The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
A STEAMER BURNED.
A Pacific Coast Disaster III
Which Twelve Men Perish.
Unmanageable Sailors Make a
Wild Rush For the Boats.

One Of the worst marine disasters that has
occurred on the Pacific coast for many years
was the burning of the Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company's freight steamer San Vincent.
the other night, off Pigeon Point, forty miles
from San Francisco, which resulted in the
picked up by the steamer Queen of the Pa
cific, which brought to San Francisco the
first news of the disaster. Captain Lewis
told the following story of the calamity. The
loss of life he attributes solely to lack of dis
ciplipe among the crew, who became panic
stricken and made a wild rush for the boats:
1--WE left Broadway wharf" said the
captain, lat o'clock yesterday and at half
past 9 the mate noticed smoke coming up
through the leaders OF the wheelgaar:
A hose was stretched along the deck and
the engineer was ordered to stop his engine
and turn the steam into the pumps, but the
smoke which now began to pour through
the crevices of the engine rooms terrified the
engineer, who, although he turned on the
fire pump, failed to stop the steam RS head
way. He and his assistant, with two fremen
and all the crew, came rushing up the COM
panionway and about the deck. The
main hatch was cleared away but
the current of air thus produced caused the
flames below to burst forth in volume that
could not be stayed The hatch was again
placed in position, the ventilators we're turned
from the wind and an effort made to smother
the fire. Another attempt to reach the flames
was made through the after-hatch, but this
again failed The hold was stored with lime
barrels. 1t was impossible to get at the
flames.
THE hatch was strapped down and the
port boat ordered lowered. By this time
frenzy had seized the crew. They became
unmanageable as wild beasts and ran about
in smoke and darkness lost to all order and
discipline. AS soon as the port
boat touched the water engineers, fire.
men, purser, cook and number of seamen
sprang into it. I ordered them to desst, but
was pushed aside as the men crowded the
rail. When the boat could contain no more
it was pushed of into darkness. Meanwhile
the starboard boat was lowered, and the re-
mainder Of the crew rushed for it, crowding
on the seats while it was yet hanging from
the davits. Seeing resistance was useless,
I ordered Mate Green into the boat to
keep it clear from the burning ship, as the
flames were now pushing through every
crack and every moment the mainmast
threatened to give way. Just as the mate
stepped into the boat the tackle that held it
burned away and the boat dropped. TITLED
and swamped, leaving the mate and seamen
struggling in the water.
II and the second ofncer were no" aIone on
the burning ship. All loose combustibles
were thrown overboard-oil, ropes and light
lumber-until there was clear space
left on the forward deck. Here we
set to work to construct a life.raft,
determined not to leave the vessel
until she burned from under us. Boards and
hatch covers were lashed together, and when
the work was done the rude raft was dragged
forward to the bow, and the second mate
and I stood there waiting for the
final plunge, but were rescued by the
boat from the Queen Of the Pacific. The
Queen stayed with the wreck till she went
down. One man was rescued from the first
boat, which was found nearly full Of water.
He was lying in the bottom unconscious. He
died soon after being brought on board the
steamer"
The burned steamer was valued at $4,000
and was uninsured. No one could give any
idea of the cause Of the fire.