The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-01-17
LOSS OF THE STEAMSHIP SAN
FRANCISCO.
srATExRsr OF LIEUT.. wrspER, o. s.A.
snrr TnnrE BELLS,

The steamer Francisco, an you are aware, sailed
rom New York on the I'D of December, with U. s.
troops, bound for California The day was beauti.
full and everything promised pleasant and proepe-
rous VOYAGE. The ship was well provided with eve
rytting which could render comfortable and
every luxury that could be procured was placed an
board. All these things, together with the gentle
manly and efficient officers Of the chip and pleasant
campanyn the cabin, served to render ,is happy and
contented. But alas for all human calculations
about O'Clock the second day out, gale sprung
was perfectly frightful
During the night-I think about twelve o'clock
our engine gave out, and soon after our foremost
was carried away, which left US entirely at the
mercy Oh tne wind and waves. The scene in the
cabin during this time was truly distressing Near.
~ All nao turned out of the state rooms despair de-
pcted on the countenances of ALL A few of US who
occupied the upper cabin left it and went below
ana Wei l. was tor US, tor soon after day. think
| a6outs o'clock-a sea broke over our starboard
wheehouse, and with frishtful force dashed against
| the after cabin, carrying away all of the cabin
ana .aoout one hundred and fifty people, among
| whem were Col. j NJ Washington, Major Geo Tay-
lor aud his WIFE, Capt H. B. Field and Lieut. Smith.
two or three males and females who were unknown
to me, and two citizen passengers Mr. Rankin our
sutier, the other names have not learned, were
| swept on, but the return wave broueht them back
had gone below but few moments before this ter.
rble crash, and was lying at the foot OF the steps
at the time. never experienced such sensation
as Waen the water came pouring into the cabin,
4
| upon my head and breast. was swept across the
cabin with terrible force, but after three attempts
succeeded In reeaIning my feet. | supposed that
the ship had broken in half, and that were fast
| sinking. followed after some saw going on
deck and on reaching il, my blood ran cold at the
sight OF the poor fellows struggling among the irag-
| ments in the sea The waves were, to my ewes
irightul we could render no assistance whatever,
and In TACT expected ourselves that we should go
| down every minu.e.
With great difficulty we chung to the deck, The
| sea making perfect breach US, and the cold
SO great that an hour longer must have finished u.s.
Close by me was Maj. Wvse his young wife and
| babe. 1t was truly heart rending sight. The
| poor child must have been nearly frozen About
this time Mr.. Melus the first officer of the ship than
| whom no Drawer seaman lives, came aft with an
axe; this not only surpE sed me, but greatly raised
| my hopes. / watched him closely until he ap
| preached the only remaining mast He attempted
to cut away, but the sea ran so high that he was
unable TO do it. This was the first time was aware
that the ship was not full of water Soon after this
| our gallant Commodore Watkins came along.
| asked him what our chances were; he replied
Good" | then determined to get into the cabin
| The sea was running very high at the time, and
the deck was strewn each side with pieces the
| wreck scattered here and there with men and wo-
men clinging to the pieces in order to save them
selves. In few moments all was still, none of
them appearing. Not a sound was heard except
| the dismal moaning of the wind On looking around
( saw Lieut.. Murray standing at the rnlZZennlast
went ait to him, and held on there for awhile,
| I'll the first mate came to cut it away, which he
failed In doing owing to the roughness OF the sea-
then went forward to where / was first and saw
| Major WyEe his wife and child. Lieuts. Chandler,
Van Voorst ard DR.. Satterlee. We talked over our
chan ces for escape, and all came TO the conclusion
at we could o. survive twenty minutes. AT thist
tine two ne groes came along with iie-pFeservers,
and one of the soldiers handed me enc; but it 80
colo that we i would be on prolongins our
misery, and thinking that the vessel would so down
| every minute, we did not use them. The sea was
making a breach over US at overy roll.
