The herald., 1896-08-10
he fall of 1893, the Pacific Coast steam

the fall of 1893, the Pacific Coast steam
ship company purchased her of the
| Alaska Commercial company and she
| was put on the run between San Fran
| cisco and Mexican ports, Guaymas and
La Paz, but, being somewhat unsuited
to cruising in hot climate, not havins
enough deck staterooms, she was on
April q, 1895, placed on the route be-
tween San Francisco and Newport
Landing, Orange county. Since that
time she has made regular trips. Her
commander, until lately, has been Cap
tain Green, but he was transferred to
one of the company's other vessels and
Captain Downing, formerly IN cnarge
of the Bonita, a freight boat, stepped on
board as navigator on July 10th OF this
year.
The Pacific Coast Steamship company,
on the runs between San Francisco and
the southern end of the state uses
fleet of six vessels, as follows: Between
San Francisco and San Diego, touching
at San Pedro, Santa Barbara and Port
Hartford, the Santa Rosa and Corona !;
between San Francisco and Newport
Landing, making San Pedro, Ventura,
Carpenteria, Santa Barbara, GaVlota,
Port Hartford, Cayucos, San Simeon,
Monterey and Santa Cruz, the st. Paul
and Eureka: and also the freight boats
Bonita and Santa Cruz, which convey
no passengers, but touch at all points as
named above.
During the past few years the COM
pany has bsen unusually unfortunate
this being the third boat they have lost
In October, 1898, the Newbern was
wrecked between San Pedro and Re
dondo running ashore in a fog and
being left a complete wreck within
biscuit toss of the high cliffs that form
the promontory of Point Firmin. the
passengers and crew escaped in sa1ety.
Again, on April 81, 1894, the steamer Los
Angeles struck n rock in the vicinity OF
where the St Paul has met disaster and
sank in deep water. -Four lives were lost
in this wreck.
Captain Downing, the commander of
the St. Paul, is regarded as a capable
and efficient officer, having been in the
service of the company for years, al
though running on freight boat.
The coast line of California is one of
the most dangerous in the world to the
mariner. on account of the treacherous
currents and at certain seasons of the
year, the dense and heavy fogs that
prevail. These ocean currents are not
stable. but will be encountered in GER
tain locality. running like a millrace,
on one trip. being found totally absent
on the next. The set is nearly always
toward the shore, and on dark and fog
gy night. when no lights are visible, and
the mariner must run by dead reckon
ing, ne mas no means Oh telllnS Wnen
he may encounter one of them, or know
ing how much leeway he is making.
Many a stout ship has been steering
steadily on her course, the captain
thinking that he was perhaps ten miles
at sea, and has run head on to the rocks
having been forced by the unseen but
powerful currents in to her doom. This
was the case with the Crown of Scotland,
wrecked several years ago on one of the
channel islands. Her commander
thought he was miles to the westward
of any of the islands. and held his north
west course steadily, bringing up fair
and square on the rocks, dragged there
by the current.
When the weather is clear and the
beacon lights can be seen, all is well,
but there are frequent instances where
captains of the coasting steamers are
unable to see a CLEAN from shore dur
ing the entire trip. and must run entire
ly by dead reckoning. and by the re-
sounding echoes that are thrown back
from the cliffs in response to blasts of
the fog horn. This can be done, and
many of the captains can tell exactly
where they are and how far from land
by the volume and sound of the echo
When this fails they are indeed at sea,
and can only grope blndly along at
half speed. using the lead and trusting
in providence.