The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-10
HELD UNDER WATER
One Of the StraDgest Disasters That
Ever Happened on the Ocean.
A SHIP COMPLETELY UPSET
Six Men Pinned In a Vessel Covered
by Seven Fathoms of Water
IL Is the British Boat.
Blairmore.

San Francisco. April 9.-No stranger
disaster ever happened to a vessel than
the accident which befell the British
ship Blairmore at o'clock this morn
ing. While riding at anchor in Mis-
sion bay the vessel was struck by
violent squall which. together with the
swift food tide. threw the craft on
her starboard side, capsized her COM
pletely and sank her in less than five
minutes. Fifteen seamen struggled in
the water. 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
Imprisoned sextet never reached the
deck. as did their comrades engaged
with them in handling the ballast be-
low. and the bodies of the six are i'm
prisoned in the steel hull. The Blair
more'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 be-
yond 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. APP
prentice; G.. Renebaum, able seaman:
II. Sinstrand, Waterman; Sam Kerry.
steward
The latter was shipped here and is a
native of Brooklyn, n. Y. The balance
of the men on board were those sea-
men usually held to stand by the YES
sci after she discharged cargo and is
awaiting cargo. The regular foremost
hands were all discharged on the ar
rival of the vessel from New Castle
two months ago. The squall that caused
the disaster was the most severe eX-
perienced on the south arm OF the bay
for many years. The wind was so Sc
we're that a number of ships anchored
near the Blairmore signaled for tugs
to move them up the bay. The flood
tide working 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 toward the Union Iron Works.
was keeled over so far that a passing
tow boat captain hailed her and asked
Captain Cav, her commander. II he did
not wish tow to the north end of the
bay. Meanwhile the squall blew its
hardest the sea was heavy and rain
fell i'm torrents. Captain Cav did not
think his vessel had braved the perils
of a number of ocean voyages to be
wrecked in the bay of San Francisco.
so he refused a tow. saying he would
scarcely drawn away when the Blair
more gave a sudden lurch. dipped her
yards and fell on her starboard quar-
ter The water rushed into her hold in
torrents. The men scrambled wildly
out on the open ladder A passing tug
with another vessel i'm tow dropped her
lines and blew for help, then sped to
the rescue, but IL was too late. A boat
was sent from the British ship Yeoman.
900 yards ahead of the Blairmore. In
three minutes this boat was alongside
the upturned vessel and picked up the
men clinging to the Blairmore's side.
Two men had struck out for shore, and
were picked up by the British ship
Cromdale. The Yeoman picked up sew
en-, including Captain Cav. Captain
Cav reported Immediately to his agents
and to the British consul.
The Blairmore is comparatively new.
She was built at Glasgow in 1893. and
was registered as 1.767 tons. There
were 26O tons of ballast in the hold
and II Is thought the ballast shifted
and covered the bodies. The loss on
the ship and furniture will exceed
1926, 900. Seven fathoms of water cover
the ship where she went down.