Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-10-14

bad feeling among the passengers ihem-
selves with reference to one another.
The following account of the disaster
is given by the Southern Californian,
Of October 5th:
The Yankee Blade left San Francis
co at half-past 4 o'clock, p NJ. Satur-
day evening, for Panama, and on the
passage down the coast struck rock at
the point about Is miles above Point
Conception at half-past 8 o'clock Sun
day evening.
Immediately her stern went down,
causing the loss Of some fifteen persons
one of whom had lately come across
the plains with his family and stock Of
cattle: having disposed Of them. was
on his way home, but, lamentably to
say, lost the companion of his life, to-
gether with all the money he had, in
attempting to make good the shore
He finally got on board the steamer
Goliah.
The vessel has become total wreck
causing considerable loss also individ-
uals have sustained considerable loss.
Some thieves commenced pillaging
the ship as soon as the passengers be-
gan to embark. Shame on them!
The loss of this steamer is but an
other instance of the destruction of
property and valuable lives through the
utter recklessness of those having the
power to put men able and willing to
discharge their duties.
The utter incompetency-the care
less villainy of the Captain is to be
seen in the fact that he rccklcssly turn
ed his back to every advice-was told
and told the course he was pursuing
would be destruction to the ship and
passengers. But no matter, on he went
-unheedingly and wilfully causing the
loss of lives and property -irretrievably
forcing hundreds into misery and ruin
There is but one way for the comnu-
nifty to protect themselves against these
horrible calamities-that is to be the
judges of their own wrongs and the ex
ecutioncrs Of outraged justicc-no more
to allow grave jurymen to examine a pal
pablo, damning offence by adding, as
always has been the case heretofore, in
justice to objectionable injury.
Doubtless the Yankee Blade was
heavily insured : and steamboating bust
ness on the Pacific has not been of late
so lucrative as in times past, and with
little future prospects of its ever becom-
ing what it has been it therefore sug-
gests itself to us that this running of
steamers on rocks-far away from their
due and proper course, is ready means
Of turning ships into money, regardless
OF the loss of human life.
Further Particulars Capt: Bell,
passenger by the Goliah, states that
from the best information that he could
learn from reliable sources, was that
1900 passengers sailed on the Yankee
Blade.
Capt. Haley stated to him that he
had taken from the wreck and on shore
seven hundred passengers, and left l5o
on the beach as per statement of Capt.
w. II. Burt, who had charge of the
only boat that returned on shore to the
relief ofthe passengers. If 1900 sailed,
$50 or Whereabouts are lost but We feel
almost sure that out of the whole num-
Der $50 have been saved
To Captain w. H. Burt and MIR
Charles Mathews many hundred passcn :
gers are indie bted for their lives. They
were both passengers on board the Go
liah. To Capt. Haley, of the Goliah,
they owe every thing lives, fortunes
and all. He did all humanity and the
case required. He has only added one
act more to the number to fill out in full
the measure of his fame of gentleman,
a sailor, and friend to humanity.