The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-23
A STEAMER WRECKED
San Benito Runs Aground Near
Point Arena.
FIVE OF THE CREW DROWNED,
AND 20 OTHERS IN PERIL
1t Is Supposed the Captain Lost His
Bearings Owing to the Thick
Observation-Disclosures If the Men In
the Rigging Can Be saved-hen
Have Gone TO the Rescue.

ern Pacific Railway cOmpanyS steam
collier San Benito, which left Tacoma
for San Francisco on Thursday last,
with a coal cargo of 5000 tons and a
crew of AZ men, was driven ashore
early this morning two miles north of
Point Arena by a. heavy gale. Five of
the crew were drowned. ten others
were picked up by the steamer Point
Arena and the captain and q men are
clinging to the rigging.with slight hope
of their being saved. The vessel will
be total loss.
The drowned are: o. w. Scott, first
assistant engineer; f. Condor, second
assistant engineer; NJ. Pendergast. fire
man; NJ Sheridan, mess boy, and one
seaman.
On the steamer Point Arena are
Chief Engineer ]. w. Wood and nine
others, whose names cannot be learned.
Captain William Smith is dashed to the
crow s-nest of his vessel. and encourag-
Ing those about him not to give up
hope.
The personnel of the crew follows:
Captain William Smith, Chief Officer
r. Zolling. Second officer J. Swan,
Third officer c. Zile, seamen, A. White,
G. Johnson, c. Blanberg, c. Jansen, j..
Perry, ]. Benson. j. a. Barclay, o. S.
Semens, N Nilsson, H. Fehm, T. E.
Foster Chief Cook ]. w. Wilson, Sec
ond Chief Cook j. J. Wilson, Mess Boy
NJ. Sheridan. Walters: c. Meyers, ].
Siberian. e Dean: Chief Engineer ]. w.
Wood, First Assistant o. ". Scott,
Second Assistant c. Condor, Third AS
sistant T. Cleary. Water tenders: j.
McKeon, J. Ward; Storekeeper w. S.
Sloan. Firemen: ]. McDavid, d.
Fahey. NJ. Pendergast, G. S. Christie
pher, J. Reilly, E. Fahery, H. Jackson,
J. Walsh. Coal passers: c. Brown, n.
Leyva, w. Sheehan. n. Fitzgerald, NJ.
Fernandez. NJ. Kelley.
The San Benito encountered a heavy
southeast gale, with a driving rain
when off Point Arena, and it is sup
posed that Captain Smith lost his bear
ings owing to the thick weather. When
me vessel struck. an effort was made
to launch the boats. The first one,
containing First Engineer Scott and his
companions, was capsized and all were
drowned. The second boat, in COM
mand of Chief Engineer Wood with
nine others on board, was more sue
cessful, and kept afloat until picked up
by the steamer Point Arena. The
other boats were dashed to pieces after
leaving the davits. and those on board
were obliged TO take to the rigging for
safety. as heavy seas were breaking
over the decks and the collier, gradu-
ally settling down upon the rocks,
Arena was unable to approach the
wreck on account of the high seas
running. and no assistance could be
rendered from shore as the collier was
fully an eighth of a mile from the
nearest point of land. A life saving
crew with a rocket gun was summoned
from Point Arena station but the gun
would not carry far enough to reach
the wreck. The wrecker Whitelaw left
San Francisco tonight for the scene
but il is doubtful if those on board the
San Benito can withstand the beating
of the waves until succor reaches them.
The san Benito was a steel screw
steamer of s, 7S5 tons, built on the Clyde
in 1884 and first known as the Kim
berly. Subsequently it was remodeled
at Newport News and renamed the San
Benito, being purchased by the South
ern Pacific.
At O'Clock, the steamer Weott 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 disaster. The watchers
On shore tried to send a line over the
wreck by shooting from shotguns and
rifles, but without success. After the
vessel parted Just abaft the smoke
stack and about midships the stern
portion swung around and drifted to
within 500 feet of the beach, while the
forward section TO which the crew
were ciinging turned broadside to the
sea and then remained stationary. A
huge wave washed three sailors from
the mainmast, two of them sinking,
and the third being dragged ashore by
the life-savin~ crew. more dead than
alive. After dark great bonfires were
lighted on shore, and by the glare from
them could be seen the poor seamen
struggling to retain their hold in the
rigging, continually drenched by form
topped waves. The sea is not running
quite so high but is still rough enough
to prevent any attempt at rescue by
means of small boats.
The scene is heartrending. Men.
women and children have remained on
the beach since daylight without eat
ing Kind-hearted farmers brought
provisions and milk Cor all, though
none cared to touch morsel. Men
were shouting, women wringing their
hands and crying. everyone trying to
do or suggest something, but all of no
avail.
The men who have been rescued can
give no definite cause for the ships
getting so far out of her course, and
all questioning win only bring the
same answer, Il don't know"
Captain Smith and his officers, ex-
cept 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
l7histling for help say they plainly saw
the headlight of the steamer and the