The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-27
HE ,orecE-slen rom P0lnt Lo5oa.

| not hear OF the wreck until after we got TO
the city. There was quite a sea running on
| the bar and it was nearly low water. There
is y fathOms Of water in mid-channel and
| ] don't see how she cOud strike if she kept
! In the 1airway. The wind was light and
the strong ebb tide may have carried her to
south of the channel"
/ Cartain Glenn Randall of the Wizard said f.:
ave went out with the schooner Aggie in
tow about 4 o'clock yesterday morning. We
| cast OF the schooner near the WhiStling buoy
| and then ran down alongside the PaleSt tine.
| l did not think he would take a tow as he
had far wind and there was no sea on.
! CAPTAIN Nice artnev asked NE where the shin
was to dock and told him at Oakland"
| On being asked why he did not expect the
| ship would tow in. Captain Randall said the
| vessel had a fair wind, and by sailing into
| port Captain Mccartney would save the
cost OF the tow and would have to come 10
| an anchor in the bay and wait some time
before she could dock. The ship only drew
| "A feet of water, and must have struck on a
| lump OF sand or some obstruction, there
| Is five and half fathOms of water in the
| channel at low tide.
Continuing he said: 81 was not far away
| from the ship when she hoisted her fiag. and
| thought he had made up his mind to tow in.
| 1t took about fifteen minutes t. run down to
ner. she was at that time on the outer edge
| OF the hank and steering nearly south. Cap
! tain Mccartney told me the ship had struck
/
| and started 10 tow the vessel toward the
| channel. This was about half-past Z. |
| saw the ship was fast settling down in the
water, but held on until Captain Mozart
/ ney shouted out that his ship was sinking
! and il was no use towing her any further
! ! then told him TO let go the rope which he
/ did, and as soon as the haWSeT was pulled
! IN l went as close to the sinking ship as |
| could.
The men worked hard and soon had the
| boats in the water and the entire crew got
away from the sinking craft in safety. They
! left her none too soon, for the last boat had
hardly left the wreck before she went down
| head first. She sank in fourteen and half
fathOms If water and Is submerged to her
upper topsail yards. We staid by the wreck
for some time and then l started for the city
with the boats IN tow. l have often tUWed
in ships drawing more water than the Pal
estine over the bar at low water and never
knew vessel to strike IN midchannel be-
fore.
soon after reaching Valleio-street Wharf
wagons were procured and the men aud their
traps taken to different sailor boarding
houses and hotels"
Pilot Jordan stated that there are several
places where there are less than five fathOmS
of water on the bar, aud you don't have to
60 to the Potato Patch or the South Bank to
find them. a man has to be very we'll ac-
quainted with the bar to get over it at low
water. But there is no danger OF a vessel
drawing less than twenty-five feet il she
stays IN midchannel. Ii was learned that
the ship Alaska struck while coming over
the bar at the same place not long ago, but
no damage was done as she did not strike
very heavy.
The wreck now lies in Az fathoms of
water and is right in the way of vessels
entering and leaving the harbor, and
steps will at once be taken to prevent any
accident, as craft coming in from sea
knowing nothing about the wreck are very
liable TO run foul of II.
Immediately upon learning Of the disaster
the following notice was issued by
Lieutenant Perry:
Notice TO Marners-The wreck OF the ship
Palestine lies In l3 falboms of water with
toDgallaut mast above waller just outside san
francisco Bar, inside the Whlsting buoy ana on
tie Inc leading IN, with Fort IOint and Aca-
JraZ IN range. northeast Ihree-quarteTs east. thus
making serious danger TO navigation. Proper
marks VIII be placed on the wreck at the
earliest possible time, when due notice Will be
given. For the next IwU or three days pilot
boat will be kent on patrol Ia the immediate
vicinity Of The wreck. and VIII attempt 10 warn
all incoming vessels of the danger. By order OF
the Lighthouse Ward
THOMAS PERRY Inspector.
There is little doubt but that the ship will
be a total loss as it viii be impossible 10
raise her and she will have TO be blown up
to get her out of the way. The wreck will
be sold to-day at the Merchants Exchange,
at half-past O'Clock.
So far as Known only three vessels have
been lost by striking on the bar. The
wreck OF the Elizabeth, which struck on the
Potato Patch or fOuT-fathOm bank, is still
fresh in the minds of the public, and the
wreckeTs are still at work fishing up pOr-
tiOns OF her cargo. The EScambia was
wrecked ten years ago on the edge of the
south bank, but disasters Of this kind are
rare in spite of the vast number Of vessels
constantly entering and leaving the harbor
The Palestine a Wnodpn hin uf 1850
tons. butt at Bath, Me, in 1877. Fer |
length was 207 ~ feet. beam 40 feet, with a |
depth of u feet. She was owned by Sam
uel Blair of Is Market street. and was
valued at $4,000. Her cargo was valued at |
$4,000, upon which there was no insurance. |
The ship as insured for $4,000 in the Fire
mans Fund Insurance Company
The wreck was the prime pal topic Of con-
yersatiOn all along the front last night |
Every man had his own theory a. to how !
the wreck occurred. The crew belong |
10 the Inflated ship were the center of |
crowds Of men and had to relate the story |
OF the disaster over and over again. Most !
OF the men competent t. speak Of the mat
ter, and who are acquainted with the local |
ity, shake their heads when spoken to on |
the subject and claim that some one blum |
deTed, as II would be impossible for a vessel !
drawing no more than the Palestine to strike |
the bar II she was in the channel. The gen.
eTal impression Is that the ship was carried /
to the south of the channel by the strong |
tide, and was well over toward the south |
shoals when she struck.
The report from the signal station at /
Point LObOS 10 the Merchants Exchange |
regarding the weather outside yesterday was |
as follows: At O'Clock in the morning,
thick and calm; 8 o'clock, hazy. wind north
west, miles an hour; noon, haZy, wind |
northwest y miles: O'Clock, hazy, wind |
northwest, II miles.
The last man to see the Palestine before
she struck the sand-bank was undoubtedly
John HYsl0p, in charge of the Merchants
Exchange Station at Point Lobos
In conversation with CALL reporter he
said that his attention was drawn to the
ship about 7 O'Clock in the morning. She
was then about five miles due west of the
point on which the station is located, and |
right over the bar, standing in under full
sail There was very little wind and a
heavy fog came on closing the ship out. He
saw nothing more of her, and knew
nothing till II O'Clock, when news came by
way of the city that the Palestine bad sunk
on the bar. He had noticed a tug-boat
making the usual cruise in the early morn
lng AT the time the disaster must have
happened there was heavy ebb tide run
ming
The situation Of the wreck was easily
found on the chart, but it was not so easy
TO distinguish the three t0pgalIant masts
which alone remained above water. owing
to the deuSe haze which prevailed This !
haze lifted little during the day and in the
early part of the afternoon the big 10 foot
at the station revealed the wreck |
very plainly. The appearance was deeep-
tive to this extent that the fore t0pgallant
sail had blown out of the ropes and flut-
tered in manner to suggest that ii was the
spankeT and gaff attached to the mizzen-
mast. The ship was supposed to be lying |
IN 13R fathoms of water. and she was only
TO the toDmasts She had evil |