Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-31
Lost at the Golden Gate.
THE CITY OF CHESTER SUNK.

MANY LIVES LOST - THE TWO
STEAMERS COLLIDED IN A FOG
STORIES OF THE DISASTER AS |
TOLD BY THE CAPTAINS.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Aug. 22.
The steamer City of Chester,
bound for Eureka Cal, was sunk
by the steamer Oceanic, from Hong
Kong and Yokohama, 10 o'clock
this morning, of Fort Point, q short
distance from the Golden Gate. A
thick fog prevailed at the time.
The bows of the two steames nearly
touched before they discovered
each others presence. The proper
signals were at once given, but it
was too late. The Oceanic struck
the City of Chester on the port
side at the gangway and crushed
away her timbers. A panic en-
sued among the passengers on the
City of Chester, which was almost
cut into halves.
AS soon az the large steamer
could clear herselfshe heswung around
and Immediately began to lower
her boats. AT the moment Of the
shock most of the officers and crew
of the City of Chester seemed to
lose possession of their senses, and
several passengers stated after
wards that some OF the crew took
the first opportunity to clim b
aboard the Oceanic, leaving the
passengers to cut away the boats
and enter them.
The greater portion were com.
PEELED to remain on the steamer,
which began to settle Immediately
after the collision. Torrents of wa
ter rushed into her hold, and in FIVE
minutes after the collision the City
OF Chester had disappeared. She
sank in fifty tathOms OF water.
Those of the passengers and crew
who came to the surface were pick
ed up by the Oceanic's boats, bnt
the greater number we're run down
by the rushing water and never
appeared again.
Capt. Wallace, the master Of the
Chester, was among those who had
a narrow escape from death. He
said 81 was standing on the
bridge and the Chester was feeling
her way through the fog, blowing
her whistle regularly, when the
Oceanic's whistle was heard. We
answered her, and l supposed we
would get clear all right. | had an
idea that she was on our port side
somewhere, and answered her ac'
cordlngly. l took proper steps to
avoid her, and l suppose she
thought she was clear of US.
"Suddenly her great black hull
came up out of the fog. There was
no human possibility of getting out
of the way, and the passengers
we're got ready for the shock, and
many screamed with fright. The
crash on the Chester was some
thing horrible. The Oceanic struck
US on the port side near the gang
plank. After the shock | hardly
know what happened. l saw that
the upper works of the Chester
we're apparently knocked off, and
the cabins we're splintered into
kindling wood.
"The wreck was scattered about
in every way. [ had a hard strug'
gle to get through the crowds, and
the people seemed unmanagea0le'
It was a difficult matter for the
Oceanic to pick the people up, but
her.oficers did splendid work. Ii
was not four minutes after the col
lision that the steamer went down,
She filled so rapidly that it was i'm
possible to get the passengers on
the Oceanic, and when she started
to 90 down she went with a rush.
| was among those on her. They
had to 60 down like the rest OF u.s.
I was lucky in getting hold OF q
bit of wreckage went under. The
next | knew was at the surface
with wreckage of every conceivable
sort about me. On every side ol
me people were IN the water, some
of them calm and dong their BEST
and others struggling wildly. dc
not think that many OF these peo'
ple we're saved. l was picked up
| do not see how the disaster could
have been averted. The vessels
came together in such q thick fog
that it was barely possible to see.'
Captain Metcalfe, Of the Oceanic
made this statement: ave were
entering port this morning with
weather foggy. l was on deck my
self, as is customary entering port
We were steering a mid.channel
course, when observed a steamer
about two points on the starbOardl
whose whistle we had heard for
some time previous. She was 60
at a high rate of speed, while we
we're proceeding slowly. 1 i'm
mediateIy gave orders to have
starboard helm, and gave two blasts
of the whistle, which we're respond
ed t., but through some mistake
she ported instead of starboarding,
and the collision occurred. The
Oceanic was going slowly at the