About this time we discovered that there were
many persons in the lower cabin under u.s. principal
ly ladies' Two or three Of US were determined to go
down, and afterwards induced Major Wye to go
down there with his wife and child. We found that
the ship YVES not in rs bad condition thought
she We found there collected, in the after
part OF the cabin, number of the officers ladies'
struck, as previously stated. We then covered
selves up with wet blankets, for we nearly tIo
zen, not having half our clothing at the time.
Here remained the greater part of that day,
suppesng the vessel would sink time during the
evening Captain Watkins came in and requested
that we would all go to bailng the ship in order to
keep her aAoat Two officers went out at time, and
they were relieved by others, each party bailing two
hours each We kept this up all night water gaining
on us, and our pumps failing to WORK. This bang
was kept Up four or five nights, until the pumps got
to working again, and the sea went down. We then
gained on the water. and, by greet exertons of the
engineer succeeded in clearing the ship of water for
the time.
The captain and officers ofthe ship with great ex-
ertions, succeeded in stopping the worst leaks and
repairing the decks with old pieces of Sails and 9TH
erwise patching them up to try and the ship
We kept relieves of three four at each end
of the shaft to prevent the water coming in there
where it came in by tho bucketfuil. About this time
we cheered with the prospect of setting the
machinery in working order that the vessel mig
get into port. temporary steering apparatus
erected, and attempt was made to get the ship
under way, which up to this time, had been the
| mercy OF the waves.
After one two revolutions of the wheel it was
pronounced hopeless to attempt anything farther
All that could be done. said the engineer, to
keep the pumps working. During all this time the
ladies' behaved admirably, and no complaint was |
made by them. Two or three days afterwards we |
saw two sail of them did not heed U.s. but the
other came alongside Of us and spoke US. The one
that spoke US first the Napoleon. The CAPTAIN
said he was short of provisions and We sent him
quantity, and she went off during the night. During
this time were tightening the shu by throwing
overheard all heavy articles we could get at.
We made ourselves comfortable as possible and
got something to eat, and began TO get some dry
clothes, swe had been wet for nearly two weeks
The next ship that appeared the British brig
Mara, but she took none of the passengers from
All this time we had very rough weather until the
barque hilby spoke U.s. An officer went on board |
ana made contract to take all the passengers off |
and take them to the nearest port. Capt. Watkins |
stayed behind to make one effort to the ship; be
called for volunteers, and in ten minutes he had the
number required to stay by him.
AS coon as some of the passen arrived on board
the Kilby, sent some twenty men on board to |
tighten bis vessel by throwing portion of the cargo
overheard. About P. NJ. we commenced tranship- |
ping the ladies and children in small boats and by
night succeeded in getting aboard about one hundred
IN all-men women and chdren-intending to com
pete the shipment N xt morning. About o'clock |
we "oiS d4aInleo Dy ne cry OF IRE, ana found the
ship to be on FIRE the cooks galley bat very
soon put it out
Some time during the night heavy gales sprung up.
accompanied by a most awful sea, and the vessel |
commenced leaking badly again, and we went TO
work bailiug thai night and part OF the day,
the pumps at time giving out again. The at
this time were SO exhausted that it required great
exerilons to keep them steadily at work. When the
morning came the kiby was no longer in sight, and
we supposed that she had made for the port
being short Of water and provisions and it being I'M
safe Tor her TO remain any longer by u.s. the |
was running yeIy high.
This morning things looked gloeTnier than ever, /
having nothing to eat and being cold end half naked
During that day, after getting through working the
pumps, we began to get better spirits, and made
selves as comfortable as possible, We kept the YES.
sci clear wi'heqt the aid of bailing. We then cut
holes through the deck for the purpose of thrown
coal and ther heavy materials overheard About
two days atera light was during the night, and
we commenced firing guns and making Signals every
half hour during the night
In the morning, the British ship Three Bells, Capt.
Creighton. bore up to US bat the running
SO high and the wind blowing SO hard, could only
communicate 10 each other By of writing in
large letters, board condition and prospects,
ne re piled TO and said that they leaking and
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