Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-08-30
ANOTHER OCEAN HORROR.
Collision Of the Steamers City Of Chester
and Oceanic In San Francisco Bay.
Thirty four OF the Passengers and
Crew OF the City Of Chester are
Drowned.

One of the most terrible marine disas.
tiers that ever occurred on the Pacific
coast happened in the Bay of San Fran.
cisco, short distance from the Golden
Gate, at 10 O'Clock on the morning of
Aug %. The steamer City Of Chester
left her dock there at $3.50 and started on
her regular trip to Eureka, ON the North.
ern coast of California. An unusually
large number of passengers stood on her
decks and waived adieu to friends stand.
ing on the whnrf, The Chester steamed
slowly down the bay and when within
two miles of the heads encountered a
thick fog so peculiar to that locality. Cap.
tain Wallace of the City Of Chester, be-
gan blowing his steamers whistle to
warn all vessels of his approach. The
Chester proceeded cautiously on her way,
when the hoarse sound of another whistle
floated across the water. Capt Wallace
answered the signal and gave proper
warning for the stranger to pass on the
port side. This was evidently not under
stood, for in moment those on board
saw the PROV Of the Occidental and
Oriental steamer Oceanic emerge from
the fog The Oceanic had just arrived
from Hong Kong and Yokohama and was
moving up the bay to her dock. The
huge steamer was so close to the Chester
that there was no possibility for the lat
ter to escape. The passengers were near
ly all on the deck and the Captain, seeing
the danger. called them TO prepare for
the shock. A panic at once ensued. par
ticularly among the women and children.
of whom there was large number The
Oceanic struck the Chester on the port
side at the gangway, and the shock was
terrific. The prov cut into the Chester's
upper works and then crushed down to
the bulwarks, tearing the great timbers
and iron plates and breaking into the
staterooms and cabins. The widest con.
fusion prevailed among the passengers.
They crowded together, some shrieking
with fear and others praying for help.
The bow of the Oceanic crushed into the
middle section of the Chester, cutting
her almost in halves and causing her to
to reel under the terrible blow. When
the vessels were locked a number of the
Chester's passengers were passed up over
the Oceanic's bow and rescued, but as
soon as the large steamer could clear her.
self she swung around and immedi-
ately began to lower her boats. At the
llOHlcut Vi the SHOCk HlOSt Oh the Objects
and crew of the Chester seemed to lose pos
| session of their senses, aud several pass
| engers stated afterward that some of the
crew took the first opportunity to climb
aboard of the Oceanic and left the pass
engers to cut the boats. One of these was
lowered as soon as possible and num-
Der of passengers taken off in 1t. The
| others provided themselves with life pre-
servers and jumped overheard. The
greater portion, however, remained on
the steamer, which began to settle imme-
| diately after the collision. Torrents of wa
ter began to rush into her hold, and in five
minutes after the collision the Chester
| disappeared, sinking in fifty fathoms of
water. There was at latest accounts some
doubt as to the number lost, but it is be-
lieved to be thirty.four, ten OF whom
were cabin passengers. The City of
Chester was an iron steamer which has
been in the coast trade for many years
She was built at Chester, Pa, in 1875.
She is the property Of the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company, and for
merly ran to Portland. She was valued
at $3.50, 900. and was insured in San
Francisco and in Eastern companies for
| about one-half Of that sum. She ad
about 200 tons of assorted cargo in her
hold worth 81, 900.