Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-06-08
Loss of the Steamer City Of San Fran
cisco.

SAN DIEGO, Cal. May 80.
At two O'Clock this afternoon the Pa
cific mail steamer Costa Rica dropped
anchor. She has on board 1877 passen-
gers of the San Francisco. Mr.. Moses
Sargent, brother of Senator Sargent,
gives the following details: The City of
San Francisco left Panama May IL with
1877 passengers, 46 cabin and 81 steerage,
and $50 officers and crew. The value of
the cargowas three-quarters Of million,
consisting of silks, velvets, etc. On
May 16 the day was bright and the at
mosphere clear. At 9:18 a. m. pecul-
lar, indescribable tremor was felt, the
ship having struck against an unknown
danger, cutting into the hull a length of
sixty feet, the water rushing in with
fearful velocity. The ship was then six
miles southwest from Tartar Shoals and
thirteen miles from the shore, the Cap
tain having known by observation her
position at eight o'clock.
The danger upon which she struck is
not on any chart, but a document sworn
to before the U. S. Consul at Acapulco
by one Perer deposes that said Perer is
perfectly conversant with rocks extend
ing from Point Maldonadocia, southwest
direction, sharp pointed, covered with
four or five fathoms of water, extending
in nearly straight line southwest to a
distance of twelve to fourteen miles from
land; and that he fished for turtles fire
quently there.
The ship was at once turned toward
the shore, gradually sinking, and with
full head of steam on, when she grounded
on the sand bank at 1910 a. m. Fort
unately three compartments were not
bursted. The Captain and his officers
were cool, calm and clear.headed. AS
soon as the ship struck, orders were
given to get the boats, ready and life.
preseryers on, as the danger of sinking
was most imminent. Soundings between
the reef and sand bank showed five and
half, seven and half, twenty and
twenty-five fathoms of water, and no
bottom.
During the fearful interval, while evil
IDENTIFY sinking, not a cry was heard from
the passengers. There was little cOnfu-
sion, although there were 1877 passengers,
twenty of them small children, and many
| young men never before at sea. The boats
started for shore, thirty miles away. Not a
passenger was allowed a pound of bag
gage of any kind, and upon reaching
shore each boat was overturned and the
passengers thrown in the surf. The
scene was one never to be forgotten.
KIND Providence preserved every life
and all were safe ON the Mexican shore.
Fortunately stream of fresh water was
found between the mountains, where,
with the stars for covering and roots
and branches of trees for mattresses, all
slept.
The Captain at once sent one of the
officers to Acapulco, eighty miles dis.
tant, but fortunately the boat fell in with
the gunbOat Mexico, Capt. Lalor, and,
although under orders to get provisions
for besieged city, the inhabitants of
which were starving for food, the Cap.
tain at once steamed off to the relief of
the shipwrecked passengers.
They were all taken off safely, crowd
ing the deck of the gunboat, and the
next day transferred to the Pacific Mail
steamer Costa Rica, Capt. Whiteberry
The officers and crew of the u. s. ships
Lackawanna and Pensacola acted most
nobly, supplying the passengers with
clothing from their private wardrobes,
and taking up subscriptions to a large
amount for distribution among the chill.
dren, who were entirely destitute.
Capt. Waddell says the seven steam
pumps, of 100 barrels water per minute,
we're absolutely useless; the whole bot,
tom was out of the steamer. He has run
the steamer off the spot repeatedly, but
the conjecture is that the late earthquake
which was made manifest on the coast
by the tidal wave, may have upheaved a
| submarine rock In one hnur and twf
minutes the ship was under water. She