The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-24
STRUCK A LEDGE.
Wreck Of a Steamer Near the
HaTb0r Of Victoria.
Loss Of the San Pedro With a Cargo Of
Coal for San Francisco.
Intellectual Attempt 10 Save the Vessel.
Nothing But the SmOkeStack, BOW
and MaStS AbtYe The Water.
Special to THE MoBNINs CALL

VERONA (B. C.), Nov. pa series Of
sharp whistles at about $50 o'clock last
night alarmed residents along the ocean
beach and brought them out of their houses
to ascertain the cause. The night was calm
and clear and, though no moon was shin
Ing, the light of the stars enabled those on
shore TO make out the dark shape of large
steamer not far from Bratchie Ledge, line
Of sharp rocks running parallel with the
shore, from which they are only few hun
dred yards and about quarter Of a mile
from the entrance of Victoria Harbor.
The steamer was running at slow speed,
but the crash as she piled up on the ledge
was heard plainly from the land. Boats
and men at once went 10 the assistance Of
the distressed vessel. which proved to be
the large collier San Pedro, bound from Co.
mox to San Francisco. with 5000 tons Of
coal from the Wellington mines. The mo-
mentum alone was sufficient to wedge her
firmly on the rocks and the officers decided
that it would be fatal to the chances of re-
leasing the ship to attempt to move her be-
fore morning. Accordingly she lay all night
listed to port more steady than could be ex-
pected.
At daybreak divers were sent down TO in
yestigste, and their examination showed
that the larboard strake. for thirty feet, had
been torn away and water was pouring in
through this frightfuI hole and filling the
hold in spite OF the pumps.
A large gang of longshoremen were at
once put TO work throwing the cargo into
the sea to lessen the risk of the ship breaking
in two with her own weight in the event of
& breath of wind rising, and by 10 O'Clock
many tons of coal had been discharged over
the side. Then a cracking noise was heard.
The ship settled and rolled to port, burying
herself under water from stern to midShips,
the bow alone remaining clear. The work
men scrambled hastily over the side, many
OF them having TO jump into the sea to avoid
being carried down with the sinking ship.
Some of them managed to reach the boats,
and others chung to the channel buoy, which
broke adrift and tioated alongside Of the
wreck. No lives were lost. the salvation of
sOme being almost miraculous.
The effort to tighten the ship was aban-
doned aud no fresh movement has yet been
made. At the time of writing g o'clock the
shore is black with people, thousands being
on the beach, and half a dozen tugs and
many dozen rOwboats are lowering about
the disabled steamer, whose smokestack,
bow and masts alone are to be seen.
Captain Christensen ST. was plotting the
San Pedro al the time of her accident.
which was the first that ever befell craft
handled by him in the thirty years he has
been navigating the waters of British Column
bia. The San Pedro is an iron steamer of
311902 IONS 1913 feet long, 42.2 feet beam,
1875 feet hold and 2000 horse power. She
was built in 1882 by John Roach & Sons of
Philadelphia, aud has been in the colllery
trade for some time past.