The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-01-19
Westerly, January 10, 1854.
The Steamship San Francisco


on the 2lst of December. She was char
tered by Government, and had on board,
besides her officers and large crew,
companies A, b, ID, G, III, l, Is, and Il,
of the third regiment of the United
States Artillery. These companies, with
the non-commissioncd staff and band of
the regiment, constituted force Of over
five hundred men.
On the 9th of January, ship arrived
at Nova Scotia port, and reported hav-
ing seen the San Francisco, with her
decks swept, her boats gone, and COM
pletely disabled; but was unable to rem
der any assistance, and lost sight of her
during the gale. The next day a brig
arrived at Boston, bringing similar re-
port.
Government at once took measures
to rescue those on board, should the
wreck still be float. The Revenue cut
ter Washington, the steamship Alabama,
and the steamship Union, were sent out
from n. York to cruise in search Of her.
The Revenue cutter Forward, and two
pilot boats, were sent from Philadel-
phia the sloop-of-war Decatur, from
Boston a Revenue cutter from New
London, another from Charleston, and
another from Wilmington.
Thus matters remained in the dark
to the 18th inst, when the British ship
Three Bells, of Glasgow, an iron sailing
vessel, arrived in New York harbor,
bringing l35 of the San Francisco's
passengers, including her officers and
crew.
The steamer was caught in the gale
of the night of the 24th of December,
and disabled Soon after heavy sea
swept the decks, washing over and in
volving in immediate death, two hundred
passengers
All the spars and sails of the steamer
were blown away, in the gale of the 24th
at / o'clock. On the morning of the
25th the engine stopped working, the
piston rod breaking off, and thus leaving
the vessel totally unmanagable. The
sea every moment struck her tremen-
duous blows under her guards, tearing
up the planking fore and aft, on both
sides. At the same time, the ship COM
menced to leak, when the troops were
organized into bailing gangs.
At 9 o'clock, on the morning of the
25th, the sea struck amidships with ter
rible force, carrying away both the smoke
stacks, all the upper saloon, and staving
in the quarter deck entirely through
washing overheard large number o.
passengers. At the same moment, three
: persons were killed by the crushing o
/; the timbers.
On the 2sth of December, spoke tho
bark Kilby, of Boston, bound for New
York, who lay by the wreck until thre,
a o'clock on the 29th, when the work o
= getting the passengers on board wa
S commenced With considerable difficult
upwards of 100 persons got on board tn
bark-men, women and children. a
night, the wind increasing, the KilJy lie
- :, 90 the hawser at 10 o'clock, after whic
l. time nothing further was seen of tn
'e bark by those left ON the wreck.
d The gale continued throughout tn
z 3Oth and 3lst, and a large number {
y the men became perfectly exhausted
many sick and dying.
tc On the morning Of Sunday, Januar
Of lst, eight days from the time the shi
: was disabled, the despairing hearts
l. the haplcss people on board were chcere
. by the British ship Three Bells, whic
!. having been spoke, bore down for IL
wreck, and lay by until 3 p. NJ. whc
her boat came alongside.
Ic The same day the shipAntarctic,f fro
J New York, for Liverpool, also DO
down for the wreck, and on Wednesda
No. the 4th inst, both ships commence
cr taking of the passengers, and a larI
amount of provisions and water, and