St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-18
A FLOATING COFFIN.
The Whaling Bark Atlantic, Rotten Old
Hulk, Goes Ashore Near San
Francisco.
Thirty-0ne Out of the Forty-Two
People on Board Drowned
Like Rats,
Most of the Victims Being Dead
Drunk in Their Berths at
the Time.
Explosion of the Steam Wha1er Mary
and HeIen--Two Men
Killed.

SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 17.-At $50 this
morning the whaling bark Atlantic was
driven ashore mile and half below the
Cliff house and went to pieces in q few min
utes. not spar remaining standing. The
wreck was Strewn along the beach for three
or four miles, About twenty-five men are
believed to be lost. The captain and mate,
with eight or ten men, were saved. At the
time of the disaster dense fog and heavy
sea prevailed. The Atlantic left here yes
terday afternoon for a cruise in the South
Pacific, after which she was to proceed
north. ThetAtIantic was an old vessel,
having been built in 1851, was PSI tons reg
lister and was owned by J. & w. r. Wing,
of New Bedford, Mass. She was COM
manded by Capt. Thomas H. Warren. 1t
is not yet possible to ascertain the names
of the lost and saved.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
Following is Capt. Warren's statement of
the wreck:
'-We were towed out to sea yesterday.
There was a heavy head swell and no wind.
The currents were so strong we could not get
out of the swell. We let go both anchors, but
the sea swept the decks and was so heavy the
anchors could not hold. We dragged ashore
and struck at 1:30 a. m. The men were being
washed of during all this time by the i'm
mense waves which dashed over US. The
vessel went to pieces an hour and half after
she struck. There was a very heavy fog and
it was pitch dark. We succeeded in lowering
two boats. but both capsized. A line was
then shot over her, but proved of no service,
as it became entangled in the floating wreck
age, and the vessel shortly went to pieces.
The vessel was valued at $40. 600, her
outfit at $751; and the insurance was
S5 900. The captain and crew numbered
forty-two persons, and up to now only
eleven are known to have been saved.
ONLY ONE BODY,
thus far. has been recovered. 1t lis rumored
that a large portion Of the crew were in
toXicated. and that twenty-five were below
sleeping off the liquor when the vessel
struck, and thus met their deaths. The
keeper of the life-S saving station says the
first knowledge he had of the disaster was
when Capt. Warren made his appearance
there at 2 a. M. Two meE patrol the beach
all the time. but owing to the darkness and
fog it was some time before the wreck could
be located. The first boat lowered con-
tanned F. L. Doty. the first mate. Anton
Perry. the third mate. and four or five of
the crew. That was the last seen of them.
In the second boat were the captain, Second
THEY WERE swAMPED
the sea carried them in till they touched
bottom, when they dragged themselves
ashore. They made no signal of distress,
as it was too foggy for any to be seen. AS
soon AS the captain landed he made his way
in an exhausted condition to the life saving
station, a few yards away, and gave the
alarm. The men who patrol the beach all
the time were at the further end of their
beats, and knew nothing of the wreck until
an hour after the vessel struck. Maj.
Blakeney inspected what was left of the
wrecked vessel, and called attention to the
vessels timbers. He said: They are so
rotten that slight blow will break them.
The same state of things exists in every
part. 1t seems to me q rigid Investigation
should be ordered, and those responsible be
made an example Of In my opinion this IS
little short of cold -bloOded murder" The
statements of a number of survivors cor
roborate Mai. Blakeney'S assertions.
DETAILS FROM NEW BEDFORD.
New BEDFORD, Mass, Dec. 17.-The
whaling bark Atlantic, reported lost at San
Francisco this morning, belonged to j. &
NJ R. Wing, of this city. She had dis
charged her Arctic catch and shipped new
crew and sailed north to cruise. She was
commanded by Thomas P. Warren, of
South Hampton. L. l., and Zenas E. DOty,
of Falmouth, was the mate. She was valued
of S0S 0n0