayed behind to make one effort
to the ship; he cslled volunteers and in ten
minutes he had the number required to stey by him
soon as some OF passengers arrived board the by
we sent some twenty board tighten his vessel
by throwing portion Of the cargo overheard About Or
We commenced transhippng the ladies and children in
small boats and by night succeeded in getting aboard
about one hundred in allnen women and chidren-ju-
tending to complete the shpment next morning About
s'clock we were alarmed by the cry of fire found
the ship ts be on fire near the cooks galley but We very
soon put it ont
SOM time during the night heavy gales sprung nm
panied by most awful and the vessel
leaking badly again, and to work bailine that
night and part OF the next day the pumps at this time
giving out again The at this time SO exhausted
that it required great exerons keep them steadily at
work When the morning the Eitby was no longer
III sight anu We supposed that she had made the
nearest port ben short of water and provisions and il
being unsafe for her to remain any longer by US the
SEA running very nigh. This morning things looked
soomier than having nothing and being cold
and half naked During that day getting through
working the pumps, began to get better SPIRITS and
made ourselves ssInortable possible We kept the
vessel clear without bang We then cut holes through
the deck for the purpose of throwing and other heavy
materials overheard.
About two days after light seen during the night
and we commenced firing guns and making sgnas every
half hour during the night In the morning the British
ship Three Bells Capt Creighton bore up to US but ths
running high, and the wind blowing so hard
could only communicate to each other by means of
writing in large letters, board our condition and
prospects He replied to u.s. and said that they were
sakiag and short OF provisions AS he passed gave
three cheers which made believe he would stick by us
and returnsd them heartily He went to windward
of us, laid to- and remained by during the night.
The next day the running very high and he having
only two boats made two RATS in order to make
efforts to reach his vessel but found passage
the raft would be npracticabe On the third night we
very losing him On the fourth day, another
sail appeared in sight to HindRard and both down
which proved to be the Antartic bound Liver
pool.
Both vessels lay by during the night it being too
rough to attempt any passage with the boats On the
fifth day the rough weather subsidized and succeeded
officers except twenty five thirty including ships
officers and fremen During that day succeeded in
putting board the Three Bells provisions and
water kept the Vt the pumps during the day and
night The next morning got off the remainder of
the officers and includiHg Capt Watkins and made
sail for this port The Antartie sailed for Liverpool
Previous to falling in with the Three Bells sort of
congestise darrha broke among the men, from eat
ing poed and picked cabbage 1t carried of about
hundred of the passengers who taken sick
il Y few hours died
An incident occurred at this time Corporal Smith
came to said his child was sick and in about an
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