The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-27
SINKING OF THE sPIyNEY.

May last, and had an unusually smooth yOy-
age up TO the time OF the accident When
rounding Cape Horn the weather was warm
and pleasant, and the decks were dry all the
time The winds were favorable, and good
time was made up till about week ago.
when they were compelled TO shorten sail
and go along carefully. az dense fog pre-
vailed Ii was much worse than usual, and
objects could not be seen at distance of
twenty feet
On Tuesday afternoon things were going
along smoothly, and they had just heayed
the lead and found that there was twenty
five fathoms of water under the vessels
keel.
The fog was thick and there was very
little wind, while the sea was smooth as
glass.
Suddenly the lookout startled everybody
with the cry Land ahead"
All was excitement in a moment and the
entire crew ran on deck. They were hardly
there when the lookout cried out again,
Land on the lee bcw."
Hard up your helm" yelled the captain,
seeing the danger In moment and keeping
his presence Of mind. although the crew
were about paralyZed as they made out the
dim outlines of the rugged reef. with the
breakers rolling over it.
The helm was put ~ and the vessel paid
of. which at least had the effect of lessen
ing the shock. A moment later ana the
vessel was on the rocks just in the line Of
breakers.
She struck little abaft amidshps with
a sound like cannon, while the masts trem-
bled from deck 10 peak.
The vessel began TO settle at once, while
the roar OF water coming into the hold was
like the moaning of distant hurricane.
The braces and halyards were all cut. so
as 10 allow the sails 10 swing easily and not
put any pressure on the vessel.
Every man sprang TO the pumps. but be-
fore stroke could be made there was two
aud a half feet of water in the hold and it
was still coming in rapidly.
From the start il was plain that the YES
sci would soon be wreck, as the water
was rushing in so fast the pumps had no
effect on IT, and the breakers were getting
rOugher every moment
TIE captain ordered the boats to be got
ready, but in the meantime the vessel
swung clean of the reef and began to drift
seward.
The vessel struck at o'clock and was
abandoned at a little after 8, but the two
hours seemed like ages to the men, who
every moment expected the ship to 90 to
the bottom.
The sails tapped in every direction and
the masts trem bed violently.
AT the end of an hour there was four and
a half feet OF water in the hold and gaining
rapidly.
The pumps were worked by all the men.
but 1t seemed useless. and in short time
pieces OF wood began TO come up, and the
carpenter made an investigation and said
there was five and half feet Of water in
the hold, and that nothing but miracle
could keep the ship afiost for more than an
hour. AS 10 was, the deck was almost down
to the water and gradually sinking. Sud-
denly there was a trembling at the stern
and the bows raised little.
Then all hope vanished, and the men got
into the boats as fast as possible. At that
time there WAS seven and a half feet of
water in the hold, and the after-deck was
under water.
Captain Curling went in one boat with
seven men and Mate Kelley in another with
the rest of the crew. There was another
boat launched. but it proved useless and
was abandoned.
The vessel sank about as soon as the small
boats got away from her. She settled to-
ward the stern slowly and then her bows snd-
denly went high in the air out Of the water
and she went to the bottom stern first
Very little was saved from the shin ex-
cept her papers. The men came away with
NO other clothes except what they had on.
Shortly alter leaving the sinking ship
darkness came on.
not see 1t, so dense was the fog and the men
spent good deal OF their time yelling so as
TO warn any vessel that might approach of
their whereabouts.
The fog soon soaked through their clothes
and they suffered terribly with cold. But il
was not near as bad as the fear that a ship
would come by and run them down.
They did not know in which direction
they were going, as for some reason the
compass would not work.
The night seemed endless. but at about G
O'Clock yesterday they found themselves
near Point Reyes in the rough water over
the bar. This was crossed at about Q, and
EarTapuf w hiph too
boats in tow and brought them to port AZ
about half-past lastnight. They had baen
just twenty-four hours in the small boats.
and IS nobody slept any thu men were about
worn out when they reached here.
The Spinney was a wooden ship built in
Thomast0D, Me-, In 1874. She was
1888 tons register, and carried a load Of
machinery. iron and general merchandise
consigned to Sutton & Beebe. The vessel
and cargo were worth over $500, 600.