The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-10


SAN FRANCISCO, April s.-rhe
British ship Blalrmore at anchor in
Mission Bay In the southern part Of the
city, capslzed this morning. The ship
turned completely over. The ship was
in ballast when she capslzed. Five men
known to be on board last night are
missing. It is supposed they are
drowned. The Blalrmore will be saved
without much damage.
The list of drowned is as follows:
Thomas Ludgate, first officer; T. Rene
baum, ssilmaker; H. synstrauv, able
seaman: Samuel Kenny, steward; Hem
ry r. Clark, able seaman; Roland Emil
slegel, ships apprentice, aged nineteen.
How IL Happened.
No stranger disaster ever happened to
O vessel than the accident which betell
the British ship Blairmore.
While riding at anchor in Mission Bay
the vessel was struck by a violent
sduall, which, together with the swift
flood tide, threw the craft on her star
board side, capslzing her completely
and sinking her in less than fifteen min
utes.
Fifteen seamen struggled in the
water. Six were confined in the hold
and were probably pinned down by the
falling dunnage used to hold the ships
ballast in place. The imprisoned sex
tette never reached the deck, and the
bodies Of the six were imprisoned IN the
steel hull. The Blairmore's masts lie
level with the bay bottom under seven
fnthoms OF water, and not q sign OF the
fa NgNutkln 1OUa the
waves.
The sauall that caused the disaster
Wns the most severe experienced on the
south arm of the bay for many years
The Blairfnore with her head towards
the Union Iron Works was keeled over
80 fur that a passing towboat captain
hailed her and asked Captain Cav, her
commander. II he did not wish tow to
the north end Of the bay. Meanwhile
the suuall blew its hardest, the sea was
heavy and rain fell in torrents. Captain
Cav refused a tow, saying he would
hold on little longer. The tug had
scarcely drawn away when the Blair
more gave sudden lurCh, dipped her
Yards and fell prone on her starboard
quarter. The water rushed into her
hold in torrents. The rapidly escaping
mir from ehe hold blew the water foun-
tain-lke as high as the lower yards.
The men scrambled wildly out on the
outer ladder. A passing tug with an
other vessel in tow dropped her lines
and blew for help to speed the rescue,
but 1t was too late A boat-was sent
rom the British ship Yeoman, 1000
yards ahead OF the Blairmore. In three
minutes this boat was alongside the
upturned vessel and picked UP the men
cilnging to the Blairmore's sides. Two
men had struck out for shore and were
picked up by the British ship cromdale.
The Yoeman picked up several inciud-
ing Captain Cav. Captain Cav. re-
ported Immediately to his agents and
10 the British consul. He said the wind
was blowing as stltfly as he had ever
seen 1t at sea. Both OF the BlalFmoEe's
anchors were out and he thought they
would hold her down all right
The Blairmore was comparatively
new. She was built at Glasgow in 1888
and was registered at 1,767 tons. There
were 26O tons Of ballast in the hold and
1t Is thought the ballast shifted and
covered the bodies, The loss on zlip
and furniture will exceed $i25,00O. The
task OF raising the Blairmore will be
| expensive,