Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-05-31
Wreck Ofthc San Francisco.

The Pacific mail steamship Costa !iit2 Hr'
rived at San Diego at two O'Clock yesterday.
She has on board one hundred and th!ity.
seven passengers Of the wrecked steamer ti'y
of San francisco. Mr.. Moses Sargent brother
Of Senator Sargent, gives the following details :
The City Of San Francisco left Panama May Il,
at 4:20 q. H., with l3rty.onc cabin and ninety
one Storage passengers, and one hundred and
fifty officers and crew. The cargo was valued
at three quarters OF million dollars, consisting
Of silks, vclvcts laces, &c. At 9:lS Wcdncs
day morning, May 1.-the day was bright and
the atmosphere ccar-a peculiar. inlescribabIe
trcmor was felt, the ship having struck against
some unknown danger, cutting into the bull
the length Of sixty feet, the water rushing in
with fearful velocity. The ship was then six
miles southwest from Tarren Shoals and thir-
teen miles from shore, the captain having
known, by observation, her position at s clock.
The danger Oh which she struck is not il any
chart, but q document sworn to before the
United States Consul at Acapulco by one Ptrtr,
and witnessed by VIM. Lund, Of the gunboat
Mexico, desposrs that said Perez is perfectly
convcrsant with the rocks extending from Point
Maldo0adocis 10 southwest direction, i. sharp,
pointer covered with four or five Iathoms OF
water, extending in nearly straight line south.
west to distance Of twelve to fourteen niles
from land, and that he fishcd for turtles irc-
quent|y there The shipwas at onde turned to-
ward shore. She was gradually sinking
and had full stem On when she grouuI
cd on sand bank at 1920 Il. N. FortuoaleIy
the compartments had not burst. The cap
tain ard his officers were cool, calm aud clear
headed. As soon as tho ship struck orders
were given to get The boats ready and put life
prescrvcrs On, as the danger of sinking %as most
imminent Sounding between the reef aud
the saud bank showed five and half, seven
and q half, twenty and twenty two iathoms Of
water aud no bottom. Daring the fearful in.
terval, while evidently sinking. not cry was
heard from passenger, but all were Silent aud
anxously waiting. The boats started for shore,
thirteen miles away, not passenger being al
lowed pound OF baggage OF any kind, and
when reaching shore each boat was overturned
and the passengers thrown 10 the surl. The
scene is never to be forgotten. Kind Provi-
dcnce preserved every life, aud all were safe on
Mexican shore. d..
Fortunately a stream OF fresh water was
found between the mountains, where, with the
stars for O covering and roots and branches Of
trees for mattresses, all slept The Captain al
once sent one OF the officers to Acapulco, eighty
miles distant, but fortunately the boat Tell in
with the gunboat Mexican, Caplaia I.aEog
commanding, and although undcr orders 10 get
provisions Tor the bcslcged city, The inhabi-
tants of which were starving for food, the Cap
tain at once steamed off to the reiici Of the
shipwrcckcl passengers. They were al! taken
off safely, crowding the deck of the guub0at,
and next day transferred to tho Pacific mail
steamer Costa Rica. Captain Wbilebcrry
commaGtilag, The officers and crew OF the
United States ships Lackawanua aud Pensacola
acting most nobly and supplying the Passengers
with clothing from their private wartrobcS ana
taking up = subscription TO IA large amount for
distribution among the women and children. who
we're entirely destitute. Captain WaddcIl and
officers behaved spIrndidIy, brave, human and
unSelfsh.
Captain WaddeIl says seven steam pumps
of 100 barrels water per minute were alb
soluteIy useless. The whole bottom Is out
of the steamer He has run the steamer
over the spot repeatedly. The only couec-
tu!c is that the late earthquake, which was
made manifest on the coast by tidal wave,
may have upheavel submarine rock. The
ship was going at eleven knots when she struck.
The captain was on the bridge an hour before
the steamer struck, and timed everything 10y
his watch. Twenty minutes after she struck
the fires were OUT. In that twenty minutes she
was running in shore under foil head Of steam,
and ran forty.tW minutes, making distance
1f nine 0r ten miles and then grounded IN