The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-27
FAST ON THE ROCKS
The Pacific Mail Steamer Ashore
in the Golden Gate.
All Her Passengers Landed Safely
Struck Head-0n While Going at Full
Speed-LOss Will Be Heavy.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26.-The Pacific
Mail steamer City of New York went
ashore this evening in a fog. and will prob
ably be a total loss. She sailed for China
and japan at $3.50 p m, and went down
the bay under a full head of steam. The
fog was very heavy. About 430 p. m. the
big steamer was lost sight Of and half
hour later the booming Of cannon could be
heard and signal rockets could be seen as
they burst above the fog. The signal sta
ton at Point Lobos at once sent message
into town, and soon every tug In the bay
was racing for Point Bonita Arriving there
1t was found that the steamer was hard
and fast on the rocks, having gone on them
under a full head of steam. She was in
charge of pilot Stevenson at the time. AS
soon as the ship struck there was a scene
of wild confusion. A couple hundred Chi
nese in the steerage set up a howl that
could be heard half way across the
Golden Gate. Captain Johnson was
wonderfully cool, however. and he
and his officers soon restored
order. When the signal lights began TO
fash the observer at Point Lobos came to
the conclusion that it was the steamer
Monowai that had gone on the rocks. and
that news was circulated all over the city.
steamer from Sydney, Auckland. Samoa
and Hawaii at once flocked to the offices
of the Oriental and Occidental line. All
they could be told was that steamer had
struck on Point Bonita, but whether 1T was
the Monowai or some other craft no one
could tell Half an hour later, the wrecked
vessel was made out to be the City of New
York. There is eight feet OF water In her
hold and the tugs cannot move her: The
loss will be half q million, with no tnsur-
have
off and being brought back to this
city The fog is almost thick enough to cut
A reporter has just come in on tug
from the wreck, and reports the City OF
New York lying with head to westward
bl oadside upon rocks. She is lying over on
the port side, and three or four holes
stove in her bottom The tide is now re-
ceding, and she is now high upon the rocks.
little swell The tugs are hovering about
the wreck, and could possibly pull the
steamer from the rocks. but 1t would be
useless. The City of New York is a COM
partment ship, and the latest reports say
there is no water fore and aft, but eight
feet Of water amidship:: The, water is up
distress brought assistance from San Fran
cisco, the passengers were landed at Point
Bonita by the ships boats and life-saving
crew from the Golden Gate and Fort Point
stations. About this time Captain Johnson
decided to jettison the cargo and save as
much as possible. He dispatched a third
ors In a small boat, directing them
TO row to San Francisco for tugs and
lighters, but the crew could make no head
way against the flood tide, and were swept
back. Another of the boats crew in COM
mand of the purser was picked up by the
tug and brought here
The City of New York was built in Ches-
ter, Pa, in 1875, but practically rebuilt
few years ago. She was 3,0l9 tons gross,
339 feet long, 40 feet inches beam and 20
feet inches depth. She took away an un-
usually large cargo of flour and general
merchandise, all of which will probably be
| a total loss.
Point Bonita is a rocky promitory which
forms one of the heads at the entrance of
| the Golden Gate 1t has long been regard
| ed as most dangerous, especially in thick
weather Half a dozen vessels have come to
grief on it during the past twelve months.
The bark Lurlne went ashore there, and
| the bark John D. Sprecl<els was only saved
| by fishing steamer, the L. S. Grant. 1t
| was there that the ship Spinney broke from
her tugs and started up the coast to her
| doom.