The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1854-02-02
loss of the Steamer San Francisco...
1t. Winder's Narrative.


feet; keel $780, beam fl hold Is; tonnage 3,O0O.-
She MAS doss.e-ironed, and in every other respee
secure Fastened, and well adapted to brave the dan
sefs q The deep. She had two engines of lOo
horse COVER each; state rooms Cor the accom,noda
on 81 80 passengers, and steeragc bcrihs for 1000
Tie following narrative from the pen OF It. Wiuder
We think, will BE- perused With painful interest:
We left New York the 2Ist Of December will
most i@s Jrabe weather. Oar voyage promised 10 b.
an unusually pleasant one, for had IA ship who's
qualities were OF the first ORDER commanded by oil
c.rs The most able and gentemanIy.
A0Jui nine O'Clock the morning Of the secone
day Tremendous gale sprang up, which increase,
10 hurricane, AMI about twelve O'Clock night ON
engine gave out, and soon after oar foremost wa.
c@rrieI away. The stashoJid wheel-house wa,
Smashed IN by a tremendous and portion Of the
upper cabin stove ] had retired early TO IN,
state ropn very sick, but the water coming into il
freely, concluded that would be better leave
Ny room was situated on the upper deck. left my
foJhi aai went OUT into the upper saloon. The first
th'n1 On Al saw WAS tour or hve waters holding the
doors ui the saloon To eat their being burst open
81. tie IS ind. went down into the lower cabin and
ioan. group OF persons sitting upoa mattresses near
tae foot Oi t,t stairs 10 keep themselves of the
water, which washing about the cabin. | laid
o3Nl upon one OF the mattresses, and held to the
ID, keep self from being dashed about the
saloon; | soon tei asleep; how long remained so
Icll, but think II was not long. Ii was near
.aiisb BIT when was awakened by a tremendous crash.
i1'o cd Immediately by large body Of water rush
"a. o. % 1ood down the Companion way, IL fell upnn
iHl. ult swept twice the cabin and back
uu. with stunning violence. With desperate eff
tat succeeded IN resaln,n, my feet, and SAW some
persons climbing up the steps. and followed them.
o. aching the deck the FIST 81. hit which met my
ey.s the bodies of two men, who had been
Kit ly the crushing ia 81 the upper cabin; crawl
.c. oscr of the bodies aud managed 10 find nv
ae.oss the deck holding various parts of
the week; | got toward the stern, and fell in with
three officers, aud took glance at the aspect
81 Affairs; shall forget the narrowing specta-
cesle presented the appearance Of total wreck.
under the impression that she was tall of wa
aod had settled down to the level of the deck
Tae ST face Of the water for large space around
red with the debris of the upper works, and
holding to these, and struggling with The wreck Of
matter many men, suppose l50, attempting to
tn nseves in the raging sea, by catching Il, the
k,u 4 m,ers. The wind was BLOWN. perfect
huuI-1ue, and il was with the attn 1st difficulty that
E ha'i an1 prevented myself from being blown
otesb1t,d. Not sound heard from the drown
iag they strove with all the energy Of despair,
,o save themselves. Tharc they were, $50 human
ng. beyond the possibility of human succor, and
500. ih- last sank to rise On looking
..r,aa' ! saw Lieut.. Murray, of the Navy, standing
q, bee lien mast, and went aft to him. | held on
- &c a while, unil the first aft for the
pa1o, If eating it away, but the and hurricane
were t10 violent to admit OF his doing. | then
urnel to the first position occupied. Here were
tlree Icers, one lady and "A chiid-Malor Wise,
wiis AID child, together with Licuts. Chandler and
A ,st, All Drs. Satteclee and Writ. We sat
t'ns the prospect before U.s. and none Of Us
had ths slightest hope of escape. At this time
al - ~, walters a!on, with lie preseryers,
ant solder brought one; but the weather was
iaic isely co!d and the prospect that misery
'voi o1ly be unnecessarily prolonged seemed APP
parent, that made no use of them. The sea was
making breach every roll, and the expo
sure MAS beninbng that cast about for shell
ter. We discovered that there many persons
the over cabin principally the ladies of the Off
c.ts; went below, and aerward induced Major
Wise u brin, his wife and child down also, Us the
saiD wa. not in such bad condition we had an-
I-ipate1. We fouad there some of the ladies', to-
g.lhef with a number ot officers and children, col
lcctc at the after part of the saloon.
Iac ITw;,rd part of the cabin had been crushed in
iy a. force of the Tremendous alledy alluded to
al tat roll Of the ship, large bodies of waer entered
,ae cal at the crushed in part of the deck. We
covered ourselves with wet blankets, for VIC were
slragS -oIen, few Of us having other clothin.
ia. shirts and drawers. Here We remained the
greater part Of the dav, surprising IL would not be
i,ne O. r.. the vessel would sink. Sometime during
Al, ~ eiing, Captain Watkins into the cabin,
aud rcllesed that the officers would all go out t.
h.ins. and assist in keeping the ship ahoat. Two
Oh went Ont AT time, aud set the men to hailins
od the engine room; As soon AS one gang of men
h-cAm. exhausted set relays 10 work, and
il. Eept up the work all night. Bat notwith stand
ing aur most strenuoas endeavors, the water kept
uaniry o Us, the pumps having become choked -
TIE A.iing kept up ior several days and ghts
daring which tins the violence Of the gradual,
suD,ilri. We then got the pumps 10 work, and sue.
CesL.d IN keeping the ship nearly free from
TIE ptain and officers, by extraordinary eXcgions
stopped s3mc Of the worst LEAKS around the guards
.,sd al The end Of the beam The decks then
temporarily repaired, by r!anhing and mailing sal
ana oil cloths them. We kept rcliefs of three
o. four men with mattresses at each end of the shaft
t, prevent the water from coming IN there. About
shis tine-fsr l have recollection Of dates, AS
deemed our hopeless, and kept record o
eycnts--we cheered by the prospect OF getting
abe machinery in working order temporary steer
iig apparatus erected, and an attempt made
"a ret the ship under way. Up To this time she ha,
D.si lolling about nasess and rudderess, huge LOG
upoa The occaa. After two revolutions of the
.heols the machinery gave out, and all further at
tempt was pronounced hopeless; thus hopes
bla.isu. As nothing further could be done than t.
keep the pumps in operation, we followed ID is ut
with the most scrupulous assiduiy for several DAYS
wh,s vessels hove in sight, and again lighted up
s.ur .optu, prospects. Oae OF the ships, the Napo.
ieor. ctme along side. We were then tightening oul
sAp mach AS possible, by throwing over provis.
si,'is nd heavy articles. The Napoleon promised
% stay by us but after picking up many provisions
IS me wanted, left Us during the night.
We found that the ship bid fiir to keep aAoat and
4.,ea take such measures for personal comfort
as the circumstances would admit Of in the way OF
obtanng dry clothing and proper food. Hope again
b. .aa dawn upoa our prospects, notwithstanding
the extreme rou, hness of the weather. The next
visitor 10 cheer the bark kilby, of Boston,
Cini Watkins went board and made a contract
fr Inc conveyance of all III passengers the nearest
psr, then called for volunteers 10 by him, as
.r f.. nded 10 make attempt to save the
-hi9. In ten minutes he had twenty men, the num-
bee T.. required, who volunteered to stay by him and
ed ! the attempt. We officer and some
twenty men board the kiiby to throw over her
c,,, and ghen her for the reception of the empes,
t,s,s passengers. About O'Clock p. NJ, we com
incs cd traashppins the ladies and children in small
boas aud by night, had about 100 men, women and
cl i'm transferred to her, intending 10 complete the
IRAN iipmeut in the morning. About or s z. NJ ,.
al, we're alarmed by the danger of fire; foind
n hin to be on fire the cooks galley; aite,
SON. considerable excrtion succeeded in extin-
cushing it. During the night heavy gale sprung
49, accompancd 10y the worst cross sea we had beer
ri'i,cted To daring the whole voyage. Our vesse
Goa. ,nced leaking badly, and the gangs Of sailor
we're set 10 work before; our labor was much in
creased by the giving out Of the pumps; we continued
4 bal. with increased vigor until the afternoon Of III,