The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-06
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Details of the Disaster to the Golden
Gate.

Details Of the Disaster to the Golden
Gate.
The following is a copy Of the state
ment Of Captain HudsOn, Of the Golden
Gate, to the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany
GESrLESlES: have to report TO you
the total loss Of the Golden Gate, by fire,
which occurred on the afternoon Of The
9th instant, fifteen miles 70 the west
ward Of Manzanills. At Eve in the sf-
ternoon, when at dinner, the ship was
reported TO be on fire. / Immediately
arose from the tabe, requesting the pas
sengers TO remain quiet and proceeded
20 the spsr deck, when i found dense
volume Of smoke coming up from the en-
gine room batchway. All the fire hose
Of the ship were Immediately put in re-
QUESTION and worked with all possible
energy.
The ship was now about three or four
miles from the land. I saw at a glance
the impossibility Of subduing the flames
and Immediately put the helm up 20 run
the chip ashore. Men, women, and chill
! dren were now ordered forward, and
/ probably one hundred had reached the
| iorecastle, when The flames spread with
| such rapidity rs TO cut of all commu-
nicsiion with the after part Of The ship.
/ / ordered Mr. Waddell, the chief cngi-
ncor, to keep the engine moving as long
as possible All regular communication
with the engine room was cut off in q few
minutes by the flames. Several of the
! fireman and engineers were still below.
The feed valves of the boilers and fur
mace doors were opened wide, and all
precautions used 10 prevent explosion.
So rapid was the spread Of the llsmes
however, that the engineers and theiI
men barely escaped with their lives, by
forcing passage through the after frieghi
room bulkhead. At half past five We
grounded about three hundred yardt
from The beach, where there was heavy
surf breaking. Before reaching the
shore the after boats lowered away anC
filled with passengers under charge o.
my chief officer, Mr.. Nolan, who remained
by the ship, rendering all possible aid in
saving life. In the meantime, life pre-
servers, spars, and everything Of a buoy
ant nature, were furnished to the pas
sengers, thrown overheard after shS
struck
The flame spread with such rapiditJ
that the hurricane deck, from the fore
mast att, fell with a tremendous crasl
before reaching the shore, and soon after
wards the foremast went by the board
The heat had now become so intense Al
TO compel all who remained 10 leave tn
burning wreck by lowering themselves
in the water with lines furnished for tina
purpose; and many had thrown them
selves into the water from various part
Of the ship. After all had left, Captain
Pearson and myself dropped from th
boWaprit, and succeeded with great diff
ilculty in reaching the beach. thinl
about eighty had reached the shore will
life.
All that remained visible Of the shil
at 8 p. NJ. was her engines, boilers, an,
wheel frames. At daylight on the fol
lowing morning, the 29th July, we foun'
and buried sixteen bodies, and at S A. NJ
we started for Manzanilla and at moo
we reached the terminus Of the beach
about Ave miles from The wreck, an
found the roads impossible from the den
sity of the chaparral or brushwood, A
8 p. M. boat hove in sight, with whic
we communicated and sent to Nanzanill
for relief. On the morning of the 29t
two Of our boats reached US and reporte
that they had saved sixty-four passen
gers.
The St. Louis, touching at Manzanill
esrly the same morning, and hearing {
our disaster, came 60 our assistance an
rescued those who had remained wit
) me on the beach. We had, on leavin
San Francisco, two hundred and fort
! passengers and ninety-siX crew, Ther
now remain aeventy-tWo passengers an
sixty-two crew, making our loss an
missing, some Of whom may yet bo foun'
two hundred and four Captain Lapids
will remain al this port till tO-morro'
evening, the 30th inst, for Che purpoi
Of searching still further for miesin
passengers.
From the shelving beach and heav
surf where the slip is lying there roman
little or no probability, in my opinion,
saving tho treasure. shallTcmsih, how
ever, as agent OF the underwriters, wit
a portion Of my crew and officers, for il
protection, aud with the hope, also, (
being able TO save additional life. Ol
{ dcrs from you viii reach me through II
p house Of Ostling &, CO., Of Manzanill
/ cannot say too much Of the eficienc
and coolness OF my officers and ere
under the trying circumstance ihroug
which they have passed.
Very respectfully, &c,
W. W. HUDSON.
Messrs. FoBBEs & BABCocE, Agents p
p cifc Mail Steamship Company, Sa
Francisco.
.. 81. EurCHELL's ACCOUNT.