Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-23
POUNDED TO PIECES.
The Sad Fate Of the Good
Ship Elizabeth.
Wrecked While Entering the
b Golden Gate,
After Successful Voyage Around
Cape Horn.
The Captain and Nearly Score OF Sea-
mon Lost-Heroic Efforts of the
Life-Saving Crew.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches.
SAN Francisco, Feb. 22.-It is now
known that the captain and seventeen
sailors OF the ship Elizabeth were
drowned in last nights wreck. Details
OF the wreck are hard to obtain, as the
point where the ship went on the rocks
is inaccessible by sea. .and to reach it by
land, a climb OF several miles over
mountains is necessary. The place is
called Tennessee cove, and is four miles
north of the entrance to the harbor, in
Marin county, The story of the wreck,
as told by one of the survivors, is as
follows:
The vessel sighted port early yester-
day afternoon, and Captain Colcord de-
cided to sail in. The wind was blowing
a furious gale from the southwest, and
finally the tug Monarch came to the
Elizabeth's assistance. The men say
assistance was refused, because of the
exorbitant charges asked by the tug.
The tug Alert then made fast to the
Elizabeth, but the hawser soon broke,
and the ship drifted before the wind to-
wards the shore. Just as q second haw-
ser was made fast, she struck the rocks.
Then Captain Colcord lowered boat to
take his wife and children off. As the
boat struck the water it capsized, throw
ing three sailors Taken, George
Hanna and Brant Johnson-into
the water. They clung to the
bottom of the boat and were picked
up by the tug. The captains family
were then lowered in another boat, and
taken to the tug by the mate and some
seamen. The boat returned to the ship,
and its occupants perished with the
rest OF the ships crew. The tugs were
unable to get near the ship, and late at
night returned to Lort, leaving the yes.
sci to its fate.
Early this morning tug went to the
scene OF the wreck, and found that
nothing was left of the Elizabeth. She
had gone to pieces during the night.
AS soon as the wreck was reported, last
might the Fort Point .hfe-eaving crew,
commanded by Captain Henry started
in q lifcbuat for the wreck. They were
being towed by tug when Captain
Henry was washed overheard by a big
wave and drowned. The lifeboat could
not get near the wreck, and returned to
the station after that. -
About midnight last night life crew
was taken across the bay on a tug, and
started over the mountains to Tennes-
see cove with rockets, ropes and other
apparatus. No report has been received
from them, and it is not known il any
men were rescued.
The Elizabeth was commanded by
Captain James Colcord, and carried
crew of twenty-six men. She was 120
days out from New York, and carried
cargo of assorted merchandise consigned
to Williams, Dimond & Co.
For thirty-six hours the wind has
been blowing furious gale, and is in
cfeasing in violence every hour. Much
damage has been done to shipping in
the harbor.
The life-saving crew, which started for
the wreck over the hills from Sausalito
last night, returned this afternoon with
news that five of the crew OF the Eliza
beth had been washed ashore alive at
Bolinas bay. They are the first mate,
w. C.. Barclay, and seamen F, Gruen-
wald, Carl Leffert, Louis Murray and G.
Adler. The bodies of three men were
seen in the rigging of the ship. The five
who escaped were found by people liv-
ing in the vicinity and cared for. 1t is
thought the rest of the crew, instead of
being carried to the smooth waters of
Bolinas bay, were dashed to pieces on
the jagged rocks.
The Elizabeth went to pieces during
the night and her cargo is distributed
along the coast for miles.
The life-savipg crew encountered tre-
mendous difficulties in reaching the
scene OF the wreck. They arrived at
Sausalito after 12 o'clock with cart
containing life-saving apparatus. A
Portuguese stable-keeper was aroused,
and although he had fourteen horses in
the barn, he stolidly refused to let the
men have horses. Thereupon the life
crew volunteered to drag the cart them
selves. The men were rigged with
harness, and they pulled the cart through
the rain and wind fourteen miles
over the hills to Tennessee cove. The
roads were rough, and the men were
nearly exhausted when they arrived at
the cove, about o'clock in the morning
When daylight came nothing could be
seen OF the wreck. Search WAS COM
menced, and about three miles further
north, what remained of the Elizabeth
was found. The shore was carefully
searched for members of the crew, but
nothing was found. At Bolinas bay the
life crew ascertained, as before stated,
that five men had reached shore alive,
AS nothing more could be done, the life
crew returned to San Francisco. They
will attempt to reach the wreck by boat
tomorrow.
There were on board the vessel at the
time she struck, twenty-nine persons,
all told. The starboard watch consisted
of Second Mate Pendleton, nephew of
one of the original owners Of the vessel,
the boatswain and eight men and boy
in the forecastle. The port watch COM
prised Chief Mate Barkley, the boat
swain and eight men and an ordinary
seaman. Besides these there was the
carpenter, a Russian Finn, and the
cook and steward, both Cinnamon. The
captain and his wife and daughter made
up the twenty-nine.
Later-Henry Smith, one OF the life
saving crew, discovered the wreck at
10 80 this morning. He found the
ships remains to be mass Of rigging,
timbers, boxes, cases and barrels, lift
ing and heaving on the swell and surf.
Amid the wrecbage he saw the bodies of