Butte record., 1854-03-04
NUMBER IL.
The San Francisco.

Ii seelns 10 De generally c0ncluded
that the ill-fated steamer San Francisco
was overloaded, and that to this cause
is to be imputed the disaster that befel
her. The builder of her engines states
that when she went to sea her guards
were scarcely more than two feet out of
water. Thus deeply laden with about
eight hundred tons of coal and Govern
ment stores, as it is stated, and being,
as we learn from nautical man, built
very full at the stern, it is no wonder
she would not obey her helm in heavy
weather. To the fact that she would
not steer in gale, as we stated on Sat
urday, is this calamity to be attributed
The reason why she would not, is found
to be owing to the trim of the ship in her
being badly overloaded. Doubtless her
owners were confident of the ability of
the ship to bear the tremendous burdens
put upon her But they evidently cal
culated too confidently upon her great
strength, and over-exhausted her powers.
The temptation was great to give her
full load for coal is cheaper at five dol
lars in New York than at thirty at VAL
paraso. But where was Capt Watkins's
vigilance, that he did not observe, and,
if need were check the overlooking of
ship to which were to be entrusted so
many iyes' We fear it is too true that
in this case, as in many cases, the temp
tations of cupidity outweighed the con-
siderations of prudence. We well know
the risks that ship-owners, and ship-mas-
ters, and sailors are alike willing to run,
where good vessel is in the case. And
especially is this true in regard to steam
ers, whose daily consumption Of coal so
rapidly ightens the ships load, that they
are often sent to sea not in fit trim at
the time Of starting, but in the expecta-
ton that in few days they will be so,
and that then they can go along in safety.
We have known steamers to be sent with
such culpable disregard of the dictates of
prudence, that their safety depended
solely upon the chances of escaping Sc
we're weather during the first week out,
and where, if a gale had prematurely
overtaken them, they would inevitably
have gone to the bottom. We fear It
was something so with the San Francis
co, and that no tempests sufficient to
test her qualities were anticipated till
she should have left the trade winds on
her way around the Horn, when her con-
sumption of fuel would have so ightened
her that she would have been In good
time to encounter the severest storms.
Indeed, SO clear does this point seem
that we entertain the most confident
opinion that, if the ship had had but
half or two thirds of the coal on board
with which she was laden, no disaster
whatever would have occurred. And if
this be so, the owners, or the agents Of
the Government, or whoever was res
ponsible for her loading must be deemed
eminently culpable.
The great fact that the ship was dis
abled in the beginning Of the gale, and
before her machinery gave out, is con-
elusive on the point that the steamer was
not in sea-worthy condition. But if
anything were wanting to show that
there was no cause in the severity of the
gale, for such a disaster, we have it in
the experience of the Three Bells her
self. On the night that saw the wreck
of the San Francisco, this ship found no
difficulty in keeping on her voyage, al
though the wind was by no means fair.
And it was not until the morning after,
when the blow had reached its height,
and at the very time when the decks of
the steamer were cleared by a sudden
swoop of the mountain wave, that nearly
caused her to founder, that the Three
Bells found herself. compelled to lay to,
and await the abatement Of the storm.
Painful as it is, and willing as we
would avoid the conclusion, we are con-
strained to the belief that the San Fran
cisco has been thrown away, and a vast
number Of valuable lives sacrificed, not
because of the remarkable severity of
the gale she encountered, not because of
her being steamship with guards, as
suggested by one of our contemporaries,
not because of her engine giving out.
according to others, but solely and ex-
clusively because the ship was overload
ed and sent TO sea in such a condition
that she would not steer In a gale Of
windy. Y. Times.