The Empire County argus., 1854-10-14
Loss of the Steamer Yankee Blade.


Francisco at 4 I1 O'clock, p. NJ. saturday evening,
September So for Panama and on the passage
down the coast struck rock, at the point about
sixteen miles above Point Conception, at halEpast
three o'clock on Sunday evening, Oct list. lmme
diately her stern went down, causng the loss of
some fifteen persons.
The vessel has become total wreck, causing
much misery, and heavy loss to individuals =
Some thieves commenced pillaging the ship us soon
as the passengers began to land.
The loss of this steamer is but another instance
of the destruction of property and life through the
utter reckessness of those having the power to en-
ploy able and willing to discharge their duties
The utter incompetency-the criminal care!essness
of the Captain is to be seen in the fact that he turn
ed his back to all advice--w was told the course he
pursuing would be destruction to the ship and
passengers, all of which he unheeded thus caus-
ing the loss of life and property.
Capt. Bell, passenger by the Goliah, states from
the best information he could learn from reliable
sources, twelve hundred passengers on the
Yankee Blade Capt. Haley stated to him that he
had taken from the wreck and on shore, seven hun
dred passengers and left one hundred and fifty on
the beach. as per statement of Capt W. II. Burt,
who had charge of the only boat that returned on
shore to the reefof the passengers. OF 1900 sail
ed $50 or thereabouts, are missing. but feels sure
that out of the whole number, $50 have been saved.
AS much we feel disposed to censure Captain
Randall, We will reserve further remarks until we
have his statement of the occurrence. Why he
should be far out of his course--why he deserted
his ship, remains to be explained.
The following is the official report of the loss of
the Yankee Blade, made by Purser Vought:
OPTICAL REPORT:
The Independent Steamship Yankee Blade, Hen
ry Randall, Esq Commander, sailed from San Fran
Cisco Sept 30th, at 4oclock p NJ, with eight hun
dred passengers and Sl63 900 in specie-passed the
Heads at o'clock, and at nine o'clock the same
evening steamer on the starboard beam, sup
posed to be the Uncle Sam or John L. Stephens
October 1st, at 81 o'clock P H., being cncom
passed in dense fog. steering S E. by 5. course,
and supposng ourselves at least ten miles from
Shore we struck reef of rocks off Point Arquea.
about fifteen miles above Point Conception, upon
which the ship ran upwards of sixty feet, while her
stern swung in nine fathoms Of water which in less
than twenty-five minutes sunk below the prone
made deck but so firmly was the forward part en-
bedded i'll the rocks, that up to the time we left
the ship (about P. NJ the 2nd inst she had not
receded an inch.
AS soon as we discovered our danger, the officers
Of the deck launched and manned the boats, and
proceeded at to get the ladies and other pas
sengers on shore, And here, it is but justice to
observe, that great appreciation is due Capt Henry
Randall for his promptness in going on shore to
find proper place to land his passengers-in tax
ing charge of one of the boats himself and beach
ing it successfully when that of the first oihcer
stranded-for the anxious manner in which he urg-
ed the hands shore to return to the wreck with
the boats, when they displayed every desire to de-
sert him and for sending his son Henry Randall,
Jr., to supply his place on the wreck III which ca
pacity he (feury) acquitted himself in a manner
far beyond his years inspiring all hearts with hope,
and preserving as much order could be preserved
under such exciting circumstances
While the boats We're being lowered the chief
steward and storekecper went below with gang of
men, and brought out large quantities of provisions,
which sent on the upper forward deck The
Purser prepared to save the ships papers and the
valuabes left in his possession belonging to pasSon-
gers which have all been safely delivered to their
owners. But going below about ten minutes
after the ship struck, he found the specie
cred with five feet of water, and so rapidly was
she filling that the water rose in the stern at the
rate OF SIX inches per minute. consequently no one
dared descend to the vault, which he locked, and
returned to the deck to save what he could of the
Express matter ect.. which he succeeded in getting
forward. and in company with some stout hearts,
watched by it all night while desperadoes were
rummaging and pillaging the ship, and it was re-
ported, although not supposed to be true, that
man had been murdered on the lower forward
deck.
Before dark the promenade deck houses aft the
shaft had all washed away, and others torn
down to form rats in readiness for immediate de-
parture in case Of sudden crash, for we knew not
how soon gale might strike the ship and scatter
her timbers in piecemeal on the waves.
Night coming on, and the fog, which had for
short time disappeared again set in, the boats were
stopped running, not being able to find the shore,
and the terrors of our situation began to stare us
in the face; for amid the howlings of the wind the
roaring of the waves as they broke upon the deck,
and the hoarse orders of the third officer and Mr..
Randall, there rose the loud accents Of ardent and
despairing prayer. Confusion in the widest sense
prevailed, for there were those who had prepared
to swim ashore stfening with the cold-thosc who
had sought to drown their fear in too frequent Ii
bations Of the ardent--while some with calm res
ignation had prepared themselves for the worst. and
awaited their fate in peace. Thus we passed the
dismal night, made still more solemn by the church
like tolling of the be which seemed to beck us on
to our funeral .....
! The scene on the shore was equally painful, the
boat the first officer commanded with 2l souls,
mostly females was stranded and all with the ex-
cepton of himself and three Others, who thrown
upon the beach apparently lifeess, were lost and
here | would record an instance of female energy
seldom equalled even in the annals of the revolu-
ton. Mrs Jane Elwell who had exerted her
herself by going into the water alongside of the
boats and carrying the ladies ashore, saw the al
most lieless bodies oftwo ladies' and said to young
man, you take one and I'll take another" and she
| picked up one of the ladies and placed it on her
shoulder, and carried it up an almost perpendicular
bluff to spot where they had found a camp, and
built fires and afterwards together with many 9TH
er ladies' stripped off all her under clothes and gave
them TO the exhausted men.