The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-01-28
carried.
A fl1ghtful Incident Of the Wreck of the
Sar Francisco.

Mr. Frederick Soi,.hwcrt',. who was on
h"ird The san Francisco. Tivc> the following
account 81 HE terrible scene when the heavy
waves WASHED away the saloon of the San
Francisco. and swept into eternity more than
a hundred souls:
ut about O'Clock mighty swell such as
can only bc formed Nv oId OCEAN when dashed
tv such ii tempest struck our vessel amid
SHIPS. completely suhmcreinr the wheel
houses. All" washing thcu with all their in
mates within an instant. at least half mile
distant INTO the io.minr sea. Myself and Mr.
Rankin were amon~ the number who were
washed away. and the only two Of this entire
company who were successful in reraininr
the ship. MI the rest sank into the laws OF
death. and were rocked INTO an eternal sleep
by tbs roaring. swelling sea.
" | can only describe the situation Of
the" mortal> by my own experience. hope
| Will he excused for aiIr,iinr to mvsclt. |
well remember was 'yin. in nv statc-room
on IL" after deck, with travelling compan-
ION. Mr. James {. Stockwcii. when there
ra,!c a shock and sudden crash of brcakin.
timber. and felt myself rolling like a top in
:hr water. with salt brine rushing into my
mouth anil iimos: binding n,r
Nhcn arose To- Tie surface Of the ocean. a
harrowln" >i@ht was before me-. WAS half a
mil" from the steamer. and all around me was
about an acre OF lloating timber. Immediate
by my side came up from the deep Mr. stock
well. who caught bold the sam" stick OF TIM
her To which had clun4 ior safety. The
stick logan to sink and seized hold Of an
ether piece, and made the best OF my way &c
the wrecked steamer Two or three hunc
>~clls soon tossed u.c near the ship. and
.ra>prd a rope iorw,rl of the whccl!iou>r. L
winch lclnn@ 10Y refuge. rising and ttllin"
While in this situation. | saw a man stand
in. on til" paddle of the wheel who was yiung
cd into the ocean a: ever, roll ot the ,tcalncr
and who probably pcr;>hc'i. Lo>ir. strength
dropped from the ron" to which ! clun@.,n,
fortunately a friendly wave threw II" a
.an>t Tie guard ot the vessel! which >ciz",
and The next carving me sill HIGHER on tn,
Guard | was cntl,',,l 1T last to crawl nror
the forward deck. and there with m; h,n'
broke open Il state room window. and crcp
into it halt drowned While in the wat,,
the SIGHT around me was worse than death it
self
W men r0-.. To the surface Of tie water
-aw about forty struggling iNr l'r and ahou
: enc halt ct them h,l Mood ~trcamin. 'rol.
wounds about ;iirir l.r>,ls L., IA blinded b.
. what ;houoll. was the salt water. ! PIT H..
hand TO ny forehead 10 V pc away the brine
VIXEN was SURPRISED! 10 .lnI was bleeding
myself from n wound n my brow. II
therefore conclusive tha, r,o>; o. ,ho~" wa~!l
: cd away were at Tie same t:nr wounicd l.
IT," crasiin. t;mbcr>. Besides myself. VI
Rankin was the only onc saved 81. the mum
; Der who were swept lut0tlc ocean.
sub was the force Of the waves, that The
broke in a part OF th,. oc"k. and killed an
injured several y, >ilcs ,lelrcin@ the pa>>on
.cr> in the lower cabins, anI !i.ihG the 81
looms with water. Capt. tia.dl"cr slept O.
deck. and was not SWEPT away WITH tie "t
I err. htt AT one TIM. ip;uud 4 tntn lv h> >'d
with splinter '.ri~t tl.:uucl; his bead. vi. i
must have Killed him i.!-'al';tnvoG>ly.