Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-01
FOUNDERED.
The Queen Of the Pacific
Meets Disaster.
AGROUND AT PORT HARTFORD,
The Lucky Passengers and Grew
All Escape News
- in General.
1 lAssociated Press Dispatches to the HERALD


IAssociated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
SAN LUIS OBIsPo, CAL, April 3d.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Compa
ny's steamer Queen of the Pacific, ply
ing between San Francisco and the
southern coast ports, sunk near Por
Hartford this morning. No patticu
lars received yet, but great excitement
prevails here.
THE WRECK.
PoRT HARTFORD, April 30.-The Pa
cifc coast steamer Queen of the Pa
cifc arrived off Port Hartford at 6 :3(
this morning with hold full Of water
having sprung leak at about $50 A
M.--cause not yet known. Although
having powerful pumps working, the
water gained rapidly and the vessel
sunk in twenty feet of water, and at
present is lying easy, resting on the
bottom two hundred yards from the
wharf. When the leak was discov.
cred, about fifteen miles from port
the captain and crew acted promptly
and kept the 125 passengers from
panic. Though the excitement was
great, those aboard behaved we'll un.
der the circumstances. Captain E
Alexander kept the engineers and fire
men at their posts, when up to their
breasts in water, under the sternest
orders, and nearing Port Hartford the
passengers were lowered in the life
boats, women and children first.
The escape was wonderful and all
pay honor to the Captain. All of the
cargo is under water. Had she sunk
at sea there would no doubt have been
a terrible loss of life. AS it is, al Of
THE PASSENGERS ARE SAFE.
OF the passengers, there were twenty.
one bound for Port Hartford and San
Luis Obispo, twenty-five for Santa
Barbara, thirty-four for Los Angeles
and thirty-six for San Diego. The
crew numbers eighty-iive all told
The passengers will be detained only
q day. The Santa Rosa will arrive
here about 10 O'Clock tomorrow
morning, and then the passengers foi
Santa Barbara, San Pedro and San
Diego will be carried to their
destination.
The Queen did not have a large
cargo aboard. The merchandise is
stored in water-tight compartments,
and it is not known whether it
has been damaged. Part of the
articles are perishable. but many can
not be injured by soaking. Sugar re-
finers had quite a large quantity of
refined sugar on the way to the South
on her, and this is lost if any water
got into her freight compartments.
The fredericksburg Company will
also lose some beer in this event.
The value of the cargo is about S5 900,
and there is little or no insurance.
INCIDENTS OF THE WRECK,
w. E. Sebree. of San Francisco,
one OF the passengers was awakened
from his sleep by the rolling of the
vessel, at o'clock, and found water
in the cabin. Going out he found the
vessel lying at an angle of sixty de-
grees, the lower side only few feet
from water, the dining-room was in
three feet of water. He praised Cap
tain Alexander, and said a panic was
narrowly avoided. ALI were cool ex-
cept the ladies. 1t is considered most
fortunate that all escaped with 5heil
lives.
]. Neal, of San Francisco, realized
danger at 3 A. NJ, but the passengers
were not all awake, and hence did moi
realize the danger. The crew were
shifting the cargo while the vesse
was filling with water. Mr.. Nea
also praised the action of the Captain
on whom all depended with great con
fidence.
THE CAPTAIN INTERVIEWED.
Captain e. Alexander was inter
viewed by Associated Press cores.
pondents, and he said he was called
at 2 As A. M. and found water pour
ing into the vessel. Immediately he
gave orders to the officers and crew
to shift the freight from the lee to the
weather side, and make port with all
speed. The water poured in faste
than the freight could be shifted. He
kept the engineers and firemen a
their posts under the most peremptory
orders when the men were up to theil
necks in water. The men acte(
bravely.
NOTES.
Boats were swung out long before
port was sighted, to guard agains
possible need.
The vessel is now lying in twenty
two feet of water, at an angle of forty
five degrees, heading west by south
west, stern in shore.
The Captain telegraphed Goodal
Perkins & Co. for tug with pump
and divers, to lift the wreck.
The cargo was five hundred tons c
general merchandise for San Loui
Obispo and ports south.
The men are praised for their obedi
ence in extreme danger.
The steamer Santa Rosa arrives to
morrow morning especially to tax
passengers from this port.
Crowds from San Louis Obisp
gathered to view the wreck. Th
sight was great from Port Hartfor
wharf, and photographs were take
of the foundered vessel.
The Captain and crew admit that
was a most fortunate escape from
calamity. The cause will not b
learned until aid arrives from Sa
Francisco.
The passengers have mostly gor
to the city OF San Luis Obispo for tn
night.
TO THE RESCUE
SAN Francisco, April 30.-At moo
to day the towboat Wizard, with
full complement of wrecking an
pumping apparatus ON board, was 0
her way to Port Hartford. She wi
arrive there early tomorrow mornir
and will at once pump out the Queer
She will be brought here for repair
Captain Alexander, in telegraI