Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-05
THE STORM.
1t Deluges the State at ALI
Points.
"ALICE GARRATT" WRECKED.
A Terrible Casualty in San Fran.
cisco Bay Which Capsizes
a Steamer.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HrnA11

SAN Francisco, March Am un
usual hail and thunder storm occurred
this morning. During the night there
had been downpours at intervals, but
the volume OF rain that fell was com.
paratively small up to 9 o'clock this
morning. The velocity of the wind
then began to increase, and shortly be.
fore IL O'Clock the climax of the drama
was reached. Then there we're vivid
flashes of lightning, and thunder
rumbled ominously. Hail and rain
came down for one hour in deluge
without cessation, and from 8 O'Clock
till noon enough fell to make an addi.
tional S9-100 OF an inch on the rain
gauge-in all 1.01 up to ~ o'clock.
Culverts overfowed, pools gathered
on many of the streets and sewers
ran rivers. In the afternoon
the weather cleared somewhat.
A little thunder was heard
here on January 4th last, and
some on May 2l, 1887, but no storm
like that of yesterday has taken place
in this city for several years.
During the gale the steamer Alice
Garrett, which was anchored out in
the bay, having on board seventeen
passengers who were on the China
steamer City of Peking, dragged anchor
and drifted to and against Spear street
wharf.
AS the steamer reached the Spear
street wharf, the passengers who had
come out from shelter seemed to
realize the danger of their position.
The steamer struck the end of the
Spear street pier with crash that
shook her from stem to stern, staving
in her port side and smashing the
rail on the lower deck to splinters.
Almost at the same moment the
steamer struck, a shock of thunder
was heard that seemed to rend the
heavens and the storm increased in
violence. Rain fell in torrents and
the wind blew q perfect hurricane.
Men rushed excitedly to and fro
on the steamer, and women, scarcely
half dressed, rushed on deck, their
white robes and disordered hair
flying in the wind presenting picture
of despair. The steamer was entirely
at the mercy of the storm, and
bumped against the wharf like trip
hammer. Finally the tug Relief
boldly ran close to the .fated vessel
and threw out hawser. 1t was
quickly made fast, but before the tug
was ready to pull off, one of the pass
engers saw his way clear to liberty,
and made a dash, jumping
to the dock. His example was
quickly followed by a number of his
fellow-passengers, among whom were
most Of the women. The tug could
not hold the steamer, and so the lat
ter drifted down alongside the
wharves. The Relief, which still fol-
lowed, managed to get line fast, but
it was too late; for the water was
pouring in rapidly, and the steamer
began to sink. The smoke stack
struck against the wharf, and soon
smashed and fell over the side into
the water. Passengers scrambled
ashore as best they could. Some took
desperate chances and made perilous
leaps, others climbed slippery piles,
and more hauled themselves up by
means af the st. Paul's chains. Every
one escaped. When all the passengers
were safely ashore, the tug
having been securely made fast, COM
menced the work of towing. The
Relief had towed the steamer scarcely
a hundred yards from the wharf
when the Alice Garrett sunk. She
turned completely over, nearly
sw amping the tug, and appeared
shortly after on the surface bottom up.
In this disabled condition she was
towed back to the Pacific dock, where
the tug made fast. She left in hel
wake numerous articles belonging
to the passengers, and the bay was
strewn with boxes, bundles of cloth
ing and all sorts of nodescript effects.
All persons on board the Alice Gar.
rett were cabin passengers on the
China steamer, City of Peking. Capt.
Haskell, Of the tug Relief, thinks the
steamers boiler remained in her.
Under the circumstances the escape
Of the passengers is considered mar.
vellous.
THE RELEA SED PASSENGERS.
The moment the passengers were
released through the aid of the ele-
ments, they scattered to the various
hotels and lodging houses. There
was no attempt made to inter-
cept them, and Quarantine Officer
McAllister was quite helpless in the
matter, as he had no right to return
them to the ship. Deputy Surveyor
Fogarty took possession of three
members of the embassy and con.
veyed them to the Chinese Consulate
The passengers had been in quaran.
tine sixteen days.
SHE WILL BE RIGHTED.
Work will be commenced to-mor.
row on the righting of the steamer. II
was impossible to estimate the extent
of the damages to-day as the steamer
was totally submerged. 1t is thought
however, that the vessel, after con
siderable repairs have been made on
her, will again be placed on the river
trade.
HER HISTORY.
The steamer Alice Garratt was built
at Stockton in 1873, for VIM. T. Gar
ratt, who has owned her and her sis.
ter Mary CARAT ever since. She was
stern. wheeler, $50 feet in length, &c
feet beam and 6 feet depth in
the hold, and had carrying capacity
of 4S5 tons. She piled between San
Francisco and Stockton and river ports
as a freight and passenger boat. She
was constructed at a cost of about
$37 900, and was insured in the Fire
mems Fund Insurance company fol
$40, 900, having been insured only
three days ago.
METEOROLOGICAL.