The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-24
vestigation which must necessarily follow

vestigation which must necessarily follow
| soon.
According to the latest news received in
this city yesterday the steamer must have
been bearing in esi-northwesterly direc-
tion. which would tend to prove that Third
| Officer Ryfkogel must have had intimation
of his danger and brought the ship around
to sheer off from the shore, but too late TO
do any good.
The tide-sweep might have influenced
the northeasterly drift of the vessel which
would have brought her into the position
described by several persons: that is with
her head lying northwest from the hight
house and her starboard bow and quarter
bearing heaviest on the rocks.
| One of the arrivals by the Monterey ex-
press Sunday afternoon, gentleman who
was in Monterey when the disaster occur
red to the Los Angeles, was Mr.. Eugene
Aubrey. Mr.. Aubrey only las. Thursday
was at Point Sur and being seafaring
man, acquainted thoroughly with the
coast. his description OF the possible
manner in which the vessel was wrecked
is interesting.
II fail to comprehend" said he, 'how
any man could run steamer on the Moro
rocks on clear night.
Il see by one of the papers that fog is
reported to have set in at the point at
about 10 O'Clock on the night the Los An
| geles went ashore.
Il hardly think that the statement can
be correct, for conversed with number
of the passengers and crew of the steamer,
and they told me that the night was an
unusually calm one, the moon shining
brightly.
THE kelp line extends nearly three
miles beyond the point, and can be dis
tincty seen on clear night.
| 'The lighthouse is situated we'll up on
| an elevation that rises from the beach,
and can be observed anyway twenty miles
at sea.
"The hum blest sailor who ships regular
ly on any of the south coast passenger
steamers knows just about what should be
a proper course to avoid the sunken dam
gers lying southwest and directly west
| from the Sur.
Every sailor knows that the kelp line
that friEges the coast below the point for
miles is usually considered the danger
mark.
mo one but q landlubber would have
run steamer at full speed-in fact. at any
hsadway at all-with the weeds on either
bow to warn him."
Mrs. Leland, wife of Captain Leland,
was quoted in a contemporary as having
said that Captain Leland objected to the
quality of the coal furnished his vessel by
the steamship company, intimating that an
inability to generate steam might have
caused the wreck.
1t could hardly be possible that the coal
cut any figure in the case.
The fuel used by the Los Angeles is the
same as that used by all the steamers of
the south coast division of the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company and has never
given dissatisfaction, so the officers of the
| company claim.
From the interviews published and later
news received it is also apparent that the
Los Angeles WAS making pretty good time
when she struck.
Another thing, Her reported lack of
power to breast the purported current
must be of my thical Invention because the
current would have been pretty evenly
offset by the prevailing southeast breeze.
Relative to the structural weaknesses Of
the Los Angeles, which will also be prom
inently debated in the impending official
inquiry, the vessel was undoubtedly lack
ing in many essential qualities to make a
first-class seaworthy craft.
When she was repaired not very long
ago. at an expense of $4,000. her upper
works mostly received attention. Or
course her engines were thoroughly over
hauled. for it was because of their weak
ness that the vessel was condemned by
| ba vh CHI
cutter.
The hull was braced and strengthened,
but the bottom timbers did not meet with
that special attention that her condition
| warranted.
The vessel is said to have needed copper
ing, and would robably have been pu; in
the dry-dock after her arrival at San Fran
cisco ON her last trip.
Captain T. P. FL. Whitelaw thinks that
he can raise the Los Angeles.
The ca ptain has an idea that the steamer
is not pinioned as was the City of New
York by the Point Bonita rocks, but that
she probably rests on her side with per-
! haps her bilges crushed to some extent,
but not pinned through.
| He has faith in the efficacy of his new
submarine telephone system and thinks
that diver can work intellgently about
the wreck, as the water is not very rough
there, and the Los Angeles being a small
vessel she can be raised.
Mention has been made in the press dis
patches that it was the wrecking steamer
Whitelaw that rendered assistance to the
survivors of the wreck. but this is an error.
The wrecker Whitelaw Is not the vessel !;
it's the wrecking scow San Pedro, Cap
tain Maginnis commanding, the property
of the Rodgers Iron Works.
Rodgers will also bid for the contract Of
wrecking the lost vessel, but from what
| the Pacific Coast Steamship people say the
company will not try TO raise the steamer.
They may possibly salve her or sell her for
salvage.
A report reached the city yesterday