Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-19
Loss of the Steamer San Francisco.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE TERRIBLE
DISASTER.

We give the following additional particulars of
the loss Of the steamer San Francisco from the
New York Herald:
After painful suspense OF several days, we
have receiv. news of The fate of the steamship
San francisco, and those vino lett this port in her
for California. The British ship Three Bells
Capt. .on, arrived here on Friday night, with
the sad intelligence OF the total loss of the San
francisco, with about two hundred lives, and the
joyful news Of the saving of over five hundred
officers Of The army, tleir wives, passengers, SOL
dierS, and officers and crew Of the steamer.
COPY OF THE LoG-BooK THE THEE BELLS.
| On Saturday, 3lSt Dec, 2 A. M, saw Sight
bearing west somthwesti 2:30 A NJ, discovered
that they were hring guns SuppOSlng they weTe
guns OF distress, ave Immediately SteeTed for her,
and al $3.50 passed her stern and found her TO be
| the San francisco, from New York, and bound TO
San francisco, dismased and disabled, decks
swept, and, hating her, she wished us 10 remain
| by her until the weather moderated; 1t then blow
ing strong froln south southwest, We again tackled,
and in passing by her we told them 10 keep their
| hearts up as we would Ienaln by her until The
we alher mo Grated. Sunday aud Monday, the Isl
anu ID of January, heating about the wreck, the
weather stormy to FENDER them any assiSta nee
until ga II. Tuesday the Sd; | then lowered
my uuaTter boat and Sent her along S de oil the
wreck, the ship lying to leewaTd, When tie RETURN
ed with the second officer OF tue Sau FranClSco
II then coIing or 10 blow, We found that nothing
boat up and laid by the wreck until the following
day. 4lh INST, when, at o'clock A. NJ, IT becom-
| ing mCTe moderate, we lowered the quaTtcr.bOat
| down and made FIVE trips TO the wreck, saving
about thirty four persons. 1t then becoming dark
we hosted up the boat and laid by her until the
| following morning, 4th inst, when we put out the
longboat and kept both boats going all day, saving
the people from the wreck. About IL A. NJ. we
hoisied the boats in, having received all the crew
and passengers from the wreck. We then set sail
| nd IEsI nj n YORK,
STATEMENT BY MR.. MrLLus, THE CHIEF OFFICER OF
| THE san FRANCISCO.
| At9 a. NJ. Thursday morning, Dec. %, ship left
anchorage of quarantine, with light breeze from
Southwt st and clear weather, and disc harged pilot;
hove log, ship making a knots per hour. During
| tie night, wind and weather much the same.
| D GA, (Sea time.l -ModeTale bTeeZeS lTOm the
| vest and cloudy weather; employed IN bending
sludding sails, :or making all sail. at about +.
NJ. wind died away to light baffling airs. The
weather looking very Threatening, iurled all sail;
| SHIN going 50 knots. At p. NJ. wind came out
suddenly aud with Tremendous force irom the
northwest, causing heavy seas. AT 10 +. NJ. Shlp
| broached to; set fore spencer and lore aysaii,
when she again fell off before 1t; set the foresail,
and gave the engineer orders 10 give her all the
steam he thought prudent; ship went along III
knots until II P. M when she bToached 10 IN q
Tremendous sea, and all endeavoTS TO get OIL were
unaVaIling; blew away iorestaysall; hauled up TIE
| foreSail. At about IL NJ. BILE" away ioreSpsnceI
| and foTeSail from the lee yardaTm; put flashing
on the head Of the .pnTker 10 haul out the clew;
ship laDored heavilyj ordered the troops forward
excepting those who could lay about the floor oil
| the upper saloon. All this time the ship labored
very heavily laying in trough of the sea, every sea
striking her tremendous blows. The engine stop
ped, tie end the AR pump piston rod breaking
off, and the air pump buckets consequently adrIIt.
| Al thus time The Spanker blew away, leaving tile
ship entirely at the mercy OF the wind and waves.
Ship now making considerable wa'er. Steam
pumps were kept running, and hanG pumps man
ned; but the gaming the troops were organ
lied in bnlling gangs, 10 lass up walter Though the
| engine roo"I- -, 49,
! Alta, NJ, the foremost went over the side, with
all attached, breaking about SIX feet above upper
deck. AT 9 A. NJ. shipped heavy sea amldshlps
! which stripped StaTboaId paddle box, carried away
starboard after king pest, both smoke stacks, all
the upper saloon, Shaving half the quarter deck
through, and washing overheard large num0el
| OF soiiiels, Col Washington, Major Taylor ano
wife, Capt. Field and two ladies', names unknown,
all of whom were in the saloon, the soldiers hav-
ing been admitted TO the saloon, owing 10 the Sc
verify of the weather. A waiter named BIookeI
and The barber, also young man named Ducke'
the carpenter's brother, killed by the crash.
| On to this time the water had been kept under:
but this sea raised the water in the ship so much
that the soldiers almost gave up in despair, and II
was ony by the greatest eXertIon the ship was kept
afOat. gang Of soldiers was set apart 10 hold
blankets round the shalt TO prevent the flowing IN
of wateT-made IN attempt 10 cut away the mzzeI
mast, but the ship labored SO heavily 1t was nol
accomplished.
SUNDAY, Dec 25. (sea tme.)-Heavy gale and
sea continue from northwest, ship laboung heavi-
lly; all hands engaged pumping and bailIng-nIght
more moderate. and We got the water down SO that
the engineers went 10 work with the airpump-
still nj work, heaving overheard provision and
coal to tighten the ship. About noon spoke brig
Napoleon of Portland, who promised 10 lay by US,
latter part of the day more moderate.
DEC. 26.-Gale continued afresh from the north
west and high sea. Engineers at work at the air
pump, soldiers barling and pumping, and tighten
ing the ship. In the morning the Napoleon was not
10 be seen by US; latter part more moderate; EN-:
ployei in clearing wreck Of quarter deck, and
about noon spoke bng Maria of LiVerpOOi who
promised 10 lay by US.
DEC. 27-cOniinued with strong gale from