The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-10
Strange Explanation Of the Wreck Of
the WhaIebaek WetmOre.
SENT 10 SEA IN TOO GREAT HASTE.
Captain 0'Brien Was Ordered Out Of Tacoma 50
Quickly That He Had No Time to Trim Cargo
and Make the Ship Safe.
Special to THE MORNING CALI

EMPIRE CITY, Or, Sept. 9.-The whale
back steamer Wetmore is still on the North
Spit, about GEO yards north of Coos Bay bar.
reports from parties cam ping across on the
other side of the bar who can see her
plainly with glass, are 10 the effect that
the water where she now lies is about eight
feet deep and the heavy seas are continually
breaking over her. She is labOring heavily
and parties close enough to see think she is
breaking up. Dense fog, which prevailed
all forenoon, prevented any thorough in-
vestigation into her condition, but when
the fog lifted at 80 it was seen that she is
now lying parallel with the beach, having
been moved somewhat by the force of the
breakers. a heavy northwest ground swell is
running and every breaker sweeps over her
deck from stem to stern. All possible hopes
of getting the whaleback off have been
given up.
Captain O'Brien took lifeboat and sew
eral of his men this afternoon and started
to the scene Of the wreck, but learned from
Captain Loeb Of the life-saying station,
who had just returned from the wreck. that
it would be impossible tU board the steamer.
Captain OBrien, when seen this afternoon
and questioned as to the cause of the acct
dent, said:
"It was due to the dense fog and sup
posed heeling error of the compass. An OBJ
servati0n was taken On the day of the aeci-
dent, which placed her thirty-five miles of
shore. ! steered her one point westward OF
her usual course, owing to the thick fOg,
and can only account for her going ashore
by heeling error of the compass"
The captain said that he was steering one
point to tAe westward OF his usual course.
and that half an hour previous TO her str!k-
ing he hauled her a point further off that
The course she was steering when she went
ashore was a true course Of south half
west or magnetic course of southwest by
south, three-quarters south. He was steer
ing this course SO as TO be sure and avoid
the rocks at Cape Bianco. Further. Cap
tain O'Bren said that on the morning of
the 8th. at 2:30. his compass did not act
right, and the wreck was due 20 this error
of the compass, possibly caused by the
listing Of the steamer The fog was very
dense and his bearings were lost. lie did
not think he was so close to shore until no
struck the beach. The liie-saving crew.
with three boats, did good work, and were
Just IN time to rescue all hands, as the sea
was breaking heavily over the steamer.
Captain O'Brien refused to say anything
more, Temarking that he was not prepared
to talk at this time. He seems very much
discouraged and thinks the steamer will
be total loss.
There have been several attempts by diff
ferent parties to go aboard the wreck in
small boats, probably for salvage money.
but these have not been attended with sue
cess, and up TO this time none have been able
to reach the steamer
The bay steamers are running excursions
down TO the wreck from this place and
Marshfeld, but they cannot get within
half or threequarteIs OF a mile Of the wreck.