Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-21
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER.

of the Escambis, came ashore 10 one of the
ships boats about daylight near the Ocean
House. No report regarding the disaster has
yet been received from them.
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER.
SAN Francisco. June 20sh.-It proves diff.
6cult to obtain much information regarding
the loss of the steamer E,cambia. Captain
Purvis has been closeted duriog the morning
with the consignees, and the men rescued
with him have been slowed away o'slsep off
the fatigue of the nights struggles with the
wavss This much, however. has been
cleaned from the statements made by the
Captain and by stevedores who slowed the
vessel: Owing to the empty condition .of
the water-ballast tanks and the coal carried
on deck, the ship was cranky. On getting
outside she encountered heavy sea. One of
the journals became heated, and the engines
were stopped. The ship, losing Roadway,
fell off into the trough of the sea and wave
boarded her, throwing her on her beam ends.
All hands rushed on deck, as the water began
to pour in through the skylights and matches,
and owing to the dangerous position of the
ship no one would go below to start the
engines and get her head to the sea again, and
she filled rapidly and sank. The Captain.
engineer and seven Others got into one bost,
and nine men took the lite-boat. Tue latter
boat was full of water. and had no oars.
The Captain supposes that the re-
mainder Of the crew, eleven in number.
went down with the ship. The Cap
tain's boat pulled around in the darkness
until about l o'clock in the morning, when
an attempt was made to land on the ocean
beach. The boat was swamped, and only
four of its occupants succeeded in reaching
the land. This morning search was made
along the beach for the bodies of the other
l. q l. l.-A <
was found. The revenue cutter Richard
Rush is now out looking for the lifeboat. The
Escambia had on board a cargo of wheat
valued at $4,000. which was fully insured.
The ship is believed to be insured in Liver
pool. 1t is stated thai it is the custom to
empty the water tanks in loading, and as the
coal is used up to fill the tsnks to preserve
stability. The general impression is that the
disaster was due to piling the coal on deck.
An inquiry will be held at once. Meantime
the parties interested maintain guarded
silence.
CAPTAIN PURvIs MAKES A STATEMENT.
Later Captain Purvis made statement
substantially as follows After the pilot left
the vessel she was struck by heavy sea
which filed her decks with several hundred
tons OF water, which careened the ship over
badly. The third mate suug out that the
Duukorlnatcn nau Deem WasHeu on on tDe lee
side. The ship then began to fill rapidly
through the bunker hatch opening, a space Of
about four feet square. Captain Purvis or
dered the helm to be put hard down to bring
the ships head to the sea. The vessel came
partly to, when she refused to answer her
helm. She continued filling with water and
csreening more and more. the engineers
aud fremen rushed on deck greatly alarmed
and the Captain then ordered the boats to be
launched. Three boats were Immediately
lowered. The first and second mates jumped
into lifeboat which was astern of the ship
and was swamped immediately. The Cap.
pulled away for shore. They landed on the
beach in the surf. Only four of those on
board tie boat. including the Captain, sue.
ceeded in getting ashore alive, as the boat
was rolled over and over by the surf. The
third engineer lone Of the persons savedl was
so weak when assistance reached them tina,
he was rolling on the beach like maniac.
Those able to walk climbed high bluff and
saw the Ocean House on fire, but were
unable to reach it because of the lake in.
tervening.
Mr. DREsBAcHs STATEMENT.
Mr.. Dresbach, the charterer, states that
the vessel was not by any means overloaded
and that the water tanks used as ballast hao
been emptied to allow of more room for the
stowage of the wheat, as they are never use6
except the vessel be empty or nearly SO. Mr.
Dresbach also states that he does not believe
that the coal on the upper deck caused her tc
become top heavy, but is inclined to think
that when she was struck by the heavy seas
the water managed to get between decks OF
the port side, in that way moistening the
cargo and making it heavier on that side and
giving the vessel list to port.
THE SAVED.
Those saved besides Captain Purvis are K.
w. Walker, engineer; George Dash, steward,
and f. Jones, cook. The majority OF the
crew of the vessel deserted ut Departure Bay,
and upon her trip to this port she had but
one sailor outside of the officers aboard. As
she came down under steam no inconven'
ieuce was met with, except that the otficers
were compelled to take tricks at the
wheel.
MEN SHIPPED AT THIS PORT.
The following sailors were shipped at this
port: W. Armstrong, aged 25; Il. Nc
Grepor, IS; w. Wickbash, q; w. Murray,
30; w. Hunter, 20; c. Tyrrell, %; j.
Ferguson 20; L. Smith. %; j. Anderson,
%. Armstrong and McGregor were fremen,
the res. common seamen. The nativity Of
the men lie unknown.
THE ESCAMBIAS FIRST OFFICER.
First officer George was in command of the
British ship Arcadia, which was wrecked
April %, 1881, some 800 miles from the Pit.
cairn Islands. Upon reaching London Q
Court of Inquiry exonerated him from all
upon the Escambia.
THE MISSING LIFEBoAT.
SAN Francisco. june 20th.-Up to q late
hour tonight the steamer Richard Rush had
not returned from the search of those who
escaped from the steamer Escambia in the
lifeboat, and nothing definite is known as to
their late.
Captain OF the AMER Head Arrested The
French National Fete-Oner Accepted
Tour OF Inspes fion.
San Francisco. June 0sb.-Captain
Roper, of the British steamer AMER Head,
was arrested this afternoon by the United
States Marshal on a charge of having berths
on the vessel placed contrary to law. He was
examined by the Commissioner, and released
on bonds in the sum Of 50, 900.
At meeting of the Executive Committee
having in charge the arrangements for the
proper observance of the French national fete
on the 14th Of July-the anniversary of the
fall of the Bastile-it was decided to have a
procession during the day, to be followed by
literary exercises in the Grand Opera House,
and to have festivities in the evening in
Woodward's Gardens.
Much satisfaction was expressed on the 3
O'Clock call of the Produce Exchange to-day
that the Trustees of the Merchants Exchange
had voted TO accept the offer Of the Produce
Exchange to lease the Merchants Exchange
property for seven years, with the privilege of
buying it for S275, 900 during that time.
To-day the Visiting Committee Of the Vet
Grams Home Association will start on tour
Of inspection to examine the different sites
offered for Home
Another Thousand Coolies.
SAN Francisco, June 20th.-The steam
ship City of Toxic arrived here tonight from
Hongkong. She brought go coolies. TIE
steamer was placed temporarily in quaran-
the uutil the passengers can be examined.
An Old Landmark Desfreyed-TheO Ocean
House burned.
SAN Francisco, June 20th.-The old Ocean
House, near Lake MERGED, burned this morn
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