The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-10
This to a Vessel Called Staunch
and True.
Struck By Sudden squalI, the
Blairmore is Capsizel and Sunk
in Five Minutes, Taking Down
With Her Six Members of Her
Crew-Her Commander Contemp-
tuousIy Refused Assistance-A
Case without Parallel.

DAN L hA1SOlOCO, April S.-ANO
stranger disaster ever happened to a
vessel than the accident which befell
the British ship Blairmore at o'clock
this morning
While riding at anchor in Mission
bay the vessel struck a squall, which,
together with the swift flood tide,
threw the craft on her starboard side,
capsized her completely and sank her
in less than five minutes.
Fifteen seamen struggled in the wa
ter. Six were confined in the vessels
hold and were probably pinned down
by the falling dunnage used to hold
the ships ballast in place The i'm
prisoned seXtette never reached the
with them in handling the ballast be-
low, and the bodies of the six men
are imprisoned in the steel hull.
The Blairmore's masts are level with
the bay bottom, under seven fathoms
of water, and not a sign of the
SAILORS SUNKEN TOMB
is visible above the waves. Here and
there on the surface of the water near
the scene of the calamity is a piece
of drift from the wreck, but beyond
this the vessel and the six men have
been completely swallowed UP. The
unfortunates who lost their lives
were:
T. Ludwig, first mate.
Henry Clark, able seaman
Roland Siegle, apprentice.
G. Renebaum, able searnans
H. Sinstrand, Waterman.
Sam Kerry, steward.
The latter was shipped here and is
native of Brooklyn, N. Y. The bal
ance of the men on board were those
seamen usually held to stand by the
vessel after she discharges her cargo
and is awaiting cargo. The regular
foremost hands were all discharged
on the arrival of the vessel from New
castle two months ago. The squal
that
CAUSED THE DISASTER
was the most severe experienced on
the south arm of the bay for many
years. The wind was SO severe that
a number of ships anchored near the
Blairmore signalled for tugs to move
them up the bay. The flood tide work
ing at the keels of the ships had a
tendency, being counter to the wind to
upset those hulls not weighted with
cargo.
The Blairmore, with her head to-
ward the Union Iron works, was
keeled over so far that a passing tow
boats captain hailed her and asked
CAPTAIN CaW, her commander, if he
did not wish a tow to the north end
of the bay. Meanwhile the squall blew
it's hardest, the sea was heavy and
rain fell in torrents. Captain Cav did
not think his vessel had
BRAVED THE PERILS
g . 1. IS oaoa,,. -ro1-o,-o- - ~
wrecked in the bay of San Francisco,
hold on a little longer. The tug had
scarcely drawn away when the Blair
more gave a sudden Iurch, dipped her
yards and fell prone on her starboard
quarter. The water rushed into her hold
in torrents. The rapidly escaping air
from the hold blew the water, foun-
tain-lilxe, as high as the lower yards.
The men scrambled wildly out on the
open ladder. A passing tug with an
other vessel in tow dropped her lines
and blew for help and then sped to
the rescue, but it was too late. A boat
was sent from the British ship Yeo-
man, one thousand yards ahead of the
Blairmore. In three minutes this boat
was alongside the upturned vessel and
picked up the men clinging to the
Blairnore's sides. Two men had
struck out for shore, and were picked
up by the British ship Cromdale. The
Yoeman picked up seven, including
Captain Cav. Captain Cav reported
Immediately to his agents and to the
British consul. He said the wind was
blowing as stiffly as he had ever seen
it at sea. Both of the Blairmore's
anchors were out and he thought they
would hold her all right.
THE tide was at flood and squalls
were blowing from the southwest -
said the captain. 'Tt was
A NASTY COMBINATION,
the water broadside on the ship and
she light, with squalls bearing her over
hard to starboard. She went over in
a twinkle. The first thing knew she
was sinking beneath us with five of
my poor men in the hold and one
thrown overheard The second and
third mates and a number of the men
had reached the rail and were waiting
boats from the ships Cromdale and
Yoenaan Those boats saved those not
in the hold who were drowned like
rats or else killed by being struck by
flying ballast
The iBlairmore is comparatively new.
She was built at Glasgow in 1893 and
was registered 1857 tons. There were
ESQ tons of ballast in the hold and it
is thought the ballast shifted and
covered the bodies. The loss on ship
and furniture will exceed SIPS, 900. The
task of raising the Blairmore will be
expensive Seven fathoms of water
cover the ship where she went down.
THE KHATADJN