The San Francisco call., 1895-10-15
THE LA PAz DISASTER,
Captain John Won Helms
Sends an Authentic Story
From Guaymas.
Sixteen Vessels We're Driven
Ashore, and Nearly All viii be
a Total Loss.

The following letter received by Good
all, Perkins & Co., from Captain Won
Helms of the steamer Willamette Valley
is the first really authentic news received
here of the recent disaster in Central
America:
GUAYMAs, Oct. 8, 1895.
We arrived at San Jose del Cabo at midnight
on October 2. The signs of past heavy weather
pared for the awful work of the hurricane, as
related to us by the port officials. Houses had
been unroofed and blown away, and whole
river, had been carried away by the torrents.
We were told. that in forty years nothing like
1t had passed there.
At Mazatlan the storm had not been so
most all of the street called the "oias Alias a
promenade on the west of the town, away so
that 1t left sidewalk in front of the houses.
The steamers Diego and Romero Rubico an
chored at the Venada Islands and weathered
the storm successfully there.
At La Paz it seems the heaviest of the storm
passed during the forenoon of the list OF Oc-
toDer. The wind blew north and northwest
and the rain fell in great torrents. One hun
dred and eighty four houses were washed
away in town and sixteen coasting vessels of
all kinds were blown ashore, and most OF them
are total wrecks.
Four only-the Ocean Bird, the Nelson, the
Churruca and the Star OF Freedom-were
saved. The steamer Gar. with 800 cases of
dynamlt6 ana some SdQ Bi66 IrelRQI, DleW
ashore and stands high and dry, though un-
injured, against the bluff.
The disaster to the town is fearful and it will
take years for it to recover. There are over
1000 people homeless and with no means
whatever and in need of flour and clothing.
Six persons were drowned right in town with
rushing torrents that came from the hills.
The storm seems to have reached up as far
as Aqua Verde Bay, twenty-five miles south of
Carmen Island, coast of Lower California, and
on the other coast OF the gulf as far north as
Aguabampo
At Santa Rosalia and Guaymas nothing was
felt of the storm, though the barometer fell
very low. At Manzanillo there was only g
heavy undertow and at San Bias heavy
southerly swell with moderate southerly gale
prevailed. We were in great good luck to
escape and l am sincerely thankful. We sail
for San Francisco at 3 P. NJ. and will be in San
Francisco on the 18th of October barring heavy
weather. JOHN Won HELMS.
The following dispatch was received yes-
terday by the Merchants Exchange:
telegram dated the 18th inst, Just received
from Guaymas, brings the news that the Mexi-
can schooner Cometa was a total loss off Alta
mura, fifteen miles north of Altata The can
tain was drowned, but the crew was saved.
The steamer San Diego lost her rudder and
sternpost on the Altata bar and is now repair
ing. In La Paz sixteen Mexican coasting yes
sells and the American schooner Gear are on
shore. The Cars cargo OF dynamite has been
unloaded. No other news of damages to yes
sells.
In the ports of Topolobampo and Aguabampo
there are serious damages on land and in Ia
Paz 1S4 houses are destroyed by the storm and
rain, and five lives were lost. The wire to the
coast has been interrupted until to-day.