The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-09-26
SUNK IN THE PACIFIC.
A Terrible Marine Disaster
Near the Golden Gate.
Many Lives Lost by a Collision
of Steamships.

One of the most terrible marine disasters
that have ever occurred on the Pacific Coast
happened at about 10 A. NJ. Wednesday in
the Bay of San Francisco, at short distance
from the Golden Gate. The steamer City Of
Chester left her dock there at $50 and
started on her regular trip to Eureka
on the northern coast of California. An un-
usually large number of passengers stood on
her decks and waved adieus to friends on the
wharf. The Chester steamed slowly down
the bay, and when within two miles of the
Heads encountered a thick fog. Captain
Wallace began to blow his steamers
whistle to warn all vessels of his
approach. EThe Chester proceeded cautiously
on her course till OF Port Paint when the
hoarse sound Of another whistle hoated across
the water.
Captain Wallace answered the signal and
gave proper warning to the strangerto to pass On
the port side. This was evidently not under
stood, for in q moment those on board saw
the huge PROV of the Occidental and Orlen-
tai @ssDe bad GmGs s arpyed from
Hong ns GSeaei' Kong and and Sei Yokohama, % Japan,
her dock. The huge steamer was SO
close to the Chester thsre was no possibility
for the latter to escape. The cabin pas
sengers were nearly all on deck, and the
Captain, seeing the danger, called them to
prepare for the shock. A panic ensued at
once, particularly among the women and
children, Of whom there was a large
number.
The Oceanic struck the City of Chester on
the port side at the gangway, and the shock
was terrific. Her PROV cut into the Chester's
upper works and then crushed down to
the bulwarks, tearing the great tim
y,1oynS or1 hrn N
into the staterooms and cabins The
widest confusion prevailed among the passen-
gers, who crowded together, some shrleklng
with fear and others praying for help. The
bow of the Oceanic crushed into the middle
section of the City Of Chester, cutting her
almost into halves: and causing her to reel
under the blow. When the vessels were
locked number of the City of Chester's pas
sengers were passed up over the Oceanics
bow and rescued in this way. As soon as
the large steamer could clear herself she
swung around and Immediately began to
lower her boats
; At the moment of the shock most Of the
officers and crew of the City of Ches-
ter seemed to lose possession of their
senses, and several passengers st;tt
afterward that some of the crew
took the first opportunity to climb abolrl
the Oceanic, leaving the pas caycr 10 cut
away the boats. Cne Of these was lowered
as soon as pOSSlU9 y anu u uttIliiGr pl p'tSNI-
gers taken off. Others provided h mseIves
with life preservers and jumped . erboarl.
The greater number however, were com
pelled to remain on the steamer. which lrSan
to settle Immediately after tho col is. n.
Torrents of water rushed into her ho d, nnl
in five minutes after the colliso, the City OF
Chester had disappeared. Sh, ni in fifty
fathoms of water.
The rush of water into the holl was fo'-
lowed by an explosion of her boilers, but she
was too far under water for any further
damage to be done.
On tho Oceanic the Chin 50 crew
became terror stricken rs >oo1 al
the accident occurred and mich
time was lest in lowering the b 'atS Of
the latter, but still the boats of the Ote mi;
were lowered rapidly and did cool work
picking up those who were floating in the bay,
and sustaining themselves on life PR servers
and bits of wreckage. In this work they
were aided by the Ck,sters boats ami those o.
two or three boarding house runners.
Those Of the passengers an crew VITO c.ime
to tie surface were picked up by the Ot'e.,ni'S
boats, but the greater number wee drawn
down by the rushing water Ind lever "a,
peared again
As soon as it wa: knoH that the collision
had occurred, q number of tugs and boats of
all descriptions ve t to the scene aul rem
dered what service they coull in picking up
bne living ana Ceao HedtiHS aluoHS the
wreckage.
The greatest loss OF life occurred among
the storage passengers, Of whom there we're
twenty three OH boarl. Only two Of these
were rescued They were on tile lower deck
Of the steamer at the time of { e collision and
there was no oppori UNITY to warn them Of
danger or render them assistance aftrward.
: The cabin passengers numue?e seventy. and
:, OF these ten were lost. Three Of the crew
I, were also lost
:s One Chinaman showed great bTav,ry. A
man was trying to swim with two-y.a--old
child in his arms, but VS. crippled too badly,
and finally, kissing her, relea his hn'l and
sank The Chlnaman jumpsi overheard
from the Oceanic and res 'uel the b7by aud
ifoated with her till pic.el up ly toat.
When the Chester finally S nt one Of
her guards caught foat with seven people
in it, four of whom had just heen rescued,
and all were pulled unler wa.er. Three Of
the occupants Of the boat nsver came up
again.
The steamer City Of CT ester, Reich
man. master, was an iron vessel OF 11O6
tons burthen, =0j feet long, 33 feet
9 inches breadth Of beam and 1G feet
depth of hold, built by John Roach & Sons,
at Chester, Penn, in 1874. with an engine of
100 horse power and screw propeller. She
was fitted with fine compartments. was
rugged as three mas.ed schooner, and be-
longed to the Oregon Steamship Company, of
Portland, Oregon.