The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-22
They Escaped in Two Boats, but
Have Not Been Heard
From Since.
THE HULL AND CARGO INSURED
Captain Dunphy Was Probably on His
Way Back to RIO When the
Ship Went Down.

Another marine disaster has to be re.
corded. The American ship Willie Rosen-
field foundered at sea some time this
month and fourteen OF her crew are miss
ing. The following kilograms announced
the news in this City:
NEW YORK, N Y, Aug. 21.-The American
ship Willie Rosenfeld from New York for San
Francisco. is reported as having foundered 400
miles off Santa Catharina. Fourteen people
are missing.
LONDON, Eng, Aug. 21.-A cablegram from
Santa Catbarina says that the American ship
Willie Rosenfeld, from New York for San Fran
CISCO foundered 400 miles off the coast Part
of the crew was saved and landed. Two boats,
containing fourteen persons. are missing.
The first news of the loss of the ship
was received here by Williams, Dimond &
Co., to whom the vessel was consigned.
They received the information from Dear
born & Co. of New York. and at once no.
titled the underwriters. The loss on ves-
sci and cargo will probably amount to
$3.50 900, and the insurance is in the neigh
borhood of $500, 900. The Willie Rosenfeld
was a home ship, and nearly all the risks
on her were held in San Francisco. This
makes the fifth AL vessel that insurance
has been paid on within the past five
weeks. The City of Philadelphia was lost
when rounding the Horn; the Colombia
went ashore at Pigeon Point and the ST.
Paul at Point Pinos; British ship with a
cargo for San Francisco is posted at Lloyds
as missing, and now comes the laundering
of the Willie Rosenfeld. In the short
space of time mentioned the insurance
companies must have lost over a million
and half.
rhe Willie Rosenfeld was well known in
San Francisco. She was named after the
youngest son of John Rosenfeld, but the
young man died before the vessel was
launched. Captain William III. Dunphy,
who was in command of her, is the father.
in-law of Henry Rosenfeld and during
her eleven years of life the vessel has al
most always traded between New York
and San Francisco, She left here last
year and made quick run to New York,
but there was considerable delay in get
ting away again, as the sailors had the
captain and officers arrested for cruelty on
the high seas. Dunphy was exonerated,
but the mates were held to answer.
This delayed the sailing, and it was not
until April % last that the vessel got
away. John Rosenfeld was at that time
in New York, and he went all over the
ship. He reports that she was well found
and as sound as the day she was launched.
The opinion of seafaring men is that the
Rosenfeld made fast run to the Horn and
there was caught in a hurricane. Her
sails were blown from the bolt ropes, top
masts went by the board, the bowsprit
snapped off short and the hull began to
leak. Finding that the water was gaining
in the hold Captain Dunphy probably put
about and ran back for Rio de Janeiro.
Another storm must have caught the ill
fated ship and. her seams opening up, she
went down stern first.
Captain Dunphy must have been on
his way back 10 Rio," said Captain James
f. Chapman yesterday. eff he had been
making for the Horn he would have been
much closer inshore, but if he was rum
ming for port in which to repair he was
on his course when the vessel foundered.
Judging from the meager details she was
in latitude 37.30 south, longitude 1880
west, and would therefore be between
Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro. At the
former place there is not good anchorage
for vessel the size of the Rosenfeld, ana
at the latter there are facilities for repairs
of all kind. OF course no one can tell
how the thing happened, but when full
particulars arrive L think you will find
that the Willie Rosenfeld was on her way
to Rio in distress"
This is not the first occasion on which
the ship in question was in distress. She
left here on December 25 1894, and very
nearly foundered off the Horn. On that
occasion she lost nearly a suit of sails and
the vessel was practically wreck. Two
of the crew were killeo snd eight were in
iured while attempting to clear away the
wreckage. Captain Dunphy had his leg
broken and the first mate was injured.
On that occasion she nearly went down
stern first, and the accompanying cut is
reproduced from sketch made by one of
the sailors. Twice was the Willie Rosen-
field in Jeopardy at the Horn and on both
occasions she settled aft. The third time
was fatal and she went down stern first.
The Willie Rosenfeld was builtin Bath,
Me-. in 1885, and was one of the stoutest
ships ever turned out by Arthur Sewall &
Co. She was 2455 tons gross burden, 266
feet inches long, A feet s inches broad
and 10 feet inch deep. Captain Dunphy
had been in command of her from the
time she went into commission.
AS to the missing members of the crew
no one seems to know anything. The
supposition is that Captain Dunphy and
fourteen or fifteen men have got ashore at
Santa Catharina in a lifeboat, and that the
other boats with seven men in each made
a landing farther south. Very few of the
men were from San Francisco. as nearly
all who joined her here left her IN New
York. The Rosenfeld was known as a
"hard ship" and sailors as rule are not
sorry that she is gone so long as they are
satisfied no lives were lost