Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-07
SUNK In THE PACIFIC.
| 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. n. Wednesday in
the Bay of San Francisco, at a 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 I'M
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, The Chester proceeded cautiously
on her course till off Port Paint, when the
hoarse sound Of another whistle foated across
the water.
Captain Wallace answered the signal and
gave proper warning to the stranger to pass ON
the port side. This was evidently not under
stood, for in a moment those on board saw
the huge prov of the Occidental and Orien-
tai steamer Oceanic emerge from the fog
The Oceanic had Just arrived from
and was nm moving up. the bay to
close to the Chester there 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 Chesters
upper works and then crushed down to
the bulwarks, tearing the great tim
bers and iron plates and breaking
into the stateroomS and cabins. The
widest confusion prevailed among the passen-
gers, who crowded together, some shrieklng
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 Chesters pas
sengeIs were passed up over the OceanicS
bow and rescued in this way. AS soon
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
afterward that some of the crew
took the first opportunity to climb aboard
the Oceanic, leaving the passengers to cut
away the boats. One of these was lowered
as soon as possible and a number of passen-
gers taken Off Others provided themselves
with life preServerS and jumped overheard.
The greater number, however, were COM
PEELED to remain on the steamer, which began
to settle Immediately after the collision
Torrents of water rushed into her hold, and
in five minutes after the collision the City of
fathOms of water.
The rush of water into the hold was fol-
lowed by explosion of her boilers, but she
was too far under water for any further
On the Oceanic the Chinese crew
became terror stricken as soon as
the accident occurred, and much
time was lost in lowering the boats of
the latter, but still the boats of the Oceanic
were lowered rapidly and did good work
picking up those who were floating in the bay,
and bits of wreckage. In this work they
were aided by the Chester's boats and those of
two or three boarding house runners.
Those Of the passengers and crew who came
to the surface were picked up by the Oceanlcs
boats, but the greater number were drawn
down by the rushing water and never ap-
peared again.
As soon as it was known that the collision
had occurred a number of tugs and boats of
all descriptions went to the scene and rem
dered what service they could in picking up
the living and dead floating among the
wreckage
The greatest loss of life occurred among
the steerage passengers, of whom there were
twenty three on board. Only two of these
were rescued They were on the lower deck
of the steamer at the time of the collision, and
there was opportunity to warn them Of
danger or render them assistance afterward.
The cabin passengers numbered seventy, and
of these ten were lost. Three of the crew
were also lost.
One Chinaman showed great bravery. A
man was trying to swim with two-year-old
child in his arms, but was crippled too badly,
and finally, kissing her, release his hold and
sank The Chinaman jumped overheard
from the Oceanic and rescued the baby and
foated with her till picked up by a boat.
When the Chester finally sank one of
her guards caught boat with seven people
in it, four of whom had just been rescued.
and all were pulled under water. Three of
the occupants of the boat never came up
again.
man. master, was an iron vessel OF 11O6
tons burthen, POS feet long, SO feet
6 inches breadth of beam and Is 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 a three masted schooner, and be
longed to the Oregon Steamship Company, of
Portland, Oregon.