Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-16
A REMARKABLE SHIPWRECK.
l,ass Of the City Of san Francisco an the
Mexican C0nst.

lnss Of tho City Of Sun Francisco an the
Mexican Const.
Tho steamer City of San Francisco o.
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, lef
Panama on May 18th, Mt 4:30 A. NJ, with
1877 passengers-forty-six cabin and
ninety-one steerage-and her officers and
crew. Her cargo was valued Mt three
quarters of n million dollars, consisting
of silks, velvets, laces, etc. On Wednes.
day morning, May 10th, the day was
bright and the heatmosphere clear. At eight
cen minutes past nine o'clock peculiar,
indescribable tremor was felt, the ship
having struck against m unknown dan
ger, cutting into the hull the length of
sixty feet, causing the water to rush in
with fearful velocity. The ship was then
six miles southwest from Tartur shoals,
and thirteen miles from the shore, the
captain having known by observation her
position at eight o'clock. The danger
upon which she struck is not on any
chart, but q document sworn to before
the United States consul at Acapulco by
one Perer, and witnessed by William
Lund of the gun-boat Mexico, deposes
that said Perer is perfectly acquainted
with the rocks extending from Point
Maldonadocia in southwest direction,
and the sharp pointer covered with four
or five fathoms of water, extending in
nearly straight line southwest to dis
tance of twelve or fourteen miles from
land, and that he fishes for turtles there
frequently. The ship was at once turned
toward the shore, gradually sinking.
She had full head of steam on when
she grounded on the sand bank at 1920
A. NJ. Fortunately, three compartments
were still water tight. The captain and
his officers were cool and preserved
discipline on board. As soon as the ship
struck orders were given to get the boats
ready and put life preservers on, as the
danger of sinking was most imminent.
between the reef and sand
bank showed five and half, seven and
a half, twenty, twenty-five fathoms and
no bottom.
During the fearful interval, though
the ship was evidently sinking, not cry
was heard from the passengers, and there
was little confusion, although amohg
the 1877 passengers twenty were small
and many were young men
never before at sea. The boats were
filed and started for the shore, the pas
sengers not being allowed to take any
baggage The boats were all overturned
in the surf, and the scene was one never
to be forgotten. Kind Providence pre-
served every life and all were safe ON the
Mexican shore. Fortunately a stream of !
'resh water was found between the
where, with the stars for a
covering and roots and branches of trees
or mattresses, all slept. The captain at
once sent one of the officers to Acapulco,
eighty miles distant, but fortunately a
boat fell in with the gun-boat Mexico,
Capt. Solar, commanding, and, although
lnder orders to get provisions for be-
,ieged city, the inhabitants of which
we're starving, the captain at once steamed
'ff to the relief of the shipwrecked pas
'engers. They were all taken off safely,
the deck of the gunboat, and
he next day they were transferred to the
Pacific Mail steamer Cost Rica, Capt
The commanding officers
md crews of the United States ships
Iackawanna and Pensacola acted most
lobly, supplying the passengers with
clothing from their private wardrobes.
The United States ships took uMsub-
criptions to large amount for distri-
,ution among the women and children
Who were entirely destitute.
Capt. Waddell and his officers behaved
their conduct being brave,
humane and unselfsh. Capt. Waddell
ays seven steam pumps of 160 barrels
# water per minute capacity We're abso-
utely useless. The whole bottom is out
f the steamer. The captain says he ran
he steamer repeatedly over the same
pot before, and can only conjecture that
he late earthquake, which was made
manifest on the coast by the tidal wave,
nay have upheaved n submarine rock.
'he ship was under way, and was going
t the rate of eleven knots an hour when
he struck. The captain was on the
ridge an hour before the steamer struck,
nd timed everything by his watch.
'wenty minutes after she struck the fires ,
'ent out. In that twenty minutes she ;
'as running in shore under full head of {
team. She ran for forty-two minutes, {
laking a distance of nine or ten miles,
nd thus grounded in thirty feet of water
Il sand bottom. Next morning about
foot of the stern was seen out of water.
he whole body of the ship was sub {
1erged, and the mizzenmast gone. The
aggage of the passengers, furniture, {
to-, were constantly floating ashore dur {
lg the day. The money of the passen- '
ers in the purser's hands, the ships
loney, and all the baggage were lost.
A Remedy for Mormonisnl.
The best solution of the Mormon
roblem yet proposed is that of dividing :
=, TTtob ,oper tho o,1;n;p;,,o- C+,to. o.1