The San Francisco call., 1896-11-23

to the scene of the wreck after sending
man TO the town of Point Arena, seven
miles distant, for help.
George Christopher, a fireman, jumped
overheard Immediately after the ship
struck, and after q hard struggle reached
shore and started for the lighthouse.
whose light he could see as the storm had
suddenly ceased. He had been told a
Iife-saving crew was stationed there, but
when he came to Garcia River, which was
swollen by rain, he could not pass. He
went to the ranch of Thomas Kenney,
who at once hitched up team and started
for town, with Christopher and another
survivor, Narciso Layva, who had also
reached the house. Everybody in Point
Arena was aroused, and soon. after day.
light the beach was covered with men
anxious to help.
The boat that was swamped came ashore
in good condition and the men on the
beach tried to reach the stranded steamer
in it, but failed. Meanwhile the steamer
Point Arena came into port at Point Arena
and landed its passengers, and then
steamed to the wreck to render assistance.
A boat was put off from her and after two
hours hard work and many narrow es-
capes, it succeeded in getting Chief Engi-
neer Wood and five others off the rigging
and putting them aboard the Point Arena.
They tried number OF times to reach the
wreck again, but failed.
About 10 O'CLOCK one of the sailors was
washed from the rigging into the sea, and
after hard battle of twenty minutes the
men from shore waded in and pulled him
ashore, more dead than alive. DR.. CALI
son, from Point Arena, was on hand and
took charge of him. The water along the
beach is very muddy from the current out
of Garcia River and Brush Creek, which
makes it difficult to keep a1oat.
At 2 o'clock the steamer Weeott came up
and after trying to assist found she could
do nothing, so steamed back to the port at
Point Arena and landed her gun for
throwing life-lines, which was started
overland at once to the scene of the disas-
ter. The watcher on shore tried to send
line over the wreck by shooting from shot
guns and rifles, but without success.
About P. NJ. very large wave washed
over the wreck, and it is believed that
three men were washed overheard. One
was pulled back onto the wreck, but the
other sank.
Tbs scene was heartrending. Men,
women and children remained on the
beach since daylight without eating.
Kind-h hearted farmers brought provisions
So oil
touch q morsel. Men were shouting,
women wrin ing their hands and crying,
every one trying to do or suggest some
thing, but all of no avail.
The men who have been rescued can
give no definite cause for the ships get
ting SO far out of her course, and all ques-
tioning will only bring the same answer:
"I don't know" Captain Smith and his
officers, except the chief engineer, who is
on the Point Arena, are still on the wreck,
and until they can be seen nothing definite |
can be learned.
Farmers who heard the steamer
whistling for help say they plainly saw
the headlight of the steamer and the light
from the lighthouse. One of the firemen
says the first officer was on the bridge and
that Captain Smith was below when the
steamer struck, but until the excitement
is over nothing can be definitely known.
The steamer Weott's gun for throwing
lifelines arrived at sundown, but it proved
no better than the shotguns and rifles,
and no line has reached the unfortunates
yet.
Great indignation is expressed by those
on shore at the seeming indifference of
the owners, as they could have had tug
here by dark with everything necessary to
rescue the poor fellows.
So far not a body has been washed
ashore. The town of Point Arena is de-
serted, and there are at least 800 people at
the scene of the wreck, who will watch all
night, ready to risk their lives to succor
the men in the rigging. The crew of the
boat from Point Arena who risked their
lives to-day are all heroes. and Messrs.
Caughey, Lazarus, Cunningham and
Lighthouse keeper Brownhead and an In
dian, who launched the boat in the surf,
although they were unsuccessful deserve
medals for their bravery, for few life-sav-
ing crews would have risked their lives as
they did to-day.
The steamers Point Arena, Weott and
Alcazar are still lying as close to the
WISSh no pObSlUlc, waiting uuIl1 IL Will
not be positive suicide to send their boats
in to the doomed vessel. The survivors
who are on shore will not leave the beach,
and have hardly tasted food since being
rescued, as they say the food would choke
'them should they eat while their COM
rades are suffering within speaking dis
tance.
Another party just arrived says the land
watchers are wide-awake and the poor fel-
lows still in the rigging. They do not
think any one has been washed off since
dark, as the tide has gone out and the
spray does not dash as high, but heavy
sea is still running.
The rescued men still refuse to talk or
give any opinion. It Is apparent that they
do not intend to iniure any one by saying
anything until they can see some of their
superior officers.
POINT ARENA, CAL, Nov. 23.-A man
just come from the wreck (at 80 o'cIock)
says the men have all gone from the rig
ging into the pilot-house. The sea is still
very rough. He heard a cry of "Man
overboardp' just before he left, but could