The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-25
WRECK OF TIE CONTINENTAL.
Particulars Of tho Dsaster-Arrival Of Sur
vivors at San Francisco Statements OF
the Captain, Purser and Others
Incidents and SIT. ring
Scenes

steamer Continental, wrecked In the Gulf OF Cali.
fornia about thirty miles of Cape st. Lucas ON the
so,h OF September. Below will be found the state
ments OF Purser Hitc Captain Lund and the carpen-
ter Of the Inflated ship. AS most o. them left the
sinking vessai with but very little clothing on they
were supplied by the Kind people at Cape ST. Lucas
and vicinity, and by the passengers OF the colorado
with such articles as they required.
From the Officers Of the last ship we learn that her
cargo consisted OF 700 tons or COAL $50 packages OF
fruit-mostly limes--from fifteen TO twenty tons OF
silver ore and S140 600 In trcasure-mosty Mexican
dollars-to whom consigned It Is not known as
Wells Fargo C0's messenger lost all his papers.
PuRsER's STATEMENT.
The steamer Continental, Captain G. O. DAN,
sailed from MazOtlan on Monday, September 20,
about nine r. NJ. leaving the Uni ted States steamer
night OF The eth the wind which had been blowing
strong from the southeast all day, increased to
and by morning 1t became evident that a "corda
nazO peculiar the Gull ut this season, and one OF
the most dangerous OF hurricanes. was raging. The
wind blew from every DO mt OF the compass and the
seas were terrific striking the ship on the bows and
on the quarter almost at The same moment. From
eight 7. M. TO eleven 7. M she lay TO or the Cape
About four l.. M. OF the 2Sth
sHE sPRANG A LEAK.
The steam pumps were working and kept the
water down Tor time. At half-past seven A. M,
owing to the heavy rolling OF the ship and conse-
quent motion OF the WAFER In the vessel, the fires
were extinguisned; the steam pipe connecting the
two boilers having cracked az the Mango. about nf
teen or twenty minutes previously, OccasiOnlng the
escape OF great quantity OF The port boiler
was also slightly displaced. Shortly after
THE FIRES WERE EXTINGuIsHED
portion OF the after coal bunker gave way causing
an immense quantity OF coal to enter the bllges Tue
donkey boiler placed between decks had cOnnec-
tons Win the main boilers, but these connections
were torn away by the preceding accidents. The
connections OF the donkey boiler with the main
steam pump were promptly replace and tins pump
was kept at work until the ship was Abandoned
the pumps being occasionally choked by the coal.
The freight forward. consisting OF fruits, lead and
silver ore, was thrown overheard ana the sap ma
terially lightened. She was
AT THE MERCY OF THE WAVES.
All effort 10 MAKE san aid get her under command
proved unavailing. About tns time the alter hatch
In the duns saloon was lifted, about fifty tons OF
salt were thrown overheard aud the passengers and
part OF the crew commenced baIng, the remainder
Of The crew having baied forward since the STOP
page Of the machinery. These efforts continued
with great energy until about one O'Clock IN the
afternoon, the water gaining slowly but surely
Alter one O'Clock the water gained rapidly, and
the situation became desperate the only encourage
ment being that the storm mad abateu slightly and
greatest fury was expedited ASoat a sa NJ
O'Clock IN the evening, the water then nav
ing reached the lower between decks, the Captain
gave
ORDERS TO TAKE TO THE BOATS,
himself leading Mrs. Meta to the altei s.arboard
boat. The sea had subsidized mucn since mornluy
but was Still terrific. and the utter darkness Of tie
night added greatly to the pers OF enparkation.
me drst boat-the after starboard boa-com-
wrecked the lstn OF the preceding month Or Mazat-
lam. was lowered in safety. The starboaro waist
forward s,arboard boat, by Captain Dali were also
safely launched. The port forward boat, COM
manded by Captain Sasa captain OF a Mexican
coaSter), and the port waist beat, commanded by the
second officer Mr. Bedford, broke the davits during
the process OF lowering, and were safely lowered
only by i miracle. Frenchman named I. Pedrin
was
CRUSHED TO DEATH
by one OF these boats, and a Mexican woman, name
mn w hrnSV nIt ol tha hoatu slr
The second steward received q severe wound on the
head and other minor injuries The after port boat,
launched without accident
The night continued stormy. heavy rain squalls
succeeding each o.her' Many suffered greatly, some
having only drawers ana uldershirt, others shirt
and pantal00ns, and many exhausted by their la.
Dors. During the night the boats were kept headed
to the sea, and at dayilgh each commander made
for the land according TO the best OF lbs judgment,
all by u miracle
REACHING THE SHORE
and Bleaching IN safety, the captains boat the port
forward boat Captain Sasa and the second oflicers
boat at Cape ST. Lucas; the after sarbOard boat
Captain Lllnd and the starooard waist boat. under
command OF the ships Carpenter, i'll front Of the
Fortuna Rancho, about eighteen miles east OF San
Jose del CaO, and the first OH GERS boat at the BOca
San Crstobad n. n. u. OF the Cape. and strange to
say, dead TO wlndward. All were most kindly cared
for by the inhabll ants.
The captains boat, shortly after daylight of the
goth, discovered sail, which proved to be
THE CONTINENTAL STILL AFLOAT,
but in sinking condition. Six or seven men were
visible On board OF her and two or three RATS
In a little fishing sklff belonging to the captain.
About the time the port forward boat Captain
Sasa was discovered and 1t being large metallic
liIebOat, with only sixteen persons, Captain Dali
hated her to aid IN taking on those board and on
the RATS; at the same lime he called to those on
board the Continental to spring into the sea, and,
THOSE RESCUED AND LOST.
Two were rescued from the RATS. but those on
board the wreck-namey. Don Manuel RubiO Don
Jose nunoz J. b. Lyte, young Martinez, son OF Don
Martinez Secretary OF State OF Sinaloa and one
more MEXICAN, name unknown-were afraid to
make the effort They renamed and were, i'll all pro-
babty, lost The port forward boat, having a mll-
tnous crew. refused TO 20 their assistance the cap
taln's boat beng greatly overloaded having twenty
in all oyerhauied Saas boat, transferred i've men,
and by peremptOfy orders and threats sent them
back to the aid OF those on deck Ut was asceraIned
subsequently that they returned but short distance
and then abandoned them. During The night of the
xsth hrcs were bnilt al tile Cape by those already
landed, as
A BEACON FOR THE OTHER BOATS,
and early next morning two boats, commanded by
Captain Dali and Chief Engineer Coughlin, put to
SEA to aid those remaining. They were scarcely
clear of the Cape when the OsslDce made her ap
pearance. and Captain Dali boarding her. she put
out 10 sea to the site Of the wreck but not trace of
the Continental could be discovered, but the poor
fellows on The RATS were picked up; so that none
were lost except those who remained on the ship
and the man on the captains ski the second cook,
named Taylor.
THE WRECK WAS VISITED
as late as two O'Clock Z. NJ. on the 18TH hy Mr. Bed
ford, second oflcer. The lndraw still being very
dangerous, he called to those board to come to
the boat, Mr.. l.. p. Green, a passenger SWAN Off
with compass. Mr.. Lyle, who was exceedingly
sick. was lowered, but was so exhausted that he
had to give up the attempt. The were afraid to
make the effort, and nothing more known or their
1aie, except that the ship fonndered about dark.
Thus, OF 10 passengers and crew-as nearly as can
be ascertained-nine only were lost, and OF these
there is Just bare possibility that seven may have
been rescued. ~ 1t Is known that they had small
RATS constructed of mess tables and life preservers.
MIR. L. p Green, VINO was
THE LAST TO LEAVE THE WRECK
IL or the opinion, however, that they would nor at.
tempt to launch their RATS until the last moment.
when the indraw would almost surely take them
down.. During the 10th the sharks were swimming
around the wreck.
THE CARPENTERS STATEMENT.
John Curtin, carpenter of the Inflated Continental
says:-l was carpenter on the vessel about seven
that ! am reported rs having said that the timbers
IN the Continental were rotten. This Is false;
never made such statement. Before starving on
her last voyage the ship was caulked and fitted out
with new masts ana sails. Tie hull was perfectly
sound. In the hurricane the vessel rolled and pitched
terribly-enough to strain and eDdanQer the best
snip a1Oat II loaded. The parting OF the coal bins