Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-04-23
Vessel and Cargo Reported
a Complete loss.
But There May Bc Some
Hope. for them ct.
THE VESSEL-THE CoMMAN-
~ DER-THE LOSS. 2 Saf
Latest Telegraphlc Reports

Los Angeles was throwninto fever
Of excitement yesterday morning by
the announcement of the destruction
of the Ventura. The first vague re-
port, that the vessel was burned off the
coast ofSanta Barbara, was quickly dis
proved by dispatches more in detail,
which fixed the place of the disaster
at Point Sur, seventeen miles South Of
Monterey and 102 miles from San
Francisco. Much Of the general anx-
iety was relieved, also, when it was
known to certainty that no lives had
been lost in the wreck and that, in
stead of being burned at sea, the vessel
lay aground at the point named.
PASSENGERS AND FREIGHT.
The Ventura sailed from San Fran
cisco on Tuesday, the Goth instant,
with 225 passengers and 500 tons Of
freight. She was due at San Pedro
yesterday morning. The names OF
passengers whom she brought for Los
Angeles, as telegraphed here Tuesday,
are as follows: Mrs Smiley and sister,
P H Swan, H D Squash, L G Good
win, s F Grant, A g McCreary, Mrs
G Rice, F A Sampson, M P Cutter, A
Folk e, A c Nixon, wife and two chill
dren, G ID Mentry, Sam'l Brown, A M
II Go
Mary Cerelli, M Sheath, c Brown and
wife, P Riley, Mrs Shulock, J w
Stump, l. II Knapp, G Carter, 7 c
Cochran, A g Dow, Miss E Edwards,
L T Emory, d Freeman, ] Harold, M
Swindles and wife, r X Woodruff, M
Bush, Geo Carpenter, w + Kellett, s
Dixon, P Anger, Mrs Sheath and two
children, III Leonard. M Bush, P
Ryran, w J Ryan, w Policy, D
Pierce. The list numbers altogether
81 and includes the names of q num-
ber of prominent citizens of Los An
geles.
THE DISASTER
Is described by the following special
telegram received by the HERALD yes
terday afternoon: @
MONTEREY, April 22d-2 P. M.-The
Ventura struck rock while off Point
Sur, between and 10 o'clock Tuesday
evening, during the prevalence of q
dense fog. Her bottom was stove in
and the ship grounded in twelve feet
Of water, head to the sea. She lies
about two hundred yards from the
shore. The passengers were all safely
landed, but it Is thought that the ship
and cargo will prove q total loss. The
steamer Santa Cruz was dispatched
from this place for the passengers and
baggage, and the Ancon will take
them from here down the coast.
A. III. HARRIS,
Agent g., N. Il P. S. s. Co.
Later dispatches seem to indicate
that the case of the wrecked steamer
and her cargo is not so bad as first
stated. Should the sea remain calm,
it is hoped that good portion of the
freight will be saved, although prob
ably in q badly damaged condition.
Abundant assistance is at hand, and
the result depends entirely on the ac-
tion of the elements.
THE CAUSE
Of the disaster can only be assigned to
the dense fog which prevailed on the
evening Of the 10th. Sailing down
the coast, the interior line of Monte
rey Bay was passed some ten miles to
the larboard. Below the bay the shore
projects nearly this distance abruptly
into the ocean and reaches within one
mile of the course usually taken by
coast line steamers. Bewildered by
the impenetrable fog, apd little off
his reckoning perhaps in passing the
bay, the commander steered too near
this rocky projection with the result
given.
THE COMMANDER.
The Ventura was commanded by
Capt. Fake who has been in the SER
vice of the Goodall, Nelson & Perkins
company for some time. Previously
he was In command of the steamer
Monterey which sailed between San
Francisco and Monterey, and, on Cap
tain Harloe retiring from the service,