The record-union., 1896-08-10
Her Passengers Saved, But the Vessel
Total Wreck.
The Accident Occurs at Night During
Fog SO Dense That 1t Was Inn
possible to See Ten Feet Ahead
of the Bow-The Wrecked Vessel
Lies About One Hundred Yards
From Shore Three Miles South of
Point PiDos Lighthouse.

COAST steamship St fdul lies Oh the
rocks just south of Point Pinos, full of
v al ter and a total loss. The Pacific
Mail steamship Colombia lies on the
rocks just south of Pigeon Point full of
water and a total loss. The two luck
less veSSelS-SiSterS of miSfOrtune-are
about fifty miles apart. The causes of
their destruction are SO identical as to
be remarkable. Both We're feeling their
way to San Francisco; both became be-
wildered in a dense fog, and both went
ashore.
The st. Paul struck her fatal reef at
11:10 last evening. The deck was in
charge of First officer Andrew Hall,
with Captain J. c. Downing on the
bridge personally directing the move
ments of the vessel. The night was dark
and the thick fog made it impossible to
see ten feet ahead of the bow. The
steamship was running under a slow
bell, and just before her stem touched
the rocks the heavy white veil ahead
lifted a little and the lookout on the
bow saw the foam of a breaker. He
quickly gave the alarm and the engine
room bell sounded to stop and then to
back full speed, but before the doomed
ship could be checked she ground into
the rocks and several succeeding swells
lifted her higher up.
In the meantime the engines had been
reversed, and the propeller was churn-
ing the water aStern into foam IN Its
efforts to free the vessel. The at
tempt was useless, and the ST. Paul set
tied down on her bed. The sharp rocks
pierced her bottom in several places,
and the water began to come into the
amidship compartment, flooding the fire
and engine rooms. No further attempt
to get her off was made, and the order
was given by Captain Downing to clear
away all the boats.
The shock of striking and the quickly
succeeding grinding and humping
awakened all the passengers, as we'll as
the officers and crew in their hunks be-
low. There We're sixteen women and
four children on board, and among
these there was at first considerable
confusion. They were, however, quick
ly given to understand that there was
no danger, and they were soon dressed
and ready to leave the vessel.
AS the boats were swung over the
side into the sea and manned the pas
sengers were taken aboard, the women
first. There was no confusion, nor any
mishap as the water was smooth and
only light wind was blowing. Captain
Downing directed the officers in charge
to make their way to Monterey, which
port he believed was close by. Nothing
could be seen nor heard, and even the
breakers close aboard were hidden by
the fog.
The five boats put off in the dark
ness, cautiously feeling their way The
boat commanded by Second officer
Philip Ward made a landing near
Pacific Grove, and seven of the passen-
gers started overland for Monterey.
which place they reached about 4
o'clock this morning, bringing the first
news of the wreck The other boats
got into the harbor a few hours later
The st. Paul lies as she struck, head
ing due east, within about 100 yards of
the shore three miles south of Point
Pinos light. That three miles was the
extent of Captain Downing's error. He
was just that distance off his course
and away from the position he should
have been. Downing headed his ship
east instead of steaming safely into
Monterey, and plunged the ST. Paul
squarely on the shore.
The coast for miles along here is a
bed of kelp, which indicates shallow
water. The st. Paul, drawing twelve
to fifteen feet, must have been blowing
her way under a slow bell through
this bank of luxuriant marine vegeta-
ton for hours. The question naturally
arises, if the Captain lost his bearing
in the blind fog, and did not know that
the deadly reefs were at times only a
few feet below his keel why he did
not use his lead. Moreover those
waters are charted and the shoals and
currents plainly indicated. About q
mile west of Point Pinos is a whistling
buoy, marking the cutter verge of a
dangerous reef. 1t sounds its warn
ing pipe increasingly, and can often be
heard in Monterey, four miles away
The officers stated to-day that they
could hear it from the locality of the
vessel. Through the dense fog no ray
could come from the lighthouse.
The ST. Paul was heavily laden, hav-
ing among her cargo 5000 sacks of
grain, besides a great quantity of but
ter and cheese. There is also on board
over 100 head Of calves. They will be
transferred to another vessel to-mor-
row and forwarded to their destina-
ton.
AS there is six feet of water in the
forward hold, and much greater