, 1875-06-26
NEWS
BY Telegraph and Mail


She Sts1,ss Rock nnd COOS Down ir
One IIouri
Prom The Victoria SIAN I.Il lIJaHs -'--..
The United States ship ~araua-
left san Francisco on the sth for
S.;ka and Behring Straits on a
scientific expedition and to wake
p collection for the forthcoming
Philadelphia Centennial. She was
taking tho inside channel, called
at Nanaimo, and at S.4j on Tues
day morning struck on her port
side the famous mid-channel rock
in the Seymour Narrows, and went
down in an hour afterwards. This
is the rock so much talked Of in
connection with the projected
bridge which is some day to cross
the Narrows for the purposes Of
the Canadian Overland Railroad.
The vessel struck very heavily, as
she was going at the rate Of four
teen knots, including a seven-knot
current, swung around and hung
on a little while. She was then
headed for the Vancouver shore,
and her bow made fast on the
rocks by attaching a hawser to the
trees on shore. Water was gain
ing rapidly enabling the officers
and crew to save but little of the
stores, effects, clothing, etc. She
remained over water before sink
ing just an hour. A good deal
more would have been saved only
that it was not known at what mo-
ment the ship would vanish out OF
sight. The officers and crew are
camped on the beach; not bit oI
canvas, sail, or anything with
which to shelter them, and but lit.
tie provisions we're got out. Not
vestige of the vessel, which was
large one, not even a topmast is
to be seen. 1t is said the sight OF
the vessel as she was going down
was a grand one. The air, water,
etc., was forced throughout the
forward portfolios, producing a
sight and sensation as if a school
of whales were blowing. The
Saranac was an old vessel; about
1900 tons new measurement, car
ried ten guns and a crew of three
hundred men. Lieut.. Commander
Saunders, the pilot, and thirteen
men, arrived at Nanaimo to seek
assistance. No vesse. being in
port to render assistance, the COM
mander and pilot came down to
Saanich in a canoe, and arrived in
town overland yesterday after
noon, in the drenching rain. The
steamer Otter will leave at seven
o'clock this morning for the scene
Of the catastrophe. Pilot Captain
George, well known in these wa
ters and Puget Sound had the
charge of the vessel, and has on
several occasions taken the Sara
nae and other large vessels through
without accident. We believe
that this is the first time a vessel
has struck the rock in question.
The following is a list of the Off
GERS, for which we are indebted to-
gether with the news, to Lieut.
Commander Saunders: Captain,
W. w. Queen; Lieut. Command
|er, NJ. w. Saunders; Ex-Ofhcer,
Lieut.. ]. ]. Brice; Navigating
Lieutenant, w. II. Parker; Mas
tiers, W. Winslow, c. P. Rees, S.
L. Graham; Midshipman, T. ].
Freeman; R. NJ. Bartslman, Chief
Engineer; G. R. Bush, Surgeon;
F. 7. Gillett Paymaster; f. A.
Mullaney, L. II. A.; ]. F. Bing-
ham, Assistant Engineer; J. Gam
is, Assistant Surgeon; J. A. Ray
mond, Clerk; W. Manning, Boat
swain; S. Young, Gunner; A.
Agnew, Carpenter. The passen-
gers were Lieut.. w. Maynard,
and Doctor Emil Bessella Of the
Smithsonian Institute, Washing
toB, who was proceeding in charge
of the scientific expedition to the
Seal Islands, Behring Straits and
the Alaskan coast; and also a
Russian chaplain. :