The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-11-11
Terrible 6: D! at Sea-
THE STEAMER PACIFIC .
/. GOES DOWN. +
OF zoo SOULS ON BOARD, BUT /
KNOWN TO BE SAVED.
Burning of the Waco at
>;.:<*t Galveston. No.
sFsrty.aisht Persons Supposed Ito 10
e, Burned to Death Or Drifted
-. Away.
Two, Briggs and Three
sohooners Reported
Lost.
The Wreck Of an Iron Vessel
Found.
w.
DEATH FROM STARVATION.
The Pacific Disaster.

The Pacific Disaster.
SAN FRANc1sco, Nov. ga dis
patch from Seattle, w. T., Nov. 9TH,
says: "The American ship Messen-
ger, Capt. j. F. Glkey, arrived in
nine days from San Francisco, and
reports picking up, twenty miles south
of Cape Flattery, part of the pilot
house and Henry L. Jelly, only sur
vivor Of the steamship Pacific, which
sailed from Victoria at nine o'clock
on Thursday morning and foundered
forty miles south Of Flattery at eight
o'clock Thursday evening. Jelly
aoated on the pilot house from eight
o'clock Thursday night until ten
o'clock Saturday morning, when he
was picked up by the Messenger.
Several. boats were lowered, but all
foundered. =,
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. Sicily
has been brought to this place in q
wretched condition and makes state.
ment to the following effect: I took
cabin passage on the Pacific from
Victoria. leaving about a quarter
past nine on the morning of Thurs.
day the 4th inst. There were about
two hundred people on board: The
steamer worked all day against a
southeastern wind and the crew were
constantly pumping water into the
boats to trim the ship. The boats
abaft the paddle boxes had no oars
in them; the others had eight or
nine. In the evening while in bed l
heard a crack and felt shock as if
the ship had struck a rock. I heard
something fall as if rocks had fallen.
1 went on deck and heard voices say,
"It's all right ; we have struck a
vessel." ~ Saw several lights at a dis
lance, but do not think they were col
ored, but paid little attention. I re-
turned to the cabin and noticed the
ship took a heavy list to the port.
Went on deck to the pilot house.
Heard some one say, "She is making
water FAST" Noticed the engines
still working but no one at the wheel.
Went tn the starboard side, forward
of the paddle box, where a number
Of men were trying to get out the
long boat, but could not. Went to
the port boat forward and helped
five or six women into it. Tried to
get the boat off, but could not move
it. There were about twenty women
in it. Heard the boat abaft the pad
die had got of, but did not see them.
Think it was about an hour after the
steamer struck when she listed so
much: The port boat was in
the water. I was in that boat
when it was cut loose from the davits.
The boat filled and I helped several
up with me. Immediately after the
steamer seemed to break in two. The
four aft smoke stack fell and struck
our boat and the steamer sank. I
think about all the women were in
our boat and fear they were
all drowned when the boat upset.
This was about ten in the evening.
The night was not dark nor the sea
very rough, but there was a fresh
breeze. / afterwards left the bottom
Of the boat and with another man
climbed on the pilot house top. In
the morning I got some life preserv-
ers floating near the house and with
their ropes dashed myself and COM
panions to the house. I saw three
RATS. The first had one man on it ;
the next two or three men and wom-
en-. / could not make out the
other for the distance, except that
there were people on It then. I and
my companion were on the pilot
house all Of Friday until about 4ip.
M, when he died and I cut him
loose. The sea was running very
high all day; and the waves washing
over US. Soor after he died I sighted
q vessel, called and heard the people
on the other RATS calling, but the
vessel did not come near. Friday
night there was but little wind until
morning, when the wind and sea
rose. I was then within a mile OF
the shore of Vancouver Island and
sighted two vessels on the American
shore which passed on. About 10 a.
m. Saturday the Messenger picked me
uD.