Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-16
Awful shipwreck.
Loss OF STEAMER SAN FRANCISCO, AND
Two HUNDRED AND Forty LIVES.

On the 5ih Inst.s Geographic despatch from
4 Liverpool. Nova Scotia, announced that the Ma
Sia Freempn arrived atAthat port, reports, having
faAep il with the American Steam Ship, San
Francisse, o. the R6lh d. December, in latitude
Asssdeg. 2Odiin.: Longitude SO deg, from New
York for San francisco, with her decks swept,
boats gone, aud completely disabled. Could not
render her any assistance, as she drifled out Of
sight during the gale.
The San Francisco left New York, bound for
San Francisco, on The 2lsi of December, intend.
ing to proceed to her destination via the Straits
of Magellan, touching at Rio Janeiro, Valparaiso
and Acapulco She had on board companies A.
B, D. G, H, I, K, and L. Of the Third regiment
sof U. 5. Artillery. Companies e and E. under
Captains Bragg and Sherman, were on duty In The
West, and Companies F and NJ, under Captains
Benton and Reyes have been in California for
several years The eight companies on board
the steamer, with their non-commissioned officers
and the regimental band, constituted force of
about Eve hundred men.
The steamer had also, az passengers, Mr.. Geo.
<AsptnWohB NdPtsf y. w. II NdIuueI, anu
James G. stockwel, Of Worcester, Mass.
On the 18th inst, the Brig Napoleon arrived at
Boston, from Mantanzas, confirmed the report o.
the Maria Freeman, having fallen in with the
San Francisco on the 26th ult., completely dsa-
bled with decks swept, masts and chimneys gone,
and lying completely atihe mercy OF the waves.
The Napoleon was unable to render immediate
assistance because of the severity Of the weather,
and IN the morning the steamer was not in sight.
These reports created the most intense excite
ment in the minds Of those who had friends and
relatives on board, until Friday evening, Jan. ls,
when the ship Three Bells, Of Glasgow, arrived
at New York, and brought the following news in
regard TO the fate OF the San Francisco.
The steamer San Francisco was caught in a
gale on the night Of the oath of December, and
disabled {; soon after a heavy sea swept her
decks, and washed overheard 100 passengers, in
GLIDING Col. S. B. Washington, Lieut.. Smith,
Capt. II. B. Field and Major Taylor and wife.
The ship drifted about until january 9th, when
she was fallen in with by the ship Three Bells,
from Glasgow barque Kilby, for Boston, and
the ship Antaruc; for Liverpool lat. SO Ion SO,
which vessels took off the crew and the remaining
passengers
One of the most terrible features ofthi shock
ing disaster, was the outbreak Of cholera, occa-
sioned by the dissipation Of portion ofthe troops,
and of the white and colored walters While
the ship was at the mercy of the waves, mahy Of
these individuals, as is too often the case at sach
seasons, determined since they had given up the
idea of escaping, to enjoy themselves before the
ship went down. In the confusion that prevailed,
the store-room was left unfastened, and the cons
tents were too tempting to be withstood. They
accordingly INDUCED their appetites without re-
straint. They partook Of preserves, sweetmeais,
dainties Of all kinds ad libitu, and then repaired
to the spirit room, where they washed down their
repasts with copious and nndiluted draughts. The
effects of this conduct Unexpectedly manifested
themselves in violent attacks Of cramp and diarr-
hea. Some Of the debauchees died in less than
ten hours from the time of aeizure others laid
day OF Two, while some recovered altogether.
The Editor Of the New York Times is inform
j
sixty individuals persisted in this manner, some
dying on board the Three Bells, while on her
way to New York; others were put on board the
Antarctc,so much reduced by dlarrhna as to give
but little prospect ofrecovery.
The whole number of persons on board the San
Francisco when she left New York was seven
hundred; of these, two hundred and thirty were
taken off by the Three Bells, one hundred by the
barque Kilby, of Boston, and two hundred by the
ship Antarctic front New York for Liverpool.
The Kilby was short of provisions and water,
and would probably make for Bermuda, the
nearest port. The Antarctic probably transferred
those saved by her from the wreck, to some in
ward bound vessel, and, as the telegraph reports
that ship Lucy Thompson was below New York
on Saturday noon, with passengers from the
wrecked steamer San Francisco, there can be but
little doubt that they are those saved by the An
tarctic. 5f l.as ag4 s9si
The San Francisco was insured in Philadelphia
and New York, for $780, 900. Her cargo consist
ed entirely of government stores, intended for
the troops in California, upon which there is no
insurance
Of the one hundred passengers swept off by the
tremendous sea which broke upon the deck O.,
the steamer, two regained the ship. viz Nj.
Ranken, army suttler, and Mr.. --Merchant of
Rio Janeiro. 1t is more than probable that the
Mrs Mr.. J. G. Stockwell of this city, as he
is in business at that port, and that was his des-
tination, aa -qgs8a
ns eq jubilee i'm Barre. "a p