The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-04

disaster occurred in Mission Bay yester-
day afternoon. The American ship Benja-
min T. Packard, almost loaded with wheat
for Europe, went on ledge of rock be-
tween Mission Rock and Long Bridge,
and in spite of the best efforts of seven
tugs she could not be got off. About 5
P. NJ. number of scows and barges were
put in commission and the work of lighter
ing the big ship was begun. An attempt
will be made to float her off with the next
tide, but the chances are that it will be
late this afternoon before the clipper is
got off.
The Benjamin F. Packard arrived here
from Swansea with 1883 tons of coal on
October % last The passage was long
one and during it there were several differ
ences of opinion between the officers and
crew. In consequence, the first mate was
arrested by the Federal authorities upon
the sworn statement of the men. Nothing
came of it, however, as the sailors could
not prove their story.
After the ship was discharged she lay in
the stream for nearly month and then
was chartered to load wheat for "a direct
port" at FL Is Sd. She was sent to Long
Bridge and there took in the bulk of her
cargo. Captain Allen found that there
was not enough water to float his ship
when loaded and he sought to move her.
berth at Green-street wharf was assigned
him, butlater he declined to take it, saying
his charterers were going to complete mis-
loading in the bay.
In order to carry out these arrangements
the tug Sea Queen was engaged to be along
side at 10:3U A. NJ. Yesterday to move the
ship out in the stream. Stevedore Young
was still pouring wheat into the Packard
at that hour. and in getting alongside Cap
tain Ike Smith got the Sea Queen foul of
the ships yards and the smokestack of
the tug suffered considerably.
AS the Packard was not ready to move
Captain Smith sent word to the Office of
the Shipowners and Merchants Towboat
Company of the accident and the Hercules
was sent down to do the work.
When the clipper was ready to cast off
her lines the tide had been falling for an
hour and ten minutes and the tug had
been alongside for an hour and a half
All the rocks in the channel are buoyed
and ITO feet dead ahead of the Packard as
she now rests on the ledge is black and
red can buoy pointing out where the rocky
ridge lies hidden. Just how the ship was
run on 1T is a mystery at present, bl1 the
facts will probably come out later on.
AS soon as Stevedore Young had got in
his balance of wheat tie lines of the Pack
ard were cast off and the Hercules started
with her for the deep waters of the bay
Twenty minutes later she was on the rocks
with her bow in twenty-five feet of water
and her stern in seven fathoms. The ship
was drawing twenty three feet forward and
her shoe is evidently firmly bedded in the
rock.
Captain Smith, on the Sea Queen, saw
in an instant that something was wrong
and he at once went to the assistance of
the Hercules. The combined efforts of
both tugs could not pull the Packard off
and the Joseph II. Redmond was sent for.
Still the ship would not bulge, and when
the news spread the tugs Vigilant, Active,
Alert and Reliance were soon on the
scene. The Sea Queen made fast on the
port quarter and the Hercules on the star
board. The Redmond and Vlgilant both
got lines over the stern and at given sig
nal all four pulled together. The two for
mer being stern to stern with the ship
went full speed astern and the others full
speed ahead
Still the Packard refused to move, and
then the Active, Reliance and Alert took
a hand In the game. The ship, however
was so hard and fast on the rocks that ali
the tugs in the bay could not move her.
The tide was steadily falling, and soon
the Packard had her nose up in the air.
Williams, Diamond & Co., the agents, were
notified, and soon A. Chesebrough was on
his way to the ship. After short consul
tation with Captain Allen he went ashore
and Immediately began securing all the
lighters and barges possible. AT P. M.
the stevedores were hard at work, and it
was hoped to get enough wheat out of the
ship to prevent her from stralning
1T is most unfortunate accident" said
Captain Allen, when speaking about the
matter. THE can buoy was ITO feet away,
and 1T looked to me as though we had
plenty of room to pass the ledge. We
were drawing twenty three feet forward,
and as it now turns out there was only