The morning call., 1893-11-26
BATHED IN FIRE.
How the Ship Gosford
Was Lost.
ATTEMPTS TO SAVE HER.
The Caspar Arrives From the
Scene of the Wreck.
STORY OF THE DISASTER.
Ten of the GosfOrd'S Crew Came Up
on the Steamer-Captain Has
STORY OF THE DISASTER.

Part of the crew of the unfortunate coal
ship Gosford arrived yesterday on the
steamer Caspar from Hueneme.
Captain Apfindsen of the Caspar tells
the story of sighting and helping the Cos
ford when he discovered her In distressed
condition near Point Conception.
SIT was somewhere about 9 o'clock on
the morning of the 3d." he said, when
we were standing around Point Arguello.
We saw signals of distress flying from the
masthead of an English ship standing In
toward shore. Smoke was pouring out OF
her matches and / Immediately surmised
that the vessel was a coal ship and on fire.
1--WE changed our course and stood In to-
ward her and found her to be the British
ship Gosford from Liverpool Tor San Fran
cisco.
1--WE ran alongside and offered to take
the crew off as she was all ablaze below
and her side plates and decks were almost
red hot in places.
Captain Anfindsen then described in de-
tail the burning OF the Gosford. 1t had
been a week since the time the vessel had
beer discovered to be on fire, and Captain
Chairman had about given up all hopes Of
saving her.
The members of the Gosford's crew who
came up on the Caspar said that owing to
the prompt assistance rendered by the
Caspar they did not actually suffer by the
heat as they might have done had their
ship been further out to see and out of the
path of coasters.
No great heat was felt in the cabin
or forecastle until two days before the
Caspar was spoken. The decks had. how
ever, become so hot by that time that it
was hardly possible to sleep forward.
The pumps were worked, but they had
little effect on the flames. Between decks
and beneath the main hatch the cargo
was a glowing mass of live Goals, upon
which water had no effect.
When the Caspar reached Colo. about
two miles south of Point Conception, with
the Gosford in tow il was about ] 20
o'clock in the morning of the 23d. Quite
a breeze was blowing and something OF a
sea was running. The Gosford let go one
of her anchors, and the crew of the Caspar
assisted the ships men to pump. The
Caspar had her pumps working nc full
pressure also. The inflow of water did not
seem to have any effect on the flames, and
in less than half an hour from the time
the anchor was dropped the Gosford's
deck, from the mainmast aft, was a sheet
of flame.
1t was cloudy night and the sky was
Illuminated with the reflection from the fire
for miles. Flames shot up in the rigging as
high as the topgallaDt yards, and those on
board had to make haste to get on the Cas-
par for safety.
An attempt was made to open the sea-
cock. which was successful, but the vessel
| filed very slowly. Her side plates were
| red hot, and down near the waters edge,
abreast of the mainmast, the water bubbIed
| and hissed from the great heat Of the iron
sides.
Captain Chapman did net forsake his
ship until after 4 4. NJ. on the 23d, when
all hands went on board the Caspar. The
latter remained alongside until the arrival
of the tug Fearless.
Captain Haskell of the Fearless lost no
time in getting every available pump of
his boat to work, and in a few hours the de-
| sired effect was visible. The Gosford
| commenced to sink slowly. When the
| Caspar left the Fearless had run the ship
within 600 feet of the beach and had sunk
| her In five fathoms of water. Captain
Haskell intends pumping her out again
after stripping her, so Captain Anfindsen
thinks, ana will tow her TO this city.
Yesterday afternoon The Spreckels Tug
boat Company decided to sent the Relief
to Colo to help the Fearless. WreckIng
apparatus was placed on board the Relief
and she was prOvlsioned for a cruise.
The ten men of the Gosford who came
up on the Caspar went before the British
| Consul yesterday morning and will be
| looked after.
1t is thought that the ships hull can be
saved, together with much of her rigging.
The cargo Of coal will not necessarily be a
total loss, but this cannot be determined
until later.