Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-01-27
Wreck Of the San Francisco.
APPALLING SCENES.
Statement by One Of the Passengers.

conSlSunB OF elgnt companies OF tDe lDlrO
Regiment Of Artillery, were embarked from
steamtugs on board the steamer, then anchor
ed in the North River. They numbered,
rank and file, some Eve hundred men. The
officers with their families, together with the
soldiers wives and females certain portion
Of whom were allowed TO each company
brought up the number to about six hundred.
There were twenty or thirty other passengers.
The crew numbered from one hundred to one
hundred and fifty; SO that, all told, we were
between seven hundred and City and eight
hundred souls on board.
On Wednesday morning the steamer drop
ped down 10 the Quarantine, and anchored
for the night. On Thursday. the 22d, after
having been detained for two or three hours
waiting for dilatory officer, she weighed
anchor about 10 O'Clock, and stood out to sea-
AT IL passed Sandy Hook, and discharged
our pilot.
Our voyage was now fairly commenced
A succession OF constantly recurring and Oft
repeated delays had delayed our departure
week after week, month after month. AT
last every obstacle had been overcome, and
the gallant ship, with her head pointed to the
southwest, moved steadily, though not swift.
", on her course. She was deeply laden
far too deeply, as the result proved, Her en-
gnes were new and untried, and the strain
upon them great. Thursday was lovely
morning, the sea calm apd smooth, with gen
tie breezes from the northwest Whatever
gloomy forebodings might have existed, SEEM
ed qoeted by so fair prestige.
Friday morning, the 23d rose brightly on
our course. We had entered the Gull Stream,
and the weather, which yesterday had been
chilly, and caused the ladies and children to
gather about the stove, had become mild
The wind still from the N. w. with sea
enough to cause the dinner table 10 be COM
paratively deserted. The day passed with
out incident Of any kind, and gave no pres
sage of the awful disaster so soon TO follow.
Immediately after ea retired 10 my room,
and after reading two hours as quietly as if
on shore, undressed and retired There was
more roll to the ship than had previously
experienced, and the wind seemed freshen-
ing; but l thought nothing of it. But
soon found there was no sleeping 1t
soon blew gale. The ship rolled and pitch
ed to degree tina, it made it difficult to keep
my berth. All the books and loose articles
upon the table were thrown to the floor. Eve.
ry article in the room, though confined, was
thrown about in an alarming manner.
AT IL O'Clock | could bear it no longer.
rose, dressed hurriedly, and went out upon
the deck. My room was on the hurricane
deck, on the forward part of the ship. The
scene as ] stepped on deck, was terrific. The
sea was complete mass Of foam, boiling and
swelling like cauGron. The gale was ter
rifle. The steamer had broached to twice,
and had really become unmanageabe. Her
head was towards the wind. The whole
crew were engaged in strenuous but vain ef-
forts to take in the sails. They were blown
into ribbons. The foremast-we carried no
mainmast-was wreathing and twisting like
young sapiing. 1t was large enough for
the mainmust Of 1000 ton ship. The fury
OF the tempest was such that | could not
stand before it a moment; but | seized the
iron brace connecting the king bolts. and sur
veycd the scene for moment. Then / threw
myself on my hands and knees, and made for
the nearest hatch to get below. This hap
pened to be over the forward galley. Swing
ing myself down by the cabin, reached the
main deck, Here scene of confusion inde-
scroable and confoundng presented ITSELF
-Four hundred soldiers were berthed on this
deck, in double rows Of standee berths, three
tiers each. They had all crept from their
berths; most Of the standees had been broken
and thrown down. The live stock, of which
there was considerable, had escaped from
their pens on the same deck, and soldiers, bull
locks, calves, pigs. sheep and poultry, were
all mingled together amid the broken STAN
dees. The steamers guard had been carried
away some time previously, and the sea wash
ed over the deck with every roll of the ship.
The lanterns were extinguished, and the dark
ness almost total. made an effort 10 reach
the after cabin, but found it impossible. With
my pen knife cut leather belt from one Of
the soldiers knapsacks hanging around, and
fastening it TO carline, made a secure place
TO hold on. | remained there towards an
hour. the storm all the while increasing. About
one O'Clock the foremast came down almost
over my head. crushing in the hurricane deck
| feared now that the deck would be swept
clean Of everything, and determined to seek
refuge below. l went first into the steerage,
but as they commenced battering down the
hatch, with perhaps two hundred soldiers in
It, left, and went to the second cabin, oc.
cupied by the non-commisioned officers and
their families l was wet to the skin and
chilled through. After waiting here for two
hours, with no abatement in the fury of the
gale, crept into one of the soldiers berths,
pulled blanket over me, and after awhile
fell asleep. The first ray OF dawn awoke me-
arose, and through the store room and pan.
try succeeded in gaining the main saloon
Saturday morning, the 24th, had at last daw
mad upon us, and this awful night had an end
While passing between the second and af
ter cabin, felt tremendous sea strike The
ship, but had no idea of the awful conse.
quences. 1t was the denouncemet-the fl.
male of the awful tragedy which had been GO
ing on through the night. An Overwhelming
sea had struck the ship on her starboard
quarter carried away the star board paddle
box. both smoke stacks, the whole promenade
deck abait the paddle-boxes, two rows of state
rooms, oftwelye each, on the m ain deck hatch.
This was the smalles. part of the havoc. AT
one fell swoop nearly one hundred and fifty
| IuaN l.