The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-06-08
SHIPWRECKED!
4 Graphic Account Of tie Loss OF the
Steamer, San Francisco.

4 Graphic Account Of the Loss OF tn,
Steamer, San Francisco.
The Passengers Saved but Lose All Their Baggage
Money, and Other Effects.
San DIEGO, May 30.-A steamer i;
outside signaling for a pilot. She i.
supposed to be the Costa Rica, auG
viii. be in the harbor in two hours.
2 P. M-The Pacific Mail steamer
Costa Rica has just dropped anchor
She has on board 137 passengers of the
City of San Francisco. Mr.. Moses Sar
gent brother Of Senator Sargent give!
the following details: The City of Sar
Francisco left Panama on May IL, al
4:30 A. NJ with 1877 passengers, forty
six cabin, ninety one steerage, and Isl
officers and crew. The value OF hel
cargo was three quarters of million
consisting of silks, velvets, laces, etc
On Wednesday morning May 16, day
of bright atmosphere and clear, nj
9:1S o'clock, a peculiar, Understandable
tremor was felt, the ship having struck
against an unknown darger, cutting
into her hall to the length of sixty
feet.
THE WATER BEGAN RUSHING IN
with Fearful velocity. The ship wa:
then six miles southwest of Tartul
Shoals and thirteen miles from shore
the Captain having known, by obser
walton, her position at o'clock.
The danger upon which she struck
is not upon any chart, but document
sworn to before the United States Con
sui at Acapulco by one Perer, aud wit
messed by WIN. Lund. of the gunboat
Mexico, deposes that said Perer is per.
fectly conversant with the rocks ex.
tending from Point Maldcuadocia in
a southwest direction. They are sharp
pointed, covered with four or five
fathoms of water, and extending in
nearly straight line southwest to a
distance of from twelve to fourteen
miles from land, ard that he fished for
turtles frequently there.
The ship was at once turned toward
tie shore gradually sinking. Full
steam was on when she grounded on
a asandbank at 1910 a. III. Fortunate
iy the compartments were not burst.
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 the life preservers on, as a
danger OF sinking was mos imminent.
The sounding between the reef and
the sandbank showed five and a half,
seven and half, twenty, and twenty
two fathoms of water and no bottom.
During the fearful interval. while evi-
IDENTIFY sinking. not cry was heard
from the passengers. There was little
confusion, but silent, anxious waiting,
although there were 1877 passengers,
twenty of them small children, and
many of them youpgmen meyer before
at sea. The boats then started for
shore, thirty miles away. Not pas
senger was allowed pound of bag
gage of any kind, and when reaching
the shore each boat was overturned
and the passengers thrown in the surf.
1t was a scene never to be forgotten.
A kind Providence had preserved every
life and all were
SAFE ON THE MEXICAN SHORE.
Fortunately, a stream of fresh water
was found between the mountains.
where, with the stars for covering the
roots and branches of trees for mat
resses, all slept. The Captain at once
sent one officer to Acapulco, eighty
miles distant, but, fortunately, the boat
fell in with the gunboat Mexico, Capt.
Lolor commanding; and, although
under order to get provisions for q
besieged city, the inhabitants of which
were starving for food, the Captain at
once steamed OF to the relief of the
ship wrecked passengers. They were
all taken off safely, crowding the deck
of the gunboat, and the next were
transfrred TO the Pacific Mail steamer
Costa Rica, Capt. Whiteberry COM
manding. The officers and crew of
the United States ships. Lackawanna,
and Pensacola, acted most nobly, sup
plying the passengers with clothing
from their private wardrobes, and tax
ing up subscriptions TO u large amount
for distribution among the women and
children who were entirely destitute.
Capt. Wsddell and officers behaved
splendidly. He was brave, human and
unseltish.
Capt. Waddell says that seven steam
pumps OF capacity of 160 barrels of
water a minute were absolutely use
less. The whole bottom was out of
the steamer. He has run his steamer
over the spot repeatedly. The only
conjecture is that
THE LATE EARTHQUAKE,
which was made manifest on the cost
by q tidal wave, may have upheaved a
rock. In one hour and two
the ship was under the waves.
She was going at eleven knots when
struck. The Captain was on the bridge
an hour before the steamer struck.
lie estimated every thing by his watch
Twenty minvtes after she struck the
fires were out. In that twenty min
utes she was running into shore under
4 full head of steam, and ran forty
two Iuiles, making a distance of nine
or ten miles, and then grounded in
thirty feet of water on a sand bottom.
The next morning the foot of the stern
was seen out of water, the whole body
Of the ship being submerged, and its
nizzen mast gone. The baggage of the
furniture, etc., were con-
'tantly floating ashore during the day.
The money of the passengers in the
hands, the ships money, and
Ill the baggage, was totally lost.