New-York tribune., 1894-04-23
WENT DOWN IN A HALEHOUR.
LOSS OF A STEAMER LADEN WITH VISIT
ORs TO THE MIDwINTER FAIR.
THE LOS ANGELES RUNS Oh ROCK NEAR
MoNrEREY-TIiE NIGHT CI.EAR-EIGHT OF
THE PERSONS OK BOARD MrssING-THRrII-
ING EXPERIENCES OF THE SURVIVORS
ny TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE


ny TELEGRAPH TO TEE TRIBUNE,
Monterey, Cal. April 22-The old steamer Los
Angeles crowded with passengers from South
ern California ports. bound to the Mdwlnter
Fair, struck on a sunken rock rear Point Sur
Light. thirty miles from Monterey. last night
and sank in a haf-hour. Only The calm sea
prevented great loss Of life As 1t was Of the
seventy passengers and the thirty members Of
the crew. all except eight are accounted for
Three bodies Of drowned have come ashore at
Point Sur. About fifty of the survivors are still
at the scene of the disaster camped on the
beach
The steamer. unde" command Of Captain II.
d. Leland. left San Pedro Thursday. She
had good weather TIL Saturday afternoon when
rain squalls occurred At 9O5 p. m the steamer
struck on rock ten miles below Poin; Sur.
The coas; is lined with kelp. and the steamer was
following deep current just outside the belt Of
sedweei. The third mate, Riff COckrill. and
Antoine Mao, seaman. were in charge Of the
wheel. The moon was nearly az the full and
was only occasionally hidden by clouds One
Of the crew happened to look out OF the side
hatch few minutes before the disaster. and
amazed to see how near Point Sur Light
looked lie warned the mate but the latter
after consulting his charts said the course was
all right. The sailor then started for the cap
tains cabin. intending to warn him. Just as he
started the steamer crashed upon the rocks.
Instantly there was the drest panic. women.
children and even men screaming in their fright.
The crew hurried to the deck. but Captain Ie-
lands coclness was enough to restore discipline.
The seamen began getting oui the four lifeboats
and the pneumatic liferaft. and the passengers
strapped on life-preservers
Happily the was calm. The first boat to
get away from the doomed steamer carried ten
persons. and was rowed toward the lighthouse on
Point Sur The line Of breakers off the mainland
was impossible. but this boat finally effected a
landing on an island near the point. The second
boat; in charge Of Chief Officer Wallace. carried
fifteen men. women ana children Clearing the
now steadily sinking steamer. the lifeboat headed
our to sea in the hope Of meeting the Eureka.
which Chief Officer Wallace knew must soon
Eureka were discovered but the castaways We're
unable - attract the notice Il the steamers
lookout. and the Eureka swiftly passed out Of
sight The boat was then headed Tor IN" ldNi,
but the breakers wer" too high 10 allow IL 20
reach shore. so the little boat again worked Ns
way seaward
During this time the Los Angeles was sinking
deeper ana deeper and the excitement heggared
description. Men were crying AMI wringing
hands. and the crew was working de5per-
ately. The third l!fcboat carried iulI loan. u
crused around for some time. and finally sue
ceeded IN reaching an island below the hgh'-
house. The liforaft carried seven men Having
no rowlOcks they could make no heddWaN. ana
more than once came near being dashed on IN"
rocks \ counter current carried thr'n oU' 10
sea where they driftec until II o'clock. when
they We're picked up by the Eureka g!ViaE -
that steame- the Qrst intimation OF the wreck.
Twenty minutes after sh" struck the Los AM
les was up t. her upper deck In water. and those
who were still aboard-th" captain being among
them-took to the rigging Ten minutes later
she gave a plunge and sank, only the tops ~
her masts remaining visible. one of IN" He
boats returned 10 the wreck after landing rs
load and Just succeeded in reaching IL IN nm"
10 rescue the men in the rigging The Eureka
soon ho:e in sight ard continued the i"s' W.
work Tn. Eureka cruised UP and down until Z
o'clock this morning. when the missing boat
was sighted and the almost hopeless party
aboard were rescued.