The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-30
THE DAILY NEWS.
Tho Catastrophe I'm San Francisco Bay
ANumber OF Lives Lost by the Fanine
OF q Steamboat "Draw."

from the San Francisco Alta California, July 81
On Saturday afternoon fightfrl disaster
took place at the terminus OF the Oakland hall
road. at the extreme outer end of the whart,
which has recently been considerably extended
toward deep water. The 4.S0 o'clock train,
coming toward San Francisco, had reached
the end Of the wharf, and the heavy drawbrldge,
or suspended gang-plank, commonly known as
the "apron, had been let down from the
wharf 10 the lower deck OF the steamer Fl
Captain, when rush to get on board occurred;
the train having been densely crowded, and
everybody IN haste to get back to San Francis, :,
90. Suddenly, as The crowd on the "apron'
was the densest, quite number OF passengers
having already got on board, there came q
crash, and those who had reached the oeGA, en-
on looking back, were horror struck TO see sne
draw hanging as night angle WIN lao VIA; M
md the water filed with men, Wonen auu
children struggling for life, while the women
On hoard The steamer and on the wharf VINO
had ohildren and other relatives in mortal peril,
rent the air with their shrieks OF terror. Inc
scene was appalling beyond description, and
the excitement on all sides was almost neon
ceiysble. There we're among the passengers
by the train large deputation OF the; Garibal-
al Guards, composed Of Italians, who had been
To Oakland to participate in the celebration,
and q number OF these brave fellows, without
,amoment's hesitation, plunged into the water,
4nd, swimming among the struggling mass,
saved many from immediate death by iashng
them to the piles with pieces OF rope, Wnefe
They renamed Htilrescued by boats, or were
drawn up by ropes 10 the wharf.
a boat from the steame:. IN charge OF tno
steward and another man, vas Iowerao, pu1
was Immediately stove and hued Win "Ater
They. however, rescued two ades ana seyeIal aTsa
men. who were obliged to climb on the paddles
of. tie wheel, from which they were taken on
6eck. as the boat was in sinking condition.
Iife-preseryers blanks, &c., we're thrown over
Sbr parties In the boat and those on the wharf,
and some were sayedin this manner. Cne ht-
tie boy, while in the water, being luckily able
to SWIM, caught holdlof little girl and Kept
= her adoat until hs was seized by a man VINO
reached down: his hand to draw them up. At
this instant q man in the water caught the boy
by the leg, and said, sDon't be scared, sonny
don't struggle; you hold on to that mans
hand and We can all be saved. and all three
remained thus together until finally rescued.
G. s Davis, q boy attending the Oakland Coi-
lege, had just stepped on the p ank as it fell.
BE succeeded in saving two women, and was
ultimately rescued by means OF rope thrown
to him from the wharf. he was seized tw1ce
by drowning man, who drew him under eacn
time. When the water had become cleared,
andno more we're left to be rescued, the 1oat
left the wharf and returned TO the city. None
OF. the bodies Of the drowned had been recov-
cred. and in the confusion and uncertainty, no
one knew how many or who we're drowned or
Yesterday morning the italian fishermen. to
whom unbounded credit is due, went to work
with energy to recover the bodies Of the VIC.
& TINS. Two men in the employ Of the Railroad
and Ferry Company, With a:boat, also aided IN
: the search. The Italians during the day re-
). covered eight bodies, and the others two more,
making ten IN an, At 10 O'clock acandon was
brouaht down to the wharf aud fred, when
aided in the recovery ofthe bodies The plat
form, sprun or draYbridge which fell 10, ls
twelve by twenty four feet in size, and 'stened
TO the wharf by heavy iron hinges at one side,
s and the outer edge is supported by cnalps
which pass over pully heels, with heavy weights
to:bahnce it. The platform is raised and low
efedb by Windlass, and TO prevent 1T falhng TOO
low ratchet wheels are used to hold the apron
in the place to which it has been brought by
the windlsss.
The Immediate cause Of the accident was un-
Sic1bted5y the breaking OF q tooth OF the left
hand rachel; this threw the whole weight on
tbes chain on the other side, and the strain was
90 great that 1t broke the iron staple which
sfkstened thes cl1sin to- the weight; the rachet
was, thrown completely out Of gear, and did
not catch ct the second tooth, ther,by letting
! -4he cham sout in full, and throwing the whole
weight ION the second chain, broke the band
which fastened it to the platform: and let It
,gfan bodily between the wharf and the boat.
There may be a;do1bt as TO whether this draw,
or apron, is OF the style best adapted TO pro
tectmg the lives Of passengers, butt the accl-
dent seemssto have been the result o. NO nn-
necessary cafelessness, or hom the lack OF any
On against danger which could be fore
seen By the employees ofthe company.
